2012 AUDI A6 brakes

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-Always keep in mind that after several
brake applicat ions, you will need greater
pressure on the brake pedal to stop your
vehicle . Do not rely on strained brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must a llow for
increased bra king distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident .
PARK /(®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models) ;II
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the ignition is
off, the indicator light turns off af ­
ter about 20 seconds .
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the parking brake is released .
-(USA model s) /. (Canad a mo dels )
Caution : Vehi cle parke d too s teep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from ro lling. The brakes have
ove rheated. The vehicle could ro ll away even
on a small incline.
Pre ss brak e pedal to r eleas e parking br ake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with start ing ass ist at the same time
¢ page 74.
Pleas e rele ase p ark ing brake
To release the parking brake manua lly, press
the brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time. The parking brake on ly release au ­
tomatically if the dr iver's safety belt is fas­
tened.
BJ Par king brake!
If the BJ indicator lig ht t urns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off en gine and che ck cool ant le vel
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too
high or the coolant level is too low.
.. Pull
off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Turn
off the engine .
.,. Check coolant leve l~
page 22 7 .
.. Add coo lant if necessary ~
page 228.
.,. Continue dr iv ing on ly after the engine cool­
ant warning/indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
If the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the ca use of the malfunc­
tion .
• Cool ant t emp erature too hi gh! Pl ease l et
en gin e r un wit h ve hicl e s tat ion ary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs in trailer mode*, let the eng ine
run at idle for a few minutes to cool down .
A WARNING
- If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the eng ine and turn on the hazard
warn ing lights
¢ page 42, Emergency
flasher.
-
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coo lant escaping from the en­
g ine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait unt il you can no longer see or
hear steam or coolant escap ing .
- The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area . Before you perform
any wo rk in the engine compartment,
turn of the engine and allow it to cool.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
!;.!~ Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic stabilization program.
When you sw itch the ignition on, the indicator
light
G1 turns on briefly to check the function .
If thE:
G1 indicator lamp blinks while dr iving,
the ESP or ASR (Ant i- Slip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating.
If thE:
hJ indicator lamp illuminates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESP off.
If the indicator light
I turns on, the ESP was
switched to ESP sport mode with the button
I!]<=>
page 189. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESP by switching the ignition off and
then on again . The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functiona l again.
Stability program and ABS fault! See own­
er's manual
If the indicator light D] and the ABS indicator
light
m (USA mode ls) ;fl] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a
malfunct ion in the ABS system or electron ic
differential lock . This also interrupts the ESP.
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer immedi ­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
If the battery term inals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards . The warning/ind icator
light illuminates . Th e warn ing/ indicator light
goes o ut as soon as the learning process is
comp lete.
For more informat ion about the ESP
<=> page 189. ABS/(
8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light B (USA mod­
els)
/ l(O] (Canada models) w ill come on for a
few seconds when the ignition is sw itched on .
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is comp leted.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illumi·
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- The warning/indicator light does not go out
after a few seconds.
- The warning/indicator light illuminates
while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illuminates if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS . The mes ­
sage
Stability program and ABS fault! See
owner's manual
a lso appears in the instru­
ment cluster d isp lay and a warning tone
sounds .
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
Fo r more information regarding the ABS
<=>page 189.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light<=> page 14 and the
ABS warning illum inate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
<=>
&. . The ABS will not work and you will no­
tice a change in braking response and per·
formance .
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
system
the warning/indicator light _
(USA models)/ . (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes <=>
page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
T he EDL works t ogether w ith the ABS. The
ABS warning light will come on if there is a

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 .,.

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.

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 .,..

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
~

Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
vehicles such as motorcycles and bicy­
cles.
- The adaptive cruise control system can­
not detect people, animals and cannot
detect objects or traffic that crosses your
lane of travel.
- Never drive at speeds that are too fast
for traffic, road and weather conditions.
- Never use adaptive cruise control when
you cannot drive safely at a steady
speed, including on winding roads or
when road conditions are poor (for exam­
ple, in construction sites, on ice, gravel,
in fog, heavy rain or on wet roads that in­
crease the risk of hydroplaning).
- Never follow a vehicle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safely. The
adaptive cruise control cannot slow or
brake the vehicle safely when you follow
another vehicle too closely. Always re­
member that the automatic braking
function cannot bring the vehicle to a
sudden or emergency stop under these
conditions.
- Never rest your foot on the accelerator
pedal, especially when the adaptive
cruise control is being used. Pressure on
the accelerator will override the adaptive
cruise control braking function and pre­
vent the brakes from being applied when
adaptive cruise control detects a situa­
tion when the brakes must be applied.
- Never use adaptive cruise control when
the radar sensors cannot accurately de­
tect vehicles moving in traffic. The radar
sensor's vision can be reduced by heavy
rain, ice, snow, heavy road spray and re­
flections from guard rails, tunnel entran­ ces, etc. These and similar conditions can
prevent vehicles from being accurately
detected and in some cases they may not
be detected at all.
- Always turn off adaptive cruise control
when entering turn lanes, exit lanes and
construction zones or in similar situa­
tions because the vehicle will automati­ cally accelerate to the stored speed when
the road ahead is clear. -
To prevent unintended operation, always
switch ACC off when it is not being used .
(D Note
The sensors can be moved by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. Damage in these areas could
change the way the adaptive cruise control
system and Audi braking guard work to­
gether. Have your authorized Audi dealer
check to make sure that the adaptive
cruise control system is working properly if
your vehicle had a minor frontal impact or
was damaged in the area of the sensors.
In curves
Applies to vehicles: wi th adaptive cruise control
Fig. 78 Example: driving into a cu rve
When driving into a curve ¢ fig. 78 and out of
a curve, the adaptive cruise control may react
to a vehicle in the next lane and apply the brakes. You can override or prevent the brak­
ing by pressing the accelerator pedal briefly.
Stationary objects
Applies to vehicles: wit h adaptive cruise control
Fig. 79 Example : object c hanging lanes and stat iona ry
o~ect
~
79