2012 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

N -N eutr al
The transmission is in neutra l in this position .
Shift to this posit ion for standing with the
brakes applied
¢ &. in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 101.
When the veh icle is stationary or at speeds
be low 3 mph (5 km/h) , you must always apply
the footbrake before and while moving the
lever out of
N.
D /S -Normal position for dr iving forward
I n the D /S position, the transmission can be
operated e ither in the normal D mode or in
the S sport mode. To select the 5 sport mode,
pu ll the se lector lever back briefly . Pulling the
l ever back again will select the normal D
mode. The instrument cluster display shows
the selected driving mode.
In the
no rmal mode D , the transmission auto ­
matica lly selects the best gear ratio. It de­
pends on engine load, veh icle speed and the
dynamic control program (DRP).
Select the
s port mode S for sporty driving .
The vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. S hifting is more noticeable when accel­
erating.
When the veh icle is stationary or at speeds
be low 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always apply
the foot brake before and while moving the lever to
D /S out of N .
In certain circumstances it may be advanta­
geous to temporarily switch to the manual
shift program to manually select gear ratios
to match specif ic driving conditions
¢ page 105.
A WARNING
Read and follow alt WARNI NGS ¢ A in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 101.
(D Note
-
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in
N and the engine not runn ing will result in
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 10 3
damage to the automatic transmission
and possib ly the cata lytic converter.
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
Applies to veh icles: w ith mult itronic
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you
against accidentally shifting into a forward or
the reverse gear and causing the vehicle to
move unintentionally.
0, N 0 0
0
a1i
) ( )
Fi g. 107 Shi ft ga te: selector leve r lock pos it ions and
i n te rlock bu tton highligh ted
The selector lever lock is re leased as follows:
.. Tu rn the igni tion on.
.. Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time
press and hold the inte rlock bu tton on the
side of the gear selector knob
Q fig. 107
with your thumb until yo u have moved the
selector lever to the desired posit ion .
Automatic selector leve r lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po­
s itions when the ig nition is tu rned on. To
move t he lever from these positions the driver
must depress the brake peda l. As a reminder
to the driver, the following warning appears in
the instrument cluster display when the selec­
tor is in
P and N :
When stationar y apply footbrake while se­
lecting gear
A time delay element p reven ts the selector
lever from locking when it is moved through
the
N position (going from R to 0 /5 ). The
locking element wi ll lock the se lector lever if
the lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than approximately 1 second, w ithout the brake
pedal being pressed .

104 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
At speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deacti­
vated in the
N position.
I nte rlock butt on
The lock button on the selector lever prevents
the lever from being acc identally shifted into
certain positions. Pressing this button deacti­
vates the se lector lever lock. Depending on
the direction of the shift, the se lector lever
locks at different positions. The positions are
h ighlighted in the illustration
c:> fig. 107.
Kick-down
App lies to vehicles: with multitronic
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to
generate maximum acceleration.
When you depress the accelerator pedal be­
yond the resistance point, the transmission downshifts into a lower gear ratio depending
on the vehicle speed and engine speed. As long as the accelerator pedal is depressed, the
engine speed is automat ically regulated for
maximum acceleration.
A WARNING
Be ca reful when using the kick-down fea­
ture on slippe ry roads. Rapid acce lerat ion
may cause the vehicle to skid.
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
Applies to vehicles: with multitr on ic
The automatic transmission is electronically
controlled.
The transmission is self adapting and will au­
tomat icall y
select the best shift program su it­
ed to the driving condit ions and d riving s tyle.
The transmission will se lect one of the
econo­
my
programs when you drive at a steady
speed or a gradually chang ing speed without
heavy acceleration . T h is ach ieves optimum
f u e l efficiency, with early upshifting and de­
layed downshifting .
The transmission will a utomat ica lly select the
s porty shift prog rams whe n you drive at high- er speeds, or with heavy acceleration and fre­
quently changing speeds. Upshifts are delayed
to make full use of engine power . Downshift­
ing takes place at higher engine speeds than
in the economy programs.
The selection of the most suitable s hift pro ­
gram is a continuous, automatic process. The
driver can a lso make the transm iss ion sw itch
to a sporty program by
qu ick ly pressing down
the gas pedal.
This causes the transm ission to shift down to
a lower gear to ach ieve rapid acce lerat ion, e.g.
for quickly passing another vehicle. You do not need to press the gas pedal into the kick-down
range. After the transm ission has upshifted,
the or iginal program is selected according to
you r dr iv ing style .
An additional sh ift program allows the auto ­
matic transmission to select the proper gea r
for uphill and downh ill grad ients.
This keeps the transm ission from shifting up
and down unnecessarily on hills. The trans ­
mission will sh ift down to a lower gear when
the driver presses the brake pedal on a down­
hill g radient. This ma kes use of the braking ef­
fect of t he engine w ithou t the need to s hift
down man ually .

Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears .
Fig. 108 Center console: shi ftin g th e tip tronic ma nua l·
l y
Fig. 109 Display: man ual sh ift program, selected gea r
highl ighted
Switching to manual shift program
• Push the selector lever to the right from 0/
5 . As soon as the transmission has switched
over, the selected gear appears in the dis­
play.
To upshift
• Push the selector lever forward to the plus
pos ition
0 ~ fig . 108 .
To downshift
• Push the leve r to the minus position 0 -
When accelerating , the transmission will au­
tomatically shift into the next gear before the
engine reaches its maximum RPM .
If you apply a light throttle when accelerat­
ing, tiptron ic will automatically shift from 1st
to 2nd gear to save fuel. If you apply a heavy
thrott le, the transmission will stay in 1st gear
Automatic Transmission 105
until near maximum RPM is reached, or until
the driver shifts into 2nd gear.
If you take your foot off the accelerator pedal
when d riving down a steep incline, tiptronic
will downshift from the selected gear into the
next lower gear until it reaches 1st gear,
based on road speed and engine RPM. Auto­
matic downshifting is interrupted as soon as
you apply the throttle again.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear,
the transmission will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev­
ving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transm ission w ill shift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds .
- tiptronic is inoperative when the trans­
mission is in the fai l-safe mode.
Steer ing wheel with tiptronic
Applies to vehicles: with tiptronic steering wheel
The shi~ buttons on the steering wheel allow
the driver to shift gears manually.
Fig. 1 10 Steer ing w hee l: S hift bu ttons
• To downshift, touch the button on the left
0 -
• To upshift, touch the button on the right
0.
The shift buttons are activated when these­
lector lever is in
D/S or in the manual shift
program (tiptronic) .

106 Automatic Transmission
Of course, you can continue to use the manual
shift program with the selector lever on the
center console.
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles: with multitron ic
[O] Transmission: please press the brake ped·
al and select the position again
Press the brake pedal and se lect the desired
selector lever position again . You can then
continue dr iving .
[O] Transmission hot: please modify driving
style
The transmission temperature has increased
sig nifi cantly due to the sporty driving manner.
Drive in a less spo rty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con­
tinue driving
There is a sys tem ma lf unctio n in the transmis­
sion . You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[O] Transmission malfunction: Limited driv­
ing functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switch ing to emer­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gea rs or will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may stall. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the ma lfunction corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: Stop and shift
to P
Do not cont inue driving. Select the P se lector
l eve r position and see yo ur authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified repa ir facility for assis ­
tance.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you should take the vehicle to an a
uthor ized Audi dea le rs hip as soon as pos ­
sible to have the condition corrected .
Emergency release of the selector lever
Applies to vehicles: w ith multitronic
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selec­
tor lever con be released in on emergency .
Fig. 111 Emerge ncy release fo r selecto r lever
.,. To reach the emergency release mechanism,
remove the ashtray insert* .
.,. Loosen and remove the small cap in the
ashtray mount ¢
fig. 111 .
.,. You now have access to a bolt. Using a
screwdriver or similar, press the bolt down
and hold it down.
.,. Now press the interlock and move the se lec-
tor lever to the
N position.
T he selector lever can only be moved from the
P position if the ignition is turned on . If the
vehicle has to be pushed or towed if the power
supply fails (e .g. battery is discharged), the
se lector lever must first be moved to the
N
pos ition using the emergency locking device.
tiptronic ®
Introduction
Applies to veh icles : w ith tiptronic
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically
controlled automatic transmission. Upshifting
and downsh ifting takes place
automatically .
The transmission is also equipped with t ip­
tronic ®. It allows the driver to shift gears
manually if desired ~ page 110.

Driving the automatic transmission
Applies to vehicles: with tiptronic
Fig. 112 Shift gate on the center conso le: selector lev­
er w ith release button
Startin g the engine
~ The selector lever must be in P or N.
St arting off
~ Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle and move the selector
lever from
P or N to D /S and release the but­
ton
c:> _& .
~ Wait briefly until the transmission has shift­
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate .
Rocking back and forth to become
un stu ck
~ Shift on ly between D /S and R when the ve­
hicle is at a fu ll stop and the engine is run­
ning at idle speed.
St opping
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal unti l the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop.
~ Keep the brake pedal depressed so that the
vehicle cannot roll forward or backward
whi le it is idling
c:> .&._ .
~ Once stopped, do not depress the accelera­
tor pedal to rev up the engine
c:> .&._ .
Park ing
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal unti l the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop .
~ Set the parking brake firmly r=;,page 74,
Parking.
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 10 7
~ Press and hold the re lease button in these­
lector lever handle, move the se lector lever
into
P and then let go of the release button
q A .
The selector lever must be in P or N . If one of
the driving positions is engaged a safety
switch will prevent the engine from being
started . See also
r=;, page 70.
Before you move the se lector lever from the
P
position, you must always app ly the brake
pedal before and while depressing the button
in the handle of the selector lever.
A WARNING
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- When the se lector lever is in a d riving
position, the vehicle may creep, even at
idle speed. Therefore do not release
the parking brake or foot brake until
you are ready to move, because power
i s transmitted to the wheels as soon as
a driving position is engaged.
- Do not accelerate while selecting a
driv ing position. At this time the en­
gine must be at idle speed so that un­
due stress is not placed on the clutches
i n the transmiss io n.
- Remember: Even when stopped br iefly
with the automatic t ransmission in D/S
o r R, eng ine power is bei ng transmit­
ted to the wheels. Your veh icle cou ld
"creep" forward or backward. Whe n
stopped, keep the b rake pedal fully de ­
pressed and use the parking brake if
necessary to keep the vehicle from ro ll­
i ng.
- If the selector lever is un intent ionally
moved into N while you are driving, take
your foot off the accelerator peda l and
wait for the eng ine to retu rn to idle
speed before selecting a dr iv ing pos ition.
- Never sh ift into R or P when the vehicle is
in motion .
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the eng ine is ru nning.

108 Automatic Transmission
-If you must g et out of the vehicle, move
the selector lever securely into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake f irmly.
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake
firmly set
r:!;> page 214, Engine compart­
ment.
Otherwise, any increase in engine
speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
Selector lever posit ions
Appl ies to vehicles: with tiptronic
This section describes the selector lever posi­
tions and driving ranges.
Fig. 113 Display in the instrume nt cluster: se lector
lever pos itio n
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
strument cluster display.
P - Park
In this selecto r lever position the transmis­
sion is mechanically locked . Engage
P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped ¢ A
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 107 .
To shift in or out of position P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
while moving the selector lever to or from
P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on.
You must release the parking lock manually
before towing the vehicle
<:!;>page 112.
R -Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed r:!;> ,& in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 107.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the handle of the selector
l ever
and the brake pedal at the same time.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position .
Shift to this position for standing with the
brakes applied
<:!;>page 109.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always apply
the footbrake before and while moving the
lever out of
N.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal D mode or in
the S sport mode . To select the S sport mode,
pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling the
lever back again will select the normal D
mode. The instrument cluster display shows
the selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D , the transmission auto­
matically selects the best gear ratio.
It de­
p ends on engine load, vehicle speed and the
dynamic control program (DRP).
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving.
The vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shifting is more noticeable when accel­
erating.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always apply
the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
D/S out of N .
In certain circumstances it may be advanta­
geous to temporarily switch to the manual
shift program to manually select gear ratios .,..

to match specific driving conditions
¢page 110.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢.& in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 107.
(D Note
Coasting downhill with the transmission in
N and the engine not running will resu lt in
damage to the automatic transmiss ion
and possibly the catalytic converter.
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
Appl ies to vehicles: with tiptro nic
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you
against accidentally shifting into a forward or
the reverse gear and causing the vehicle to
move unintentionally .
I
Fig. 114 Shift gate selector lever lock pos itions and
inte rlock butto n highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows :
• Turn the ignition on.
• Step on the brake peda l.
At the same time
press and hold the interlock button on the
side of the gear selector knob¢
fig. 114
with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position .
Automatic selector lever lock
"' N 0 0 (!)
cb
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po­
sitions when the ignition is turned on. To
move the lever from these positions the driver
must depress the brake pedal. As a reminder
to the driver, the following warning appears in
Automatic Transmission 109
the instrument cluster display when the selec ­
tor is in
P and N :
When stationary apply footbrake while se­
lecting gear
A time delay element prevents the selector
lever from locking when it is moved through
the
N posi tion (going from R to D/S ). The
locking element will lock the selector lever if
the lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than
approximately 1 second, without the brake
pedal being pressed .
At speeds above abo ut 3 mph (5 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deacti­
vated in the
N position .
Interlock button
The lock button on the selecto r lever prevents
the lever from being accidentally shifted into
certain positions. Pressing this button deacti­
vates the selector lever lock. Depending on
the direction of the shift, the selector lever
locks at different positions . The positions are
highlighted in the illustration¢
fig. 114.
Kick-down
App lies to vehicles: wit h tiptro ni c
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to
generate maximum acceleration .
When you press the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point that is reached at full
throttle, the transmission will select a lower
gear ratio based on vehicle speed and engine
RPM. The engine RPM will be controlled to
produce maximum vehicle acceleration as
long as you continue to press the accelerator
pedal beyond this resistance point .
_&. WARNING
Be careful when using the kick-down fea­
ture on slippery roads. Rapid acceleration
may cause the vehicle to skid .
-

110 Autom atic Tran smi ssi on
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
Appli es to vehicles: with tiptronic
The automatic transmission is electronically
controlled .
The transmission is self adapting and will au­
t oma tically
select the best shift program suit­
ed to the driving conditions and driving style .
The transmission will se lect one of the
econo ­
my programs when you drive at a steady
speed or a gradually changing speed without
heavy acceleration . This achieves optimum
fuel efficiency, with early upsh ifting and de­
layed downshifting.
The transmission will automatically select the
s po rty shift programs when you drive at high­
er speeds, or w ith heavy acceleration and fre­
quent ly changing speeds. Upshifts are de layed
to make f ull use of eng ine power. Downsh ift­
i ng takes p lace at higher engine speeds than
in the economy programs.
The se lection of the most suitable shift p ro­
gram is a cont inuous, automati c process. The
driver can also make the t ransmission switch
to a sporty prog ram by
quic kly pressing down
the gas pedal.
This causes the transmission to shift down to
a lower gear to achieve rap id acceleration, e.g.
for qu ickly passing another veh icle. You do not
need to press the gas peda l into the kick-down
range. After the transmission has upshifted,
the original program is selected according to
your driving style.
An additional shift program allows the auto­matic transmission to select the proper gear
for uphill and downhill gradients.
This keeps the transmission from shifting up
a nd down unnecessari ly on hills. The trans­
mission will shift down to a lower gear when
the driver presses the brake pedal on a down­
h ill gradient. This makes use of the braking ef­
fect of the eng ine without the need to shift
down manually .
Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: wit h tiptronic
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears .
Fig . 115 Center conso le: sh ift ing the t iptron ic ma nual ­
l y
Fig . 1 16 D isp lay: manual sh ift prog ra m , se lected gear
hi ghlighted
Switching to manual shift program
.,. Push the selector lever to the rig ht from D/
5 . As soon as the transmission has sw itched
over, the se lected gear appears in the dis­
p lay.
To u pshift
.,. Push the selector lever forward to the plus
position
0 ¢ fig .. 115 .
To down shift
.,. Push the lever to the minus pos ition 0 -
When accelerating, the transmission will au­
tomatica lly shift into the next gear before the
engine reaches its maximum RPM.
If you apply a light throttle whe n accelerat-
ing, tiptronic wi ll automatically shift from 1st
to 2nd gear to save fuel. If you apply a heavy
throttle, the transmission wi ll stay in 1st gear .,.