2013 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

@ Tips
-Certain Audi pre sense functions are not
ava ilable when ASR is switched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse.
- The Audi pre sense functions may not be
available if there is a malfunction in the
ESC system or the airbag control mod­
ule.
- The Audi pre sense front/plus functions
are not available if there is a malfunction
in the adaptive cru ise control* system
9 page89.
-The Audi pre sense rear/plus functions
are not available if there is a malfunction
i n the Audi side assist* system
9page89.
Audi pre sense 191
•
•

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.

ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS) , brake assist sys ­
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , electronic dif­
ferential lock (E DL) and e lectronic interaxle
d ifferential lock*. ESC is swi tched on all the
time. In certain situat ions when you need less
traction , you can switch off ASR by pressing
the button
[ru ~ fig . 177 . Be sure to switch
ASR on again when you no longer need less
traction.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered even during hard braking . Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
al. A puls ing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing
d istance.
It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over . In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control* , the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
s tart, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all-whee l drive*. This function is available up
to about 75 mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases , EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheating. EDL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
Intelligent technology 193
Electronic interaxle differential lock*/
selective wheel torque control*
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
whee l drive) or the se lective wheel torque
cont rol (all-wheel dr ive) operates when dr iv­
ing through curves . The front wheel on the in­
s ide of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed .
T his min imizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
curves . Th e applicable system may no t acti­
vate when driv ing in wet or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
-
-ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL and the electronic in­
teraxle differential lock function* cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is es­
pecially important on slippery or wet
roads . If the systems begin acting to sta­
bilize your vehicle, you should immedi­
ately change your speed to match the
road and traffic conditions. Do not let
the increased safety provided by these
systems tempt you to t.;1ke risks. Doing
so will increase the risk o f a loss of vehi­
cle control, collision and serious personal
injuries.
-Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions . The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iving too close to vehicles up
ahead . ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, EDL, ASR and the elec tronic inter­
axle differential lock function* cannot
prevent collisions .
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve -
hicle control. .,.
•
•

194 Intelligent technology
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped w ith identi­
cal tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the indicator light
DJ or 11:11 (USA
models) 1i] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction¢
page 20,
c> page 19.
Switching on and off
ESC
turns on automatically when you start
the engine.
Fig. 177 Center console w it h ESC OFF button
Switching sport mode on
Press the I~ OF FI button c::> fig . 177. The ac­
tions taken by the ESC system to stabilize the
vehicle are limited. In vehicles with front
wheel drive, the anti-slip regulation (ASR) is
limited. In vehicles with a ll-wheel drive, the
ASR is switched off. The
It) ESC indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabilization con­
trol (ESC): Off Warning! Reduced stability
¢.&. appears in the driver information system
d isplay.
The following examples are unusual situa­
tions where it may make sense to switch sport
mode on in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Switching sport mode off
Press the 1.$ OF FI button again. The I indica­
tor light turns off and the message
Stabiliza­
tion control (ESC): On
appears in the driver
information system display .
A WARNING
-
-Drive wheels can spin and you can lose
control of the vehicle more easily when
ASR and ESC are in sport mode, especial­
ly when the road is slippery.
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving skills, traffic and weather condi­
tions permit.
@ Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on when
adaptive cruise control* is working.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
-
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving hab its
c::> .&. . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop­
and-go city t raff ic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect of the engine . This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals .
Moisture o r road salt
Under certain conditions, for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in .,,_

freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications sho uld d ry
off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at h igher speeds wit h
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter­
va ls so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver w ill not no­
tice anything.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt -covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
¢ ,&..
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
f irmly a few times from a moderately high
speed ¢,&. .
Fa ult s in the b rake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed
c> ,&..
Lo w brak e flu id le vel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically.
Brake boo ste r
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢ ,&. .
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by vis ual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces-
Int ellig ent technolog y 195
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 263 , Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long o r too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, p remature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain cl imatic and operating
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums . Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings w il l be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period o f time on
salt- covered roads wi thout using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near-
est A udi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
~
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•

196 Intellig ent technolog y
-Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
Power stee ring adapts electronically based on
the veh icle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steerin g d efecti ve! Stop th e vehicl e
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering may have fa iled.
Do
not continue driving . See your authorized
Aud i dealer or other qualified repa ir facility
for assistance.
lor-ij St eerin g: S yste m malfun ction ! You m ay
c ont inue driv ing
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual.
Drive s low ly to your author ized Audi dealer or
q ua lified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected .
(D Tips
If the . or 'Iij indicator light only stays
on for a shor t time, you may contin ue driv­
ing .
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles : with all-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels are driv­
en .
General info rmation
With a ll Wheel Drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
condit ions at the time. See also ¢
page 192.
With the sport differential*, power distribu­
t ion to the rear wheels is va riable and can be
adjusted with Audi drive select*
r::¢, page 98.
Always read and follow safety precautions
Q _& .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, eve n wit h
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak ­
ing : these tires must be mo unted on
all fou r
wheel s. See also ¢ page 255 , Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to ve hicles
with all-wheel drive r::¢,
page 256, Snow
chains.
Replacing wh eels /tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive m ust always
have ti res of the same s ize. A lso avo id tires
with different t read depths . For detai ls see
page r::¢,
page 251, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
You r Audi does not have e nough ground clea r­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle . It is
t h erefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
r::¢, page 200. ..,_

A WARNING ,~
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic conditio ns. Do not let the extra safety
a ff orded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
-Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fec tive, a lways remember that b raking
capacity is limited by t ire traction . You
sho uld the refore no t dr ive at excess ive
speeds on icy or sl ippery road surf aces.
- On wet road su rfaces, be careful not to
dr ive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld beg in to slide on top of the water
(aq uaplaning). If this sho uld occ ur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
whee l drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions - risk of c rash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E nergy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a veh icle wit h a conven tional energy system
is not d riven for a long period of time , the bat ­
tery is discha rged by idling c urre nt cons umers
(e .g. immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being ins ufficient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine.
I ntell igent energy ma nagement in your vehi­
cle hand les the d istribution of electrical ener ­
gy . Starting abi lity is mar ked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
B asically, energy management consists o f
battery diagno sis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic ene rgy man agement.
Battery diagnosis
B atte ry d iagnosi s con tinuously dete rmines
the state of the battery. Se nso rs dete rm ine
battery vo ltage, battery cur rent and battery
Int ellig ent technolog y 197
temperature . This de termines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idli ng cur ren t management reduces energy
consump tion while the vehi cle is st anding.
With the ig nition switched o ff, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo­
nents . Data from batte ry diagnosis is consid ­
ered.
Depend ing on the ba ttery's state of cha rge,
individual consumers a re g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and th us maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While t he vehi cle is being dr iven, dyn ami c en­
ergy management distr ib utes the energy gen ­
erated according to the needs of the individ u­
al components. It regulates consumption, so
that more e lectrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
lim ited.
- If start ing ability is t hreatened, the indi­
cator light(•] appears ¢
page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in s hort-distance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year. Ab undant electrical energy is re­
quired, but on ly a little is generated .
It is also
crit ical if the engi ne is not r unning and elec tri­
ca l components are tu rned on . In this in­
s tance ene rgy is be ing consumed b ut none is
being genera ted.
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice ene rgy management active ly reg ulat-
i ng t he d istr ibu tion of ene rgy. ..,_ •
•

198 Intelligent technology
Vehicle stands for an e xte nded period
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a pe riod
of several days or weeks, elec trical compo ­
nents are grad ually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy cons umption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer period.
Some of the conven ience f unctions may not
ope rate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustment. T he conven ience
f u nctions w ill be ava ilable again when you
switch on t he ignit io n and start the engi ne.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to t he radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off or use othe r MMI func­
tions, the battery is b eing d ischa rged .
I f starting capab ility is jeopa rdized due to en­
ergy consumpt ion, the following warning ap­
pears in the MMI disp lay:
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
T he warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automatically afte r 3 m inutes. If
you wish to cont inue using the f unctions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
A ltho ugh elect ric al e nergy is genera ted when
the veh icle is being driven, the bat tery can be ­
come d ischarged. This ha ppens most ly w hen
litt le energy is be ing generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery 's state of
charge is not optimal.
To br ing the ene rgy balance back into equili­
brium, cons umers which require especially
large amo unts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular requ ire a great dea l of energy. If you
n otic e, fo r example, that the heated seats * or
the heated rea r window a re not heat ing, t hey
h ave been te m po rar ily cu t bac k or swi tched
o ff . T hese sys tems will be availa ble again as
soon as the energy ba lance has been restored .
You will a lso not ice that engin e idl e spe ed has
been in cr eased sligh tly. This i s norm al and no t
a ca use fo r con cern. By incre asin g engi ne idle speed
the a dditional energy requi red is gener ­
ated and the battery is charged.