2012 AUDI A6 brake light

20 Instrum ent s a nd w arn in g/i ndic ato r light s
malfunction in the EDL system c> page 189 .
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as possib le.
A WARNING
- If the 9 (USA mode ls)l ii] (Canada
models) warning light does not go out,
or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly . The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only with the
standard brakes (without ABS). You will
not have the protection ABS provides.
Contact your Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning l ight,
the
ljJ warning light and the m warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident .
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Aud i dealer or a quali ­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard bra ke applications.
- Canada models:
If the brake warn ing
light ., the
DJ wa rning light and the
ABS warning light
ii] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up fi rst under
hard bra king. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­ dent. Have your vehicle repaired immedi ­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
{0) Worn brake pads
El Brak e pad s!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authori zed Audi dealer or quali ­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­ ed . On USA models the warning light
El
comes on together with the warn ing light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time.
l ) - : USA m od els only
A WARNING
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal injury .
- If the warn ing light
El and the warning
light
- l) with the message Brake
p ads!
comes on in the instrument cluste r
d isp lay, immediately contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
replaced if necessa ry.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/ind icator light (Electronic
Power Cont rol) illuminates when you sw itch
the ignit io n on as a function check.
-
© Tips
If this warn ing/ indicato r light illum inates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
fun ct io n in the engine electronics. Have
the malf unct io n corrected as soon as pos­
s ib le by your au thorized A udi dealer or
qualified repa ir facility .
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL )
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
f• lights up when the ign ition is
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electron ic system .
Contact your authorized Audi dea ler and have
the malfunction cor rected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may a lso
cause the MIL light to illuminate
c> page 217 .
For more information
c> page 28.

- Compartment in the rear center armrest
-Two mounting hooks* unde r the base of the
rear window inside the luggage compart­
ment. You can attach light objects to these
hooks. The mounting hooks are spring-load­
ed and will return to their normal position
when not in use.
A WARNING
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
sl ide aro und inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when drivi ng around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or othe r storage locat ions
cannot fa ll out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Always keep the l id of the compartment
for (sun)glasses* closed while driv ing to
reduce the risk of injury during a sudden
braking maneuver or in the event of an
acc ident.
- Any articles of cloth ing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's v iew. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing w ith ha rd , pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passen­
gers inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk o f personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while dr iv ing .
- Read and fo llow all WARN INGS
~ page 164, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision .
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock ­
ets which may interfere with the side cur-
S ea ts a nd s to rage 57
tain airbag deployment and can ca use
personal injury in a crash .
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging
cloth ing on the coat hooks as this can in­
terfere with proper deployment of the side curta in a irbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat hooks, as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
- For strength-re lated reasons, the mount­
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb . (5 kg). Heavi­
e r objects will not be adequately secu red
- there is a r isk of injury .
(D Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the
heating wires for the rear w indow defog­
ger .
Roof rack
Description and mounting locations
Additional cargo can be carried with a roof
luggage rack .
Fig. 59 Roof rack attac hment po ints
.,. Always read and follow the instructions pro­
vided by the roof rack manufacturer when
the roof rack system must be installed .
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the
roof, you must observe the following:
- To enhance the vehicle's streamlined design,
rain gutters have been molded into the roof.
It is not poss ible to use normal roof racks.
Only install a roof rack specifically designed .,.

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.

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 .,..

Adaptive cruise control and braking guard 81
Setting the speed and activating
regulation
~ To set the current speed, press the !SET !
button ¢ fig. 81. The set speed is shown in
the tachometer @and in the display
¢
fig . 82. You must also press the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped .
Switching adaptive cruise control off
~ Push the lever away from you into position
@ until it clicks into p lace. The message
ACC off appears.
Indicator lamps and messages in the instru­
ment cluster display inform you about the cur ­
rent system status and settings.
@ Indicator lights
Pl -adaptive cruise control is switched on. No
vehicles are detected up ahead . The stored
speed is ma intained.
I -A moving vehicle is detected up ahead.
The adaptive cruise control system regulates
the speed and distance to the moving vehicle
ahead and acce lerates/brakes automatica lly.
Mi -adaptive cruise control is swit ched on. A
moving vehicle up ahead was detected . Your
vehicle remains stopped and will not start
driving automatically.
I -When automat ic brakin g is not able to
keep enough distance to a previously detected
moving vehicle up ahead, you must take con ­
trol and brake¢
page 82, Prompt for driver
intervention.
© Display
If adaptive cruise control is not shown in the
disp lay, you can call it up with the multifunc ­
tion steering wheel buttons
¢page 23.
Based on the symbo ls in the display, you can
determine if the system is maintaining a dis­
tance to the vehicle ahead and what that dis­
tance is .
No vehicle -No veh icle ahead was detected.
White vehicle -A vehicle ahead was detected .
Red vehicle -Prompt for the driver to take ac­
tion ¢
page 82.
Both arrows on the scale© indicate the dis­
tance to the vehicle ahead. No arrow appears
when the vehicle is on an open road and there
is no object ahead. If an object is detected
ahead, the arrow moves on the scale.
T he green zone on the scale shows the stored
distance . For information on changing the
stored distance ¢
page 83. If the distance
selected is too close or may soon become too
close, the arrows move into the red zone on
the scale .
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, other accidents
and serious personal injur ies.
- Pressing the
! SET ! button when driv ing at
speeds below
20 mph (30 km/h), will au­
tomatically accelerate the vehicle to
20
mph (30 km/h), which is the minimum
speed that can be set.
(D Tips
-If you switch the ignit ion or the adaptive
cruise control off, the set speed is erased
from the system memory.
- You cannot switch the Electronic Stabili­
zation Program (ESP) to the SPORT mode
w hen adaptive cruise control is switched
on.
Driving in stop-and-go traffic
Applies to veh icles: w ith adaptive c ruise control
The adaptive cruise contro l system also as­
sists you in stop-and-go traffic. If a previous
detected vehicle ahead stops, your veh icle will
brake to a stop, within the limits of the sys­
tem .
~ To resume driving with adaptive cruise con­
trol, tap the acce lerator pedal or
~ Pull the lever toward you into position @
¢ page 80, fig. 81. ..,_

82 Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
@ Tips
-If adaptive cruise contro l is active and
your vehicle does not start dr iving as ex­
pected after pulling the lever once, you
can start out aga in by tapp ing the accel­
erator pedal.
- If an obstacle is detected when your ve­
hicle starts dr iv ing, the system w ill
prompt you to take over
c> page 82.
Your vehicle w ill dr ive more slowly when
starting. This may a lso happen in some
situations when there no obstacle is ap­
parent.
Interrupting cruise control
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Requirement: adaptive cruise control must be
switched on.
Overriding cruise control
., To accelerate manually, pull the lever to­
ward you into position @~
page 80, fig. 81
and hold it there. The message ACC override
appears . Or
.. press the accelerator peda l.
.. To resume cruise control, release the lever
or take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Canceling cruise control while driving
.. Move the lever into position @. The mes­
sage
ACC standby appears. Or
.. press the brake peda l.
.. To resume the stored speed, move the lever
into position @.
Canceling cruise control when stopped
.. Push the lever away from you into position
· @ . The message
ACC standby appears .
.. To resume cruise control, press the brake
pedal and pull the lever toward you into po­
sition @.
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, othe r acc idents
and serious personal injuries. -
Never resume t he stored speed if the
speed is too high for prevailing road,
traffic or weather conditions.
Prompt for driver intervention
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig. 83 Instrument cluster: requ est for driv er interve n·
tion
In certa in situations, the system will prompt
you to take action . For example, braking by
the adaptive cruise control system is not enough to mainta in enough distance to the
vehicle ahead.
The indicator light
I and the symbol in the
display will warn you about the situation
~ fig. 83. You wi ll also hear an acoustic signal.
- Press the brake pedal to slow your vehicle
down.
Changing the speed
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
0
f
jJ
0
Fig. 84 Operating lever: changing the speed
.. To increase or reduce the speed in incre­
ments,
tap the lever up or down.
.. To increase or reduce the speed qu ickly,
hold the lever up or down until the red LED ..,.