2012 AUDI A6 sensor

166 Airbag system
-The side curtain ai rbags above the front and
rear s ide windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electron ica lly
to make certain it is f unct io ning properly at a ll
times. Each time you switch on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light will come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignit io n is switched off,
- in s ide coll isions when the accelerat ion
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag system w ill
only p rov ide protection whe n oc cupants
are in t he p roper sea ting posit ion
¢ page 50, General recommendations.
- If the airbag indica tor ligh t comes on
when the veh icle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. The side curtain
airbag may not work properly even when
the vehicle acceleration in a side coll is ion
is h igh enough to activate the airbag .
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work togeth er with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injurie s for occupants who
are properly res trained.
Fi g. 153 Ill ust ration o f principl e: In flat ed side cur tain
airbags o n th e left s ide
T he side curtain airbags inf late between the
occupant and the w indows on the sid e of the
vehicle that is struck in a side coll is ion
¢ fig . 153.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with prope llant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In or­
der to he lp provide this additional protec tion,
the side curta in a irbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at ve ry high speed and with
great fo rce . The side curta in a irbag could in­
jure you if your seating posit ion is not prope r
o r u pright or if items are located in the area
where the supplemen tal side curta in airbag
inflates . This applies especially to chi ldren
c> page 168.
Althoug h they are not a so ft pillow, side cur­
ta in airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
th is way they can help to reduce the risk of in­
j u ry to the head and the upper part of the
body .
A f ine d ust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys . This is qui te normal and does not mean
there is a fire in the veh icle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways properly wear safe ty bel ts and ride in a
proper seating po sition .
There is a lot that yo u and your passengers
must know and do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags do their job to provide supp lemental
protection .
A WARNING
'"' Improperly wea ring safety belts and im­
p roper seating pos it ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal in ju ry and death when ­
ever a vehicle is being use d.
- Never let occupants place any pa rts of
t heir bod ies in the area from whi ch the
-
side curta in a irbag inf la te. .,..

Audi pre sense Preventative passenger
protection
App lies to veh icles: with Audi p re se nse
Audi pre sen se can ini tiate steps to help pro­
t ect vehicle occupants in certain situations.
The funct ions descr ibed depend on equipment
installed in your vehicle:
Audi pre sense basic*
The following functions can be triggered in
cert ain driving situations :
- Tightening of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : the front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensione rs. If a colli ­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to be tightened again .
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* : the
windows and the sunroof* close leaving a
small open gap .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be trig­
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h) .
Vehicles with Audi drive select*: the deploy­
ment time is adapted in dynamic mode.
Audi pre sense front (vehicles with
adaptive cruise control*)
Audi pre sense front includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, within the
limits of the system, the likelihood of a colli­
sion with the vehicle immediately ahead is al­
so calculated . If the system senses an immi­
nent collision the following functions can be
triggered:
-Audi braking guard
¢ page 84
- Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* ( leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with Audi
side assist*)
Audi pre sense rear includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, the likeli­
hood of a rear-end col lision with the vehicle
coming from behind is also calcu lated. If the
Audi pre sense 187
risk of a co llision is detected, the following
functions can be triggered :
- Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense plus*
Audi pre sense plus includes the functions in
Audi pre sense front and Aud i pre sense rear .
Error message
Audi pre sense: not available
Preventative passenger protection is not avail­
able. See your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
-=
Audi pre sense cannot overcome the laws
of physics. It cannot prevent a collision. Do
not let the increased safety provided
tempt you to take risks . This will increase
the r isk of a coll is ion and serious personal
injuries .
- The sensors cannot always detect all ob­ jects . This increases the risk of a colli­
s10n .
-Audi pre sense does not detect people or
an imals or objects that are crossing the
veh icle's path ¢
page 78.
-The radar sensor's v is ion can be reduced
by heavy rain, ice, snow, heavy road spray
and reflections from guard rails, tunnel
entrances, etc. These and similar condi­
tions can prevent vehicles from being ac­
curately detected and in some cases they may not be detected at all.
Q) Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. This can affect the function of
the Audi pre sense system. Have your au­
thorized Audi dealer check to make sure
that the system is working properly.
•
•

194 Intelligent technolog y
-On wet road surfaces, be carefu l not to
dr ive t oo fast because the front wheels
could beg in t o slide on top of the water
(aq uaplaning). If this sho uld occur, you
will have no wa rning from a su dden in­
c rease in engine spee d as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. A lways d rive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
di tions - ris k of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat­
tery is d ischarged by idling current consumers
(e.g . immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
avai lab le to start the engi ne .
Intell igent energy management in your veh i­
cle hand les the d istribution of electrical ener­
gy. Starting ab il ity is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagno sis, idling curr ent manage­
ment
and dynami c energ y man agement .
Battery diagno sis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determ ines the current
state of charge and the powe r of the battery.
Idling current man agement
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing.
W ith the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various electr ical compo­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
e red. Depend
ing on the battery's state of cha rge ,
individua l consumers are g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery and th us maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy manag ement
While the vehi cle is being d riven, dynamic en ­
ergy management distributes the energy gen ­
erated accord ing to t he needs of the individ u­
al components . It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge fo r the battery .
(D Tips
-But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
tha t the powe r and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is threatened , the indi­
cator light
(•i appears r:::;, page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short-d istance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year . Abundant electrical energy is re­
quired, but on ly a little is generated . It is also
c rit ical if the engine is not r unning and e lectri­
ca l components are tu rned on . In this in­
sta nce ene rgy is be ing consumed b ut none is
being gene ra ted.
It is in prec isely these s ituations that you will
notice ene rgy management a ctive ly regu lat­
i ng t he d istribu tion of ene rgy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electr ica l compo­
nents a re g radually cut back or sw itched off.
T h is reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer pe riod .
Some of the convenience func tions may not
opera te, such as the interio r lights or the
power seat adjustment. The convenience
ll-

206 Cleaning and protec tio n
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products . They can damage
your paint finish.
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headl ight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
i ng your vehicle. Never clean the head­
li ghts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge.
It is best to use
soapy wa ter.
@ For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the envi ronment, the ve­
hicle sho uld only be washed i n special
was h bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
.. Befo re using the power washer , make sure
yo u have read and understood the WARN­
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 204.
.. Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
.. Make sure that the jet o n the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
.. Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls .
When cleaning the veh icle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the
op erating
pr essure
a nd the s pray ing di stance . Keep a
d ista nce from soft materials such as rubber
hoses o r insulat ing ma ter ial as well as sensors
and camera lenses . Do not use a jet which sprays water in a
d
ir ect
stream
or one t hat has a rotating jet .
Water temper ature sho uld not ex ceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING ~ -
Neve r wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter i n a direct stream. This could cause in ­
vis ib le damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal inj ury.
'
([) Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, a lways
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
like rubber hoses, plast ic pa rts and sound­
deaden ing mater ials as w ell as sensors
and camera lenses. Neve r aim t he sp ray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headligh ts
and painted bumpers. Remembe r: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
materia l, the greater the stress on the ma ­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand br ush and remove
ice with a de- ic ing spray that does not con­
tain so lvents .
- Clea n the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
pa rk ing system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
that does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth .
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
came ra le ns is no rmally cleaned by the
w indshie ld w ipers o r he adlig ht wipers (night
vision system *).
If the lens or the area is ex­
ceptionally di rty, clean the area wit h glass
cleaner and a soft, dry cloth .
(D Note
-If you was h your veh icle with a pres sure
washer,

-make s ure there is enough distance to
sensors in the front and rear bumper,
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Never clean the camera lens with abra ­
s ive prod ucts .
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under¢
page 204, Washing and
even against slig ht scratches.
You can use a liq uid ca r wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
wax ing process in
automatic ca r washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads o n the clean paint.
Protect p lastic body pa rts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
D uring wa rm weather dead insec ts tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
P olish ing
P olish you r vehicle on ly if the pa int has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the po lish used does not conta in prese rva­
tive compounds , the paint must be waxed af­
terwa rds .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 204.
Cleaning and protec tion 207
@ Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber- lik e t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care .
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the b right t rim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free al uminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips shou ld be
removed w it h a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleane r). Audi dealers
ca rry clea ning products which have been test­
ed fo r use on your vehicle and are not ha rmfu l
to the environment.
T o avoid co rrosion on the exter io r trim st rips ,
o nly a pH-balanced solution should be used
for t he windsh ie ld washer.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARN INGS and
other informat ion ¢
page 204 .
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light su rface d irt. For other soil, use
a lukewa rm all-p urpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and t races of soap wi th a clean, damp
cl oth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry .
G rease , ta r or oil stains can be removed w it h a
cl ea n clot h or sponge soaked with a ll- purpose
cl eaner or with a so lvent designe d espec ia lly
to clean v inyl.
Oc cas iona lly app ly a color less v inyl or leathe r
preserva tive to re tain the ma ter ia l's lus ter
and pliabili ty .
•
•

228 Check ing and filling
cold engine, the coo lant level should be be ­
tween the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be s light ly
above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
r:::;, page 222.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto-Check System
r:::;, page 16 will
i l lum ina te unti l you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant los s
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool ­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
sea led system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid be ing burned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
'
or hot engine parts. Under certain cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l­
ant can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­ i ng radiator repa ir fl uid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Veh icle L imited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all W ARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
220 .
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
<:;> page 227, fig . 174 and carefully
twist the cap co unte r-clockwise c:> .&, .
.,. Add coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
r:::;, page 22 7, Coolant.
E ven in an emerge ncy, if coolant add i-
t ive G12 ++, G 12+ or G12 is not available, do
not use a d iffe rent additive. Use plain water
instead unti l you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This shou ld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerab le amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold antifreeze
and co ld water on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo la nt when refilling.
Do not fill coola nt above the "MAX" mark . Ex­
cess coola nt will be fo rced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap w hen the e n-
gine becomes hot. .,.

254 Tires and wheels
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­ ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire p ressure mo nitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 183 Display : underinflatio n warning
Fig. 184 Display : Syste m mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d ividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
'9] and a
message
<=>fig . 183.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad- justed
(e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle <=>
page 255. You
can find the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the label on driver' s side B-pil­
lar
<=> page 239 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
<=> page 255.
Warning symbols
'9] Loss of pressu re in at least one t ire r=> & .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The indicator light
'9] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
<=>page 12 .
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
••MIS, ( Ti re Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If IIMIS, appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving
r::!> fig. 184 and the indica­
tor light
'9] in the instrument cluster blinks
f or approximately one minute and then stays
on, there is a system malfunction . See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible .
A WARNING
--If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or more of your tires is significant ly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label
<=>page 239. Driving on a
significantly under- inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to

Fuse panel@ (bl ack )
No. Equipment
Vehicle electrical system control
6 module 1, Vehicle e lectr ica l sys-
tern control module 2
7 Audi adaptive cruise control
8
Airbag control module, front
passenger 's seat sensor system
9 Gateway
Homelink (garage door opener),
10 night vision system contro
l
module
Image processing (Audi active
11 lane assist , Audi adaptive cruise
control)
12 Steering
13 Terminal 15 in the luggage com-
partment
14 Terminal 15 in the
instrument
panel (front passenger's s ide)
15 Terminal 15 engine
16 Starter
Fuse panel e (brown)
No . Equipment
1 Gateway
2 Climate control
3 ESP co ntrol module
Front door (driver's side)
5
Power seat adjustment (dr iver's
seat)
6
Steering
7 Sunroof
8
Rear door control module (driv-
er's side)
9
Lumbar suppor t (Fro nt p assen-
ger seat)
11 Sunroof, rear spoiler
12 Driver door control mod ule
Amps
5
10
5
5
5
10
5
15
30 15
4 0
Amps
5
10
10
30
7,5 35
20 1 5
5
20
15
Fu se s and bulb s 265
Fuse panel © (red )
No. Equipment
2 Fue l pump
3 Brake light sensor/brake pedal
sensor system
4 Engine acoust ics
5 Rear door control module (driv-
er's side)
6 Left rear seat
7 Horn
8 Win dsh ield wipe r
9 Light/rain sensor
10 L
u mbar support (dr iver seat)
11 Front passenge
r door control
module
12 Right rear door control mod
ule
Front passenger side cockpit fuse
assignment Amps
2
5
5/5
7,5 30
7,5 15
30
5
5
15 15
Fi g. 198 Fro nt passe nge r side cock pit : fu se pa nel with
p last ic bracket
Fuse panel A (black )
No. Equipment
1 Head-up D isplay
2 MMI Display
3 CD/DVD changer
Chip card reader (not in all coun-
5 tr ies)
6 Instrument cluster
Amps
5
5
5
7,5
5
5
7 Steeri ng col umn switch module 5