2012 AUDI S6 ECU

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

102 Autom atic Tran smi ssi on
-When the selector lever is in a driving
position, the veh icle may creep, even at
id le speed. Therefore do not release
the park ing brake or foot brake until
you are ready to move, because power
is transmitted to the wheels as soon as
a driving posit ion is engaged.
- Do not accelerate while selecting a
driving position. At this time the en­
g ine must be at idle speed so that un­
d ue stress is no t placed on the clutches
in the t ransmission.
- Remembe r: Even when stopped briefly
with the automatic transmission in D/S
or R, engine power is being transmit ­
ted to the whee ls. Yo ur vehicle could
"creep" forward or backward . When
stopped, keep the brake peda l fully de­
pressed and use the parking brake if
necessary to keep the vehicle from roll­
ing .
-If the selector lever is unintentionally
moved into N wh ile you are driving, take
yo ur foot off the accele rator pedal and
wa it for the engine to return to idle
speed befo re selec ting a drivi ng position.
- Never shift into R or P when the veh icle is
in mo tion.
- Never get out of the dr iver's seat when
the engine is runn ing.
- If you must get out of the vehicle, move
the se lector lever securely into the P po­
si ti on a nd apply the park ing brake fi rm ly.
- If the eng ine must remain running, never
have any driv ing pos ition engaged when
chec king under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake
firmly set¢
page 214, Engine comport­
ment .
Otherwise, any increase in engine
speed may set the vehicle in mot ion,
even with the parking brake applied.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: wit h mult itronic
This section describes the selector lever posi­
tions and driving ranges.
F ig . 106 Display in th e inst rument cluster: se lector
l ever positio n
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
strument cluster d isplay.
P - Par k
In this se lector lever position the transm is­
sion is mechanically locked . Engage
P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped¢.&
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 101 .
To shift in or out of posit ion P , you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector lever handle
whi le moving the selector lever to o r from
P .
You can shift out of th is position only with the
ignition on.
You must release the parking lock manually before towing the vehicle ¢
page 106.
R - Reverse
Se lect R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed¢.& in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 101.
Before you move the selector lever to R , press
both the button in the hand le of the se lector
lever
and the brake pedal at the same t ime.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights i llu ­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R . 1111-

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 .,..

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others. We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 123
accident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for the front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
Fo r your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly.
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside.
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
I::!) page 59, I::!) page 56.
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir­
rors correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to the ir height. .,.. •
•

126 Driving Saf ely
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sit ion or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with g reat force in the blink of an
eye.
-Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) betwe en the front
passenge r's breastbone and the inst ru­
ment pane l.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lowe r part of the
ins trument panel.
- Each passenger m ust always s it on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wea r the safety belt be long ing to that
seat .
- Be fore driv ing, a lways ad just the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instr ument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w ill not be ab le to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far back! The farther the back rests
are t ilted back, the greate r the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride i n chi ld seats
~ page 168. Specia l precautions apply
when insta lling a child seat on the front
passenge r seat ~
page 142 .
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical si ze and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
T o redu ce the risk o f injury caused by an inco r­
rect seating posi tion in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas ­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.., Adjust the head rest raint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If t hat is not possible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le
~ page 12 7 .
.., Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.., Fasten and wear safety belts p roperly
~ page 136 .
.., Make su re that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro­
pria te fo r the ir s ize and age~
page 168.
.&, WARNING ,.__
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched . By not sitting upr ight, a rear
seat passenger inc reases the r is k of per­
sonal injury from imp roperly pos itioned
safety belts!
- Always adjust the head rest raint p roperly
so that it can give maximum protection.

128 Driving Safely
-never si t on the edge of t he seat
- never sit s ideways
- n ever lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seat ing pos itions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used .
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always ma ke s ure that the knee a irbag can
inflate without interfe rence. Objec ts be­
t ween yourse lf and the airbag can inc rease
t he risk of injury in an acc iden t by interfer ­
ing with the way the airbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any kind sho uld be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat . Bulky objects
(shopp ing bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent p roper deployment of the
airbag . Small objects can be throw n
through t he vehi cle if the airbag deploys
and inju re you o r you r passengers.
-
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that a ll peda ls move freely without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from retur ning to their orig inal positions .
Only use f loor mats t hat leave the pedal area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­ ers .
If a brake circ uit fa ils, increased brake pedal
trave l is required to bring the vehicle to a f ull
stop.
A WARNING
-Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
'
l oss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never p lace any objects i n the drive r's
footwell . An ob ject cou ld get into the
pedal area a nd inte rfe re with pedal func­
tion . In case of sudde n bra ki ng o r an a c­
cide nt, yo u wo uld not b e able to brake or
accelerate!
- Always make sure that no thing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
"' Ma ke s ure that the floor ma ts are prope rly
secured and canno t move and in terfe re with
t he peda ls
~ .&_ .
Use only floor mats that leave the peda l area
u nobst ructed and that are firmly se cu red so
t h at they cannot slip o ut of position . You c an
obta in suitab le floo r mats from yo ur autho r­
ized Audi Dealer.
Floor ma t fastene rs a re insta lled in y our Aud i . .,.

Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at ­
tached to these fast eners. Proper ly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from s lid ing
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can resu lt
in a loss of veh icle contro l and increase the
r isk o f se rious personal injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or o ther
floo r coverings in the veh icle that cannot
be properly secured in pla ce to prevent
them from slipping and inte rfering w ith
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place o r inst all floo r ma ts or o ther
floo r coverings on top of already insta l­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings wi ll reduce the size of
the pedal a rea and interfere with the
peda ls.
- Always properly reinstall and secure f loor
mats t hat have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that ob jects cannot
fall into the driver footwe ll wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
t rapped under the brake pedal and accel ­
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop ­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com ­
partment.
L oose items in the luggage compar tment can
shift suddenly , changing vehicle hand ling
characterist ics. Loose items can also increase
the r isk of se rious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuve r or in a collision .
Driving S afel y 129
"" Dis tribute the load even ly in the luggage
compa rtment .
... Always place and proper ly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as fa r
forward as possible .
"" Secure luggage using the tie -downs prov id ­
ed
c:> page 59, Luggage compartment.
"" Make s ure that the rear seatback is securely
la tched in place.
A WARNING
I mproperly store d luggage or other items
can fly t hro ugh the ve hicle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of hard brak ­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of ser ious persona l injury:
- Always put objects, for exam ple, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down hoo ks
a nd suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve­
h icle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
loss of cont ro l leading to serious pe rsonal
injury :
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle han dling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the G ross Vehicle We ight Rating
specified on the sa fety comp liance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
ve hicle to slide and hand le different ly .
- Please observe informat ion on safe dr iv­
ing
c:>page 123.
•
•

130 Driving Safely
&_ WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
&_ WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D) Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­ mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions , please see chapter
r::!) page 2 3 9.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly ¢
page 129, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example , in a frontal collision 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
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
&_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in ..,.