2012 AUDI A6 tow

Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding .
Fig. 62 Location of th e tie -downs in the luggage com­
partment
Fig. 63 Lugg age compartment: cargo net•
.. To secure objects with the luggage com·
partment net*, fold the tie-down bracket
upward
q fig. 62.
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compart­
ment net* into the tie-downs
q fig . 63 .
.. Read and heed all WARNINGS 9page 129,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will turn into heavy missiles that can cause
serio us i njury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki­
netic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the
most significant factor.
F or example, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10- lb (4.5 kg) object are about
20 times the
no rma l weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger
Seats and storage 61
compartment can cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively low.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing h ard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward.
- Never attach a child seat tether strap to
a t ie-down .
- For strength-related reasons, the mount ­
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heavi­
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a risk of injury.
Pass-through with ski
sack
Pass-through with ski sack
App lies to vehicles : wi th ski sa ck
Long objects such as skis can be transported
in the ski sack* .
Fig. 64 Rear bench seat: opening the pass -through
Fig. 65 Sk i sack: secu ring with rea r seat safety belt

62 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Op ening th e trunk p ass-through
.. Fold the center armrest in the rea r forward
and out .
.. Pull the release handle ¢
fig. 64 and fold
down the cover of the pass -through in the
vehicle interior .
.. Open the rear lid .
.. Push the ski sack* through the opening
from the luggage compartment .
Sec uring the sk i s a ck *
.. Insert the ski sack strap@¢ fig. 65 in the
center buck le @ .
.. Pull the safety belt taut on the free end of
the belt @.
A WARNING
-The ski sack is intended only for the
t ransportation of skis and other light ob­
jects . To reduce the risk of serious per­
sonal inj ury never t ransport heavy o r
pointed objects in the ski sack .
- When brak ing rapidly o r during an acci­
dent the load cou ld be displaced and
cause injury to occupants .
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protection . Always fasten the belt
tightly around the sack and its contents
¢ fig. 65.
(D Tips
- Never stow the sk i sack away when it is
still wet or damp (for example, snow
melting from skis). Allow it to dry com­
plete ly before stowing it away.
- Position skis in the ski sack with the pointed ends facing the front and ski
po les with the pointed ends facing the
rear.

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-

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
~

80 Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
The adaptive cruise control system on ly reacts
to objects that are moving or that the system has already detected and reg istered as mov ­
ing.
Adaptive cruise control
Description
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig . 80 Detection range
What can adaptive cruise control do?
The adaptive cruise control system uses video,
radar and ultrasound. Moving vehicle ahead
can be recognized up to about 650 feet (200 m) away.
On open roads with no traffic, adaptive cruise
control works like a regu lar cruise control sys­
tem. The stored speed is maintained. When
approaching a moving vehicle detected up
ahead, the adapt ive cruise control system au­
tomatically slows down to match that vehi­
cle's speed and then ma intains the distance
that the driver previously stored. As soon as
the system does not detect a vehicle up
ahead, adaptive cruise control acce lerates
back up to the stored speed.
I n stop-and-go traffic, adaptive cruise control
can brake unt il the vehicle stops i f this is pos­
sible with in the systems' limits and capabili­
ties. ACC will not make an emergency stop.
Pull the lever<=>
page 80, fig. 81 towards
you into position @to reactivate ACC, the ve­
hicle will move forward when the vehicle in
front of you starts moving aga in. You can also
depress the accelerator to move forwa rd
again <=>
page 81 .
Which functions can be controlled?
When you switc h adaptive cruis e control on,
you can set the current speed as the "control
speed" <=>
page 80, Switching on and off.
When driving, you can stop cruise contro l
<=>
page 82 or change the speed r::!> page 82
at any time.
You can also set the distance to the object
ahead and set the adaptive cruis e control driv­
ing program
r::!> page 83.
Switching on and off
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig . 81 Operating lever: swit c hin g on/off
Fig . 82 Inst rument clus te r: adap tive cruise control
You can set any speed between 20 mph and
95 mph (30 and 150 km/h) .
An additional indicator appears in the Head­
up Display*.
Switching adaptive cruise control on
.,. Pull the lever toward you into position (D
~ fig. 81. ACC standby appears in the in­
strument cluster display.

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 ..,.