2013 AUDI A6 sport mode

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.

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
located on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle with the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
si ze information on the vehicle label is the
same as the si ze of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a p reviously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
l oad limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicl e. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker labe l located on the
driver 's side B-p illar . The tire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
o ther cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocation of the tire pressu re labe l
i=:> fig. 191.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hicle control, a cras h or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash . -
Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
-- I ncorrect tire pressures and/or underin-
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased ti re wear and can
affec t the handling of the vehicle .
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressur e label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ir e pressure label and in the table
i=:> page 244, Cold tire inflation pressure.This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the t ire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up as a result of inter nal frict ion as it flexes in
u se . T he t ire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up t han whe n it is "co ld. "
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" t ire that
counts . The refore, you should never let a ir out
of a wa rm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recomme ndat ions
i=:, page 244 . The
t ir es wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly .
T he t ire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
m aximum cap acity for the new, or ig inal
equipmen t tires tha t were on your vehicle at ..,.

2 78 Emergency situations
@ Tips
Check carefully to make sure the hook-up
is secure before moving the car up the flat­
bed truck ramp.
Vehicle transport
Whenever you have your vehicle transported,
be sure to note the following:
(D Note
Mount the tie-down chains/cables over the
running surface (circumference) of the
tires. Never secure the vehicle by the axle,
the suspension struts or the front or rear
towline eye. For technical reasons, the
pressure in the suspension struts may
change during the transport and this will
adversely affect vehicle handling.
Lifting vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with
floor jack
The vehicle may only be lifted at the lifting
points illustrated.
Fig. 221 Front lift in g po int
Fig. 222 Rear lifti ng point
.,. Read and heed WARNING ¢ _&.
~ N 0 6 .., (0
.,. Activate the vehicle jack mode * in the MMI:
!CARI function button > (Car)* systems con­
trol button>
Servicing & checks> Air susp.:
jack mode > On .
.,. Locate lifting points ¢ fig. 221 and
¢fig. 222 .
"' Adjust lifting arms of wo rkshop hoist or
floor jack to match veh icle lifting points .
"' Insert a rubber pad between the floor jack/
workshop hoist and the lifting points .
The vehicle jack mode* must be activated so
that the automat ic adjustment of the Adap­
tive Ai r Suspens ion* does not make it more
difficult to raise the vehicle with the floor
jack .
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack
to work underneath, be sure the vehicle is
safely supported on stands intended for this
purpose.
Front lifting point
The lifting point is located on the floor pan re­
inforcement about at the same level as the
jack mounting point
¢fig. 221. Do not lift
the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement .
Rear lifting point
The lifting point is located on the vert ical rein­
forcement of the lower sill for the on-board
jack ¢
fig. 222.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to¢ page 266 .
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of ser ious injury and
veh icle damage.
- Always lift the vehicle only at the spe­
cial workshop hoist and floor jack lift
points illustrated
¢fig. 221 and
¢ fig. 222.
-Failure to lift the veh icle at these
points could cause the vehicle to tilt or
fall from a lift if there is a change in ve­
hicle weight distribution and balance.
This might happen, for example, when
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designated seating position) and luggage
weight~&. .
Gros s Axle W eight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad tha t can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q .&. .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list­
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap.
Roof weight
The max imum perm issible roof weight is
220 lb (100 kg ). The roof weight is made up
of the weight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object be ing transported
q page 60, Loading the roof rack .
.&, WARNING
- T he ac tual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex­
ceed the permiss ible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing .
- Exceeding permissib le weight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, accidents and
personal injury.
CD Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as possib le so that the veh i­
cle's handling is not impa ired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the max imum gross vehicle
weight. Always remember that the vehi­
cle's handling will be affected by the ex­
tra load. Therefore, adjust you r speed ac ­
cord ingly.
- Always observe loca l regu lations.
-
G ene ral in formation 28 1
Dimensions
The specifications refer to the basic model.
Differences may occur depending on the mod­
el type and options ordered, for example, tire
sizes.
CD Note
When driving up steep ramps, on rough roads, over curbs, etc. it is important to re­
member that some parts of your vehicle,
such as spoilers or exhaust system compo­ nents, may be close to the ground . Be
careful not to damage them .
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Automatic climate control Air vents ... ..... ..... ... .. .. .. .... 68
Automatic recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Setup ... .. ................. .. .... 69
synchron izing ............... ... ... . 68
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . ... .. .. .. . 106
Automatic t ransmission
Automatic Sh ift Lock (ASL) . .. .. .. .. . 106
D nvrng .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 10 7
Emergency mode . ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 110
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11
Kick-dow n .. .. .... .... ... .. .. .. ... 110
Manual shift program ..... .. .. .. .. . 109
multitronic ® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
S tron ic ® ...... ........... ... ... .. 105
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Automatic wipers .......... .... .. .... 46
Auto Safety Hotline ........ .. .. .. .. . 134
Average consumption ............ .... . 24
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 200
B
Battery ... ... ............. ...... .. 235
C ha rging ................... ... ... 237
I mportan t war nings ...... .. .. .. .. . 236
Ju mp s tarting . ........... .. .. .. ... 274
L ocat ion ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 236
l ow ..... .. .. .. ... . .... ... .. .. ... 197
Replacing the battery .. ... .. .. .. .. . 239
State of charge ........... .. .. .. ... 197
W inter operation ......... .. .. .. .. . 235
Working on the battery .... .. .. .. .. . 236
B efore driving . ... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 126
B lended gasoline . ............. ... .. 220
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . 68
B lower ( climate con trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Body cav ity sealing .......... ... ... .. 214
Booster seats . .. .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 180
B rake fl uid
Changing the brake fl uid ... .. .. .. .. . 235
C heck ing the bra ke fluid level . .. .. .. . 234
What is the cor rect brake fl uid leve l? .. 234
What should I do if the bra ke fl uid warn-
ing light comes on? ....... .. .. .. .. . 234
Inde x 291
Brake system
Anti- lock b raking system ..... ... .. .. . 20
B rake assist system .. .. ..... ... .. .. 192
Brake booster .. .. ................. 195
Brake fluid .. .. .. .... ............. 234
B rake fluid specifications fo r refill and re -
placeme nt .. .. .. .. . .. .... .... .. .. 235
B ra ke light defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Br ake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
El ec tromech an ic al par king br ake . .. .. . 74
Fl uid reservo ir ... .. .. .. ...... ... .. 23 4
How does moist ure or roa d salt affect the
brakes? ... .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 194
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .... . 15
Worn brake pads symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
braking gu ard
Set tings . ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. . 89
B rak ing guard ..... .. ................ 82
Messages . .. .. .. .... ........... .. . 89
Break-in per iod .. .. .. ............... 199
B rake pads .. .. .. .... ... .... .... .. 199
T ires ........ ... .. ..... .......... 199
Bu lbs . ... .. .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 273
C
Cali forn ia Proposition 65 Warn ing ... .. 226
Battery specific .... . .. ..... ... .. .. 237
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
E ngine o il . .. .. .. ................. 227
Car care .... .. .. .. ................. 208
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Inter ior ... .. .. .. .. . .. .... .... .. .. 214
Car carrier Transporting your vehicle ....... .. .. 278
Cargo area . ... .... .. . .. ... .... ... .. 132
Cargo ne t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Catalytic converter ... . ... .... ... .. .. 200
Center armre st
Cockpit ... .. .. .. ................. . 52
Central lock ing .. .... ... ....... ...... 33
E mergency locking .. ... ....... .... .. 37
Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Ch ang ing a wheel .. .... ......... .... 263
Changi ng engine oil .. ... ....... .... . 231
Chassis (undercoating) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
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