2013 AUDI A6 trailer

112 Parking system s
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to vehicles: with pa rk in g system plus/ rear view
camera/peripheral cameras/par king ass istant
Depending on your vehicle's equ ipment, vari­
ous parking aids will help yo u when pa rk ing
and maneuvering.
The
pa rking sy stem plu s assists you when
pa rking by audib ly and visually indicat ing ob­
jects detected
in front of and behind t he vehi­
cle
~ page 113.
The rear vie w c am era shows the area behind
the vehicle in the Infotainment d isp lay. This
d isplay assists you when you are c ross o r par­
allel parking
q page 114. In addit ion, you are
assisted by the functions from the parking
system plus
~ page 113 .
The periph eral camera s ass ist you with park­
ing and maneuvering. You are aided by var ious
cameras depending on the vehicle equipment leve l¢
page 117. In addition, you are assist­
ed by the function s from the parking sy stem
p lus ¢ page 113.
A WARNING
- Always look for traff ic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rectly as well . The parking system cannot
replace the d rive r's attent ion. The dr iver
is always respons ible for safety during
par king and for all other maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system.
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
w hich peop le and objects cannot be de­
tected. Be especially cautious of children
and animals.
- T he sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiato r grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the unde rbody. The
parking systems may become impaired
as a result . Have your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop check their
function. -
Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impair the sensor func­
tion . For information on cleaning, refer
to
~ page 211 .
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected by the
system under certain c ircumstances :
- Objects su ch as ba rrie r chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical po les or fences
- Objects above the senso rs such as wall
extensions
- Objects w ith specific surfaces or struc­
tures su ch as chain link fences or pow­
der snow.
- If you contin ue driving closer to a low- ly­
ing object, it may disappear from the
sensor range. Note that you w ill no lon­
ger be warned abo ut this obstacle.
(j) Tips
- The system may provide a wa rning even
tho ugh there are no obs tacles in the cov­
erage area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- externa l ultrasonic sources e.g. from
clean ing vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice park­
ing in a traff ic-free location or park ing
lot to become familiar with the system.
When doing this, there should be good light and weather cond itions .
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the s ignals as we ll as the display
¢page 122.
- Please refer to the instructions for tow­
ing a trailer
¢ page 123 .
-What appears in the infotainment dis­
play is somewhat time-delayed .

example, after a collision, do not contin­
ue to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by your authorized Audi
dealership or authorized repa ir facility .
- Only use the rear v iew camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture. For
example, the image may be affected by
the sun shin ing into the lens, dirt on the
lens or if there is a system fau lt.
- Use the rear view camera only if the lug ­
gage compa rtment lid is comp letely
cl osed. Ma ke su re any objects you may
h ave mounted on the luggage compart ­
ment lid do not block the rear view cam­
era.
- The camera lens en la rges and dis torts
the field of vision. The ob ject appears
both a ltered and inaccurate on the
screen .
- In certain s ituations, peop le or objects in
the display appear closer or f urther
away:
- objects that do not touch the ground,
such as the bumper of a parked vehicle ,
a trailer hitch o r the rea r of a truck. Do
not use the help lines in this case.
- If driven from a leve l surface onto a n
incline, or a downward slope.
- If driven towa rd p rotruding objects .
- If the ve hicle is carrying too much load
in the rear.
({D Note
- Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
¢(Din General information on
page 112 .
-The orange colored orientat ion lines in
the Infotainment disp lay show the vehi­
cle path depe nding on the steering
whee l ang le . Th e front of the vehicle
front sw ings out more than t he rear of
the veh icle. Maint ain p lenty of dist ance
so tha t your ou ts ide mirro r o r a corner of
you r vehicle does not coll ide wi th any ob ­
stacles .
Parking sys tem s 115
Switching on/off
App lies to vehicles: wit h parking system plus w ith rear
v iew camera
Switching on
.. Shift into reverse or
.. press the
p,, 1A button in the center console
¢ fig . 118 . A short confirmation tone
sounds and the
L ED in the butto n turns on .
Switching between the rear view camera
and optical display
.. Press the Graphi c control button ®
¢ fig. 124 to see the optical d isplay .
.,. Press the
Rearview control button to see
the rear view camera image.
Switching off
.. Drive forward faster than 6 mph (10 km/h),
or
.,. Press the
p,,1A button, or
.,. Switch t he ignit io n off.
(D Tips
The visual d isplay in th e left part of the
display should help you detect the cr itical
vehicle a reas.

122 Park in g s ystems
Trailer view
Ap plies to vehicles: with par king system p lus and tra iler
hitch
This view assists you in positioning the vehicle
in front of a trailer.
F ig. 1 40 Infotainment: rear mode
Requirement: the trailer mode is selected
c:;,page 120.
.. Now you can position your vehicle in front
of the trailer
c:;, .&. in General information
on page 117, c:;,Q) in General information
on page 118 .
The orange colo red orienta­
t ion line denotes the expected path toward
the trai ler hitch . Use the blue lines to help
yo u estimate the distan ce to the trailer
hitch.
Setting the mode
Ap plies to veh icles: with par king system wi th peripheral
cameras
.. Select: ICARI funct ion button > ( Car )* sys ­
tem s
control button > Driv er a ssis t > Park ­
ing aid > Ch ange to front /rea r> A uto
or
Manu al.
Aut o -
This view behind the vehicle ( Rear
mode) is d isplayed a utomatically when you
shift into reverse. This view in front of the ve­
hicle
( Front mode) is d isp layed automatically
when you sh ift into the forward gears .
Manual -This view behind the vehicle (Rear
mode) is a lways d isp layed when you turn on
the system.
Adjusting the display and the warning tones
Applies to vehicles: wit h parking syste m plus/ rea r view
came ra/ peri pheral cameras
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the Infotainment.
.. Select: !CAR ! function b utton > (C ar)* sys ­
tem s
control button > Drive r a ssist > Par k­
in g a id .
Di splay
On * -
optical display is shown for the parking
system p lus, rear view camera image is shown
for parking system plus with rear view cam­ era*.
Off -when the parking system is switched off,
only audible signals are given .
Warning tones
Fr ont volume -
Volume for the front area
Rear volume -Volume for the rear area
Front frequency -Frequency for the front area
Rear frequen cy -Frequency for the rear area
Mu sic v olum e wh ile parkin g -When the park­
ing system is turned on, the volume of the au­
dio/video sou rce is lowered.
The newly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signal generator .
@ Tips
-The warn ing tones can also be adjusted
directly from the visual display o r the
rear v iew camera* image. Simply press
the
Setting s control button .
- Changed settings are act ivated when the
park ing system is switched on again.
- The settings are automatica lly stored
and assigned to the remote control key
that is in use .

Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus/rear view
camera/per ipheral cameras
There is an e rror in the system if the LED in
the
p, qA button is blinking and you hear a con­
tinuous alarm for a few seconds afte r switch­
ing on the parking system or when the park ­
ing system is already activated. If the error is
not corrected before you switch off the igni­
tion, the LED in the
Pw.6. button will blink the
next time you switch on the parking system by
shifting into reverse.
Parking system plus
If a sensor is faulty, the~ symbol will appear
in front of/behind the vehicle in the Infotain­
ment display. If a rear sensor is fau lty, only
obstacles that are in areas @ and @ are
shown
c:> fig. 117 . If a front sensor is fau lty,
only obstacles that are in areas © and @are
shown .
Peripheral cameras*
There is also a system error if:
- the
'(:8:)• • symbol appears in the display and
the corresponding display area is shown in
blue. The camera is not working in this area.
- all segments around the vehicles are red or
if no segments are displayed.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler o r au­
thorized repair fac ility immediately to have
the ma lfunction corrected.
Trailer hitch
Appl ies to vehicles: with parking system plus/rear view
camera/per ipheral cameras and trailer hitch
For vehicles using the tra iler socket, the park­
ing system rear senso rs do not turn on when
you shift into reverse gear or when yo u press
the P
01A button. This resu lts in the following re­
strictions:
Parking system plus*
There is no distance wa rning for the rear. The
front sensors rema in activated. The visual dis­
play switches to the trailer towing mode.
Parking systems 123
Parking system plus and rear view
camera* /Peripheral cameras*
There is no distance warning for the rear. The
front sensors remain activated. The visual dis­
play sw itches to the trailer towing mode. The
rear view camera image will not show the ori­
entation lines and the blue surfaces .
{D Tips
Trailer hitches that are not installed at the
factory may cause the park ing system to
malfunction or they may restr ict its func­
tion.

192 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorde r (EDR), ins talled by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express p urpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or cras h
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restr ict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A ltho ugh yo ur vehicle is not equ ipped wit h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine f unction, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during norma l vehicle op­
erat ion for diagnostic and repa ir purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a sys tem faul t or o ther
cond ition is sensed by a cont ro l u nit. Some of
the data then stored may re late to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condit ion. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of ve hicle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
o ut of control and he lps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
whee ls, and/or reducing eng ine power and
providing steer ing ass istance to he lp hold the
vehicle o n the dr iver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the inst rument cluster
blinks when ESC is ta king action to help yo u
control the veh icle.
ESC has limitations.
It is importa nt to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It wi ll not always be able to help out
under a ll cond it ions you may come up aga inst.
F or example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
s u dden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is sudden ly covered w ith water,
s lush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the ve hicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been in terrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather condit ions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a ve hicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
drive r inattent io n. Instead, ESC imp roves the
poss ibil ity of keeping the vehi cle under con ­
trol and on the road during ex treme maneu­
vers by using the d river's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
ca uses you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.

204 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 204, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage should your veh i­
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your Audi dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is important
that you
always have clear v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle . In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shift ing forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c:::> A in Driving instructions on page 206 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load.

Make sure that the cooling system has enough
f luid .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trai ler, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the tra ile r
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
sepa ration from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the veh icle is on a level surface be­
fore hitching up the tra iler and before adjust­
in g the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort dr iving mode and not raised
qpage 98, q(D .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowe red. In Info­
tainment, se lect:
ICARI f u nction button> Low­
er
control button.
If you must drive under poor road condit ions,
you can raise the veh icle
after coupling the
traile r or
after adjusting the tongue weight
qpage 100.
- Changes in temperatu re or load can af­
fect the height of the veh icle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load spec ified for
you r vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Trailer towing
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
... Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
... Be especially careful when passing other
veh icles.
... Observe speed lim its .
... Do not dr ive at the maximum permissible
speed.
... Always apply brakes early .
... Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles. .,.
205
•
•

206 Trailer towing
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ¢
page 16 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restraints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turn ing, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp lete ly familiar with the way
your ve hicle-trai ler comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler generally requi res
steering act ion opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you wi
ll need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, a llow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang ­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load¢
page 285.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on o slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.. Have someone pla ce chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels.
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake.
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Select the D/S selector lever position .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
Ill-