2012 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

By pressing the I START ENGINE STOPI button
without depressing the brake peda l, the igni­
tion is on and switched
off by pressing it
again.
After a cold engine is started, the re may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must first bui ld up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time. Repeat starting procedure.
Driv er m essag e in th e in strument clu ste r
disp lay
Pr ess br ak e p ed al to start engin e
This message appears if you press the
I START ENGINE STOP ! button to start the en ­
g ine and do not depress the brake peda l. The
engine can on ly be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
!!I C o nv enience ke y: I s ke y not in th e vehi­
cle ?
This message appea rs a long with the !!I sym­
bol if the maste r key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the engine r unning . It is intended
to remind you (e .g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey witho ut the mas­
ter key.
I f the master key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot sw itch on the ignition after stop­
ping the engine and yo u also cannot start the
engine again. Moreover, you cannot lock the
veh icle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P , other wis e vehicle c an roll away.
Doo rs do not lock if le ver i s not in P.
This message appears for sa fety reasons
a long with an audib le warning tone if the
P
selector lever position is not engaged when
stopping the eng ine with the
I STAR T ENGINE STOP ! button. Select the P se­
lector lever posit ion. Otherwise the veh icle
could roll and it can not be locked .
On th e ro ad 71
Ke y not r ecogni sed . Hold bac k of ke y again st
ma rked area. See owne r's manual.
If the indica tor l ight turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malf unct ion
¢ page 72.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the I START ENGINE STOP ! button
and open the d river's doo r. T he locked steer ­
i ng helps p revent vehicle theft.
& WARNING ~
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyxiation .
- Never turn
off the engine un til the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the eng ine is r unning . If
the engine is
off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­ ly would, this cou ld lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
(CT) Note
- Avo id h igh engine rpm, full thrott le and
heavy engine loads until the engine has
reached operating temperature -other­
w ise you risk engine damage .
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended per iod, heat builds up in
the engine compa rtment afte r the e n­
gine is switched
off -there is a risk of
damaging the engine. Allow the engine
to run at idle fo r about 2 minutes before
switching it
off.
(D Tips
- If you open the d river 's doo r with the ig­
nition on, a buz ze r sounds and the mes­
sage
Ignition i s on appears in the instr u­
ment cl uste r display . Sw itch the ignition
off . Ill-

7 2 On the road
-If yo u leave the vehicle wi th the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off
after a certa in period of time . Please
note that e lectrica l equipment such as
exter ior lights w ill switch off as well
when that happens .
Stopping the engine
.,. Bring your vehicle to a complete stop .
.,. Move the selector lever to the
P o r N posi­
t ion.
.,. Press the
!S TAR T ENGINE S TOPI button
9 page 70, fig. 72 .
Emergency off
If necessary, the eng ine can be sw itched off
with the selector leve r in the
R or D /S posi­
tion . The engine stops if you press the
I START ENGINE STOP! button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/h) and press the brake pedal.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine unti l the vehi ­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usua l­
ly wou ld, this could lead to crashes and
serious injur ies.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Othe rwise, the veh icle could inad­
vertent ly roll away.
- After the engi ne has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run fo r
up to 10 m in utes - even with the ig nitio n
swit ched off.
It can a lso switch on ag ain
afte r some time if the coolant tempera"
t u re rises as the result of a heat buildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine compartment is addit ionally heated by
the sun's rays.
(D Note
Do not stop the eng ine immediately after
hard or extended driving . Keep the engine
running for approximate ly two minutes to
prevent excessive heat bu ild-up .
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine un ­
der certain circumstances, for example if the battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter­
ference is affe cted the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
F ig. 73 Center co nsole/master key: start ing the eng ine
i f there is a malfunct io n
Requ irement: The message Key not r ecog­
nized . H old back of key ag ainst marked are a.
See owner 's manual.
must appear and the in­
dicator light
m must swi tch on.
.,. Ho ld the mas ter key vertically in the loca­
tion indicated
y >l) 9 fig. 73.
.,. Press t he b rake pedal ~ .&. in Starting the
engine on page 71 .
... Press the ..., IS"'T :,-,A -,,R "'T ,.., E"" N...,..,,, G""IN ,-,-: E-,s"'T ,...,O ,.., P,..,I button .
The engine wi ll start.
.,. Dr ive to your authorized Audi dea ler imme­
diately to have the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
You can v iew the message again by press ­
ing the
I STAR T ENGINE STOP ! button.

Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
Fig. 74 Center conso le: Park ing brake
.. Pull on the switch<®> Q fig. 74 to apply the
parking brake. The indicator light in the
switch illuminates.
.. Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch
(®) at the same
t ime to release the parking brake. The indi­
cator light in the switch goes out.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electrome ­
chan ical park ing brake . The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling
un intent ionally and rep laces the hand brake.
In addition to the normal functions of a tradi ­
tional hand brake, the electromechan ical
parking brake provides var ious convenience
and safety functions.
When starting from rest
-The integral starting assist helps you when
driving by automat ically releasing the park­
ing brake ¢
page 74, Starting from rest.
-When starting on inclines, the starting as ­
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentional­
ly rolling back . The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until suff icient
driv ing force has been built up at the
wheels.
On the road 73
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail ¢
page 75, Emergency braking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch.
- If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch
for about 20 seconds.
A WARNING
Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tently if the veh icle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected .
Otherwise the vehicle w ill start to move
immediately and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light
1111 (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrument cluster flash­
es, there is a malf unction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the deta iled desc rip­
tion of the indicat or lights¢
page 14.
-If the ind icator light - (USA mod-
els)/ . (Canada models) or
I.I turns
on, there may be a ma lfunction in the
parking brake
Q page 16.
(0 Tips
-Yo u can apply the parking brake at any
time -even with the ignition switched
off. The ignition must be on in order to
release the parking brake.
- Occasional noises when the parking
brake is applied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern .
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regu lar intervals. Any associated noises
are normal.

74 On the road
Parking
Various rules apply to prevent the parked ve­
hicle from rolling away accidentally.
P a rking
.. Stop the vehicle with the foot brake .
.. Pu ll the switch <®l to apply the park ing
brake.
.. Se lect the
P se lector lever position
~ page 101.
• Turn the eng ine off ~.&.
In addition on incline s and grade s
.. Turn the steering wheel so that your vehicle
will roll against the curb in case it should
start to move .
A WARNING
-When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b rief ly - always take the ignition key
with you. This app lies par ticu la rly when
children remain in the veh icle . Otherw ise
the ch ildren could start the engine, re ­
lease the parking brake or ope rate e lec­
trical equipment (e.g. power windows) .
There is the risk of an accident .
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
t icu larly not ch ildren should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle -putt ing lives at risk .
Starting from rest
The starting assis t function ensures tha t the
parking brake is released automatically upon
starting .
Stopping and appl ying park ing br ake
.. Pull the switch(®) to apply the parking
brake.
Starting and automatically releasing the par king brake
.. When you start to drive as usua l, the park­
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move. When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping
in city t raffic, the parking brake can be ap­
plied . T he vehicle does not have to be he ld
with the footbrake . The parking brake elimi ­
nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged . As soon as you d rive off as usual,
the pa rking brake is released automat ically
and the vehicle starts to move .
Starting on slopes
When starting on inclines, the starting assist
prevents the vehicle from u nintent ionally roll­
ing back . The braking force of the parking
brake is not released until suff ic ient driving
force has been built up at the wheels .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re ­
leased automatically o nly when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
.. Keep the sw itch <®l pulled and depress the
accelerator. The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back­
ward .
.. You can release the switch
<®l once you are
sure that you are developing enoug h for­
ward momentum at the whee ls as you de­
press the acce lerator .
Depend ing on the we ight of the rig (vehi cle
and t railer) and the severity of the incline, yo u
may ro ll backwards as yo u start . You can pre ­
vent rolling backwards by holding the parking
brake switch <®l pulled out and accelerating -
just as you wou ld when starting on a hill with
a conventiona l hand brake.

Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­tem fails or locks .
11-In an emergency, pull the switch(®) and
conti nue to pull it to slow your vehicle down
with the parking brake .
11-As soon as you release the sw itch (®) or ac-
celerate, the braki ng p rocess stops.
If you pull the sw itch
(®) and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen­
cy braking function is in itiated. The vehicle is
b ra ked at a ll four wheels by activating the hy­
d raul ic br ake system. The b ra ke performance
i s sim ilar to making an emergency stop~.&. .
I n o rder not to activate the emergency brak­
i ng by m ista ke, an audible warning tone (bu z­
z er) sounds when the switch<®> is p ulled. As
soon as the switch(®) is released, or the accel ­
erator pedal is dep ressed, emergency braking
stops .
.&_ WARNING
Emergency braking shou ld only be used in
an eme rgency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
Using t he parking brake to perform emer­
gency braking will slow you r vehicle down
as if you had made a fu ll brake applicat ion.
The laws of phy sic s ca nnot be s uspended
eve n w ith ESP and its associated compo­
nents (ABS, ASR, ED L) . In co rners and
when road or weather conditions are bad,
a full brake application can cause the vehi­
cle to skid or the rear end to b reak away -
r isking an accident.
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay
under a specified maximum speed.
The speed warning system warns you if you
are exceed ing the max imum speed that you
h ave set . You will hea r a warn ing tone when
your speed exceeds the stored va lue by ap-
On th e ro ad 75
proximately 3 mph ( 3 km/h) . An indicator
light . (USA
models) ;a (Canada mode ls) in
the instr ument cluster d isp lay also turns on at
the same time. The indicator light./.
turns off when the speed decreases be low the
stored maximum speed .
Setting a t hreshold is recommended if you
would like to be rem inded w hen you reach a
certain maxim um speed . S ituations where you
may wa nt to do so include driv ing in a country
with a general speed limit o r if the re is a
specified maximum speed for w inte r tires .
(D Tips
Even though your vehicle is eq uipped w ith
a speed warn ing system, you sho uld still
watch the speedometer to ma ke sure you
a re not dr iv ing faster t han the speed limi t.
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold
in the MMI.
11-Select: I CAR! function button > Car systems
control butto n > Driver assist > Speed warn­
ing .
You can set any threshold between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Sett ings
can eac h be ad justed in increments of 5 mph
(10 km/h).

76 On the road
Cruise control
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: wit h crui se contro l
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
f
~
0
Fig. 75 Control lever with set b utto n
Fig. 76 Display: Selected speed
• Pull the lever to position @~ fig. 75 to
switch the system on.
• Drive at the speed you wish to set.
• Press button @to set that speed.
The stored speed and the indicator light
18;\0~1~ (US models)/ . (Canadian models) ap ­
pear in the instrument cluster display
~ fig. 76. The display may vary, depending on
the type of display in your vehicle . T he indica­
tor light
ll in the instrument cluster also illu­
minates.
This information is also shown briefly in the
Head-up Display* .
The speed is kept constant via an engine out­
put adjustment or active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-- Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on. You are always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your vehicle and
other veh icles.
- For safety reasons, the cruise contro l
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic , on twisting roads and
when road condit ions are poor (such as
ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
p laning) - risk of accident.
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily
when entering turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes the cruise control not to brake. This is
because the cruise control is overridden
by the driver's acceleration.
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cruise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched
off. The other cruise control functions re­
main active as long as the indicator light
mmJI (US models)/ . (Canadian mod­
els) is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the
brakes decelerate automatically .
Changing speed
Applies to vehicles: w ith cruise co ntrol
• Press lever in the 0 or 0 direct ion
~ page 76, fig. 75 to increase or decrease
your speed .
• Release the lever to save that speed.
Change speed in increments of 1 mph (1 km/
h) by lightly pressing the lever . If you keep the
lever pressed down, you will alter your speed
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e.g . if you want to .,..

pass someone. The speed you saved ea rlier
will resume as soon as you release the acceler­
ator peda l.
I f, however, yo u exceed your saved speed by
6 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 min utes,
the cruise contro l will turn off temporarily.
The green symbol
iB;O)~i~ (US mode ls) ;l'I
(Canad ian models) in the display will go out
but the saved speed remains the same.
Presetting your speed
App lies to vehicles: with cr uise contro l
You con preset your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving.
~ Switch on the ignition.
~ Pu ll lever into position CD ¢ page 76,
fig. 75.
~ Press the lever in the 0 or 0 direction to
i ncrease or decrease your speed.
~ Release the lever to save that speed.
This funct ion makes it possible, for example,
to save the speed you want before driving on
the highway . Once on the highway, activate
the c ruise control by pull ing t he lever towa rd
(D .
Switching the system off
App lies to vehicles: with c ruise con tro l
Temporary deactivation
~ Press the brake peda l, or
~ Press the lever i nto pos ition @ (not clicked
in to p lace)
¢ page 76, fig. 75, or
~ Drive for longer than 5 minutes at more
than 5 mph (10 km/h) above the stored
speed.
Sw itching off completely
~ Press leve r into position @(clic ked into
pla ce), o r
~ Switch the ignition off.
The system reta ins the saved speed if you de­
activa te the cru ise con tro l temporarily. To re­
sume the saved speed, release the brake ped ­
a l and pull the lever to position
(D .
On th e ro ad 77
Switching the ignition off e rases the saved
speed.
A WARNING
You shou ld only ret urn to the saved speed
if it is not too fast for the c urrent traffic
conditions -risk of an accident!

78 Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
Adaptive cruise control
and braking guard
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise co ntrol
The adaptive cruise control system assists the
driver by regulating vehicle speed and helping
to maintain a set distance to the vehicle
ahead, within the limits of the system . If the
system detects a moving vehicle up ahead,
adaptive cruise control can brake and then ac­
celerate your vehicle . This helps to make driv ­
ing more comfortable both on long highway
stretches and in stop -and-go traffic.
Aud i braking guard can warn you about an im­
pending collision with a vehicle up ahead that
is slower or has slowed down and start slow­
ing your vehicle down with the brakes
<::> page 84.
Adaptive cruise control and Audi braking
guard have technical limitations that you
must know, so please read this section care­
fully, understand how the system works and
use them properly at all times.
General information
General information
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig. 77 Front of th e ve hicle : senso rs a nd vi deo camera
The areas that contain the radar and ultrason­
ic sensors and the video camera
c::> fig . 77
must never be covered by stickers, or other
things or coated with dirt, insects, snow or ice
that will interfere with the Adaptive cruise
control system and Audi braking guard . Re­
move snow with a hand brush and remove ice with a de-icing spray that does not contain
solvents.
The function of the Adaptive cruise control
system and Audi braking guard is limited un­
der some conditions.
- Objects can only be detected when they are
within sensor range
c::> page 80, fig. 80.
- The system has a limited ability to detect
objects that are a short d istance ahead, off
to the side of your vehicle or moving into
your lane from the front or moves into your
lane from the side.
-When driving through curves
r=;>page 79.
- Some kinds of vehicles are hard to detect;
for examp le motorcycles, vehicles with high
ground clearance or overhanging loads may
be detected when it is too late or they may
not be detected at all.
- Stationary objects
c::> page 79 .
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, other accidents
and serious personal injury. -
-Never let the comfort and convenience
that adaptive cruise control and Audi
braking guard offer distract you from the
need to be alert to traffic conditions and
the need to remain in full control of your
vehicle at all times,
- Always remember that the adaptive
cru ise control and Audi braking guard
have lim its -they will not slow the vehi­
cle down or maintain the set distance
when you drive towards an obstacle or
something on or near the road that is not
moving, such as vehicles stopped in a
traffic jam, a stalled or disabled vehicle.
If registered by the radar sensors, vehi­
cles or obstacles that are not moving can
trigger a collision warning and if con­
firmed by the video camera, an acute col­ lision warning.
- Always remember that the adaptive
cruise control cannot detect a vehicle
that is driving towards you in your traffic
lane and that it cannot detect narrow
~