2013 AUDI A6 suspension

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when working under the hood
<=> page 219, Engine compartment
@ Tips
Ma lf u nctions or faults wi ll be identified ei­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (pr iority 2 -
Warn ing).
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when you switch
the ignition on. These systems are ma rked
with a ,/ in the following tables. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, there is a malfunction in that system.
Red indicator lights
Red symbols indicate a prio rity malfunction -
D anger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine.
- Check the ma lf u nctioning system . Contact
your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
workshop for assistance.
USA mode ls:
Brake ma lf u nction,/
Qpage 15
Canada models:
Brake malfunction,/
Qpage 15
USA models:
- Electromechanical parking brake
____ ,
D
<=> page 16
Canada models:
Electromechanical parking brake
<=>page 16
Engine cooling system
<=>page 16
Engine oil pressure
<=>page 17
Engine oil level
Q page 18
Battery
<=>page 17
Safety belt
<=>page 17
Electromechanical steering ,/
<=>page 196
Electronic steering column lock
<=>page 18
Engine start system
<=>page 18
Speed warning system
<=>page 79
Adaptive cruise control*,/
<=>page84
Air suspension*
Qpage 18
Pedestrian warning*
Qpage 101
Yellow indicator lights
Yellow symbo ls indicate a p rior ity 2 malfunc­
t ion -W arning!
I
USA models: Safety systems
<=>page 19 .
El
Canada models: Safety systems
<=>page 19
II
Electronic Stab ilization Control
(ESC) ./
<=>page 19
I
Electronic Stabil ization Control
( E SC) ,/
<=>page 19
USA models:
tm
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ,/
Qpage20
I

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
• Check the engine oil level¢ page 230.
• If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 23 0. M ake sure that the oil p res ­
s ur e warning symbol. appea rs no longe r
i n t he d is pl ay before you sta rt d rivi ng a ga in.
• If the engi ne oil leve l is cor rect and the indi ­
cator lig ht st ill tur ns on, tur n the eng ine off
and do not co nti nu e dr iving. Se ek pr of essio­
n al assista nce.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev ­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
l!I requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
1!11. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
!::;. , Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When the symbo l and the dr iver message ap­
pea r, the oil has to be re plenished r igh t now
¢pag e 227.
If the indicator lig ht and the message appear,
add e ngine oil immediate ly ¢
page 230 .
II Add oil , max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
Wh en t he symbo l an d t he dr ive r message ap­
pea r, add the amo unt of o il ap pear in g i n the
di sp lay at the ne xt opport unity ¢
page 22 7.
@-Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If th e indicator lig ht t urns on and the mes­
sage ap pears, the re is an elect ronic steer ing co
lumn lo ck mal func tion. You canno t sw itch
t h e ignit io n on .
D o
not tow yo ur vehicle beca us e it ca nnot b e
s tee re d . S ee k profession al assi sta nce .
ell Steering lock: system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs , t here is an e lectronic stee ring
co lumn lock malfunc tion.
Drive to y our auth orized A udi dealer immed i­
ate ly to have the ma lfu nction corrected .
A WARNING
-Yo u r ve hicle m ust no t be tow ed in t he
ev ent of a malfu nction in th e ele ctr oni c
stee ring colum n lock be cau se it cann ot be
s teere d due to the l ock ed st eeri ng. If it is
to we d wi th t he steer in g lock ed , there is
the r is k of an accident .
©-Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indic ator ligh t turn s on an d the m es­
sage a ppe ars, do
not swi tch the ig nition o ff
because you may not be a ble to sw itch it on
again .
Dr ive to y our au thori zed A udi deal er i mme di­
a te ly to have the m alfunction correc te d .
1111 Engine start system fault . Please con­
tact dealer
If th e indicato r ligh t turns on and the mes ­
sag e appea rs, there is a malf unct ion in th e en­
gine sta rt system.
Drive to your author ized Audi dealer immed i­
ately to have the malfu nction correc ted .
0 Air suspension
Applies to veh icles: w it h air suspens io n
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin-
ue slowly with max . 35 mph.
ll>

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
There is a malfunction that can resu lt in re­
stricted driving stability.
Ca refully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
II Air suspension fault
There is a system malfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clea rance is very low due to a sys ­
tem malfunct ion. Wait until the air suspen­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance . Otherwise, conditions s uch as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
m1 !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models)/ E,I (Canada models) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems (e .g.
a ir bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the
(I (USA models)/ E,i (Canada mode ls)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi ­
nates while you are driv ing, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not illumi nate
when you switch the ignition on, this also
means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherwise the safety sys- terns may not work
properly in an acci­
dent.
;;,/ {A Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC )
This warning/indicator light monitors the
Electronic Stabilization Control.
When you switch the ignition on, the ind icator
li ght
G1 turns on briefly to check the f unction.
If the
J.ii) indicator lamp blinks while driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regu lation) is active­
l y regu lating .
If the
J.ii) indicator lamp illum inates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESC off.
If the indicator light II turns on, the ESC was
switched to ESC sport mode with the button
@ c:> page 192. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESC by switching the ignition off and
then on again . The warning/indicator light
shou ld go o ut to show that the system is fu lly
funct ional aga in.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the indicator light Ji) and the ABS indicator
light~ (USA models)
![I] (Canada mod ­
els) turn on and the message appears, there is
a malfunction in the ABS system or electronic
differential lock. This also interrupts the ESC.
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
If the battery terminals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start ­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESC sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards. The warning/indicator
light illuminates. The warning/indicator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
complete.
For more information about the ESC
c:>page 192.

98 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i d rive select mak es it possible to expe ri­
ence diffe ren t types of vehi cle se ttin gs i n o ne
ve hicl e. The dr ive r can se lect th ree
Comfort ,
Auto and Dynamic modes in the M MI to
switch between a sporty and a comforta ble
driving mo de.
You c an a lso a djust the setti ng according to
your p re ferences in the
Individual mode . F o r
examp le, you ca n combine settings such as a
sporty en gine t uning with comfortab le steer­
ing.
A WARNING
Improper use of the A udi drive select can
cause collisions, ot her acc idents and se ri­
ous pe rsonal injury.
Description
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the veh icl e's featu res. The engine, t ransm is­
sion, stee ring, reve rsible sa fe ty belt tension­
e rs a nd adap tive air su spension are alw ays in­
volved.
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the e ng ine and the
tra nsmission respond quic ker or i n a more bal­
an ced manne r to acce le rator pedal move­
men ts. In the sporty dyn ami c mode, the
tra nsmission sh ifts at highe r RP Ms.
Air suspension*
The adaptive air suspens ion/adaptive air sus­
pension spor t*
(Air suspen sion in the MM I) is
a n e lec tronic ally con trolled air suspension and
da mpi ng sys tem. They are adjus ted depend­
ing on the se lected driving mode, the drive r's
steeri ng, braking an d acceleration input and
the road s urface, ve hicle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used in ve hicles
with adaptive air suspension sport*. T
he veh icle clearance varies depending on the
se lected mo de an d the speed .
T he highway setti ng is a ct ivated automatic ally
whe n you dr ive above 7 5 mph (120 km/ h) fo r
more than
3 0 seconds in the Auto or Dynamic
mode. The gro und clea rance is increased a uto ­
matically if the speed drops below
44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
T he s teer ing adap ts in terms of s teer ing effor t
and steering ratios . Indirect stee ring that
moves easily, like the steer ing in comfo rt
mode, is best suited to long drives on a high­
way. In contrast, dynamic mode provides sporty, direct steer ing .
Sport differential*
As a component of the all whee l drive system
(quattro ®)
r=:> page 196, th e Sport differen­
t ia l* distributes the driving powe r to the rear
axle depending on the situation. The distr ibu­
t ion of power va ries depe nding on the select­
ed mode, from balanced (comfort) to agile
(dyna mic) . Th e goa l is a high leve l of agility
and ability to acce le rate on cu rves . Th e vehicle
is ve ry re sponsive to st eer ing.
Curve light*
The curve light adapts to driving on curves .
T he pivo ting act io n and the lighting are also
adapt ed to the mode .
Adaptive cruise control*
The behav ior when accelerating can be adjust­
ed from comfortab le to sporty, depending on
the drive select mode. Adaptive cru ise cont ro l
also responds to th e dr iv ing behavior o f th e
vehicle a head in a mo re co nse rvative o r sporty
man ne r.
Engine sound*
The sound of the eng ine is adapted to the se­
lected mode and ranges from sub tle to sporty . .,.

(D Note
-Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the veh icle when park­
ing . The height of the vehicle can change
once it is park ed due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load cond i­
tions and changes to the dr iv ing modes,
which can affect clearance .
- When t ransporting the veh icle on a car
carr ier, tra in, ship or by other means, on­
l y tie the veh icle dow n at the runni ng
su rface of the tires , which is the ou ter
ci rcumference . Secur ing t he vehicle at
the a xle components, s uspension str uts
or tow ing eyes is not pe rm itted because
the pressu re in the air suspension st ruts
can change during transport. The vehicle may not be secu red sufficiently if this
happens.
- If you are going to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operation mode
<=> page 204.
{!) Tips
-In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
Auto
and Dynami c modes.
- Se lecting the
Dynamic mode results in
spo rty sh ifting character istics. The S
gear posit ion engages automatically.
- In vehicles with spo rt differential", the
Dynamic mode is deactivated when tow ­
i ng a trailer.
Adjusting the Individual mode
Audi dri ve sele ct 99
Selecting the driving mode
You can choose between Comfort, Auto , Dy­
namic and Individual .
Fig. 102 MMI: D rive selec t
.,.. To se lect the mode , se lect the following in
the MMI: IC ARlf unction button>
Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Individual.
You can change the d riv ing mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or wh ile driving.
If traffic
permi ts, after changing modes, briefly take
yo ur f oot off the acce lerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is a lso activated for
the engine.
Comfort -prov ides a comfor t-orie nted veh icle
setup and is s uited fo r long drives on h igh­
ways .
Auto -provides an overall comfo rtable yet dy­
nam ic dr iving feel and i s suited for every day
u se .
Dynamic -gives the vehicle a sporty driving
feel and is suited to a spo rty driv ing style .
Individual -<=> page 99.
_.& WARNING
-Pay attention to traffic when operating
Audi d rive select to prevent potential risk
of an acc ident.
-
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
.,.. Se lect : I CAR I funct ion bu tton> Set indi vid ­
ual
control button . You can now adjust the
i ndividual systems . The
Indi
vidu al driving mode wi ll automatical­
ly be activa ted when you have finished config­
uring the sett ing s.

114 Parking systems
the next to last segment is displayed. Obsta­
cles in the collision area, includ ing those out­
side of the vehicle 's path, are shown in red. Do
not continue driving farther forward or in re­
verse
q .&. in General informa tion on
page 112 , q (f)in General information on
page 112 .
Rear view camera
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with parki ng system p lus wit h rear
view camera
Fig. 120 Ill ustration: Cross parking
Fig. 121 Illustration: parallel park ing
In addition to parking system plus
q page 113, this parking system also has a
rear view camera .
You can use
cross parking for example, to
park in a parking space or in a garage
q fig. 120. You can use parallel parking if you
would like to park on the side of the road
r::;, fig . 121 .
General information
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with rear
v iew camera
Fig. 122 Area covered (D and area not covere d@ by
t he r ear v ie w ca mera
Fig. 123 Rea r lid : Locatio n of th e re ar view ca mera
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket. Make sure that the lens
for the parking system
q fig . 123 is not cov­
ered by deposits or any other obstructions be­
cause this can affect the function of the park­
ing system . For information on cleaning, refer
to
q page 211.
The rear view camera coverage area includes
(D q fig. 122 . Only this area is shown in the
Infotainment display . Objects that are outside
of this area @are not displayed.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and the
blue surfaces is reduced if the adaptive air
suspension* is faulty, if the vehicle is lifted or
if the
Dynamic mode is activated r::;, page 98 .
A WARNING
-
- Always read and follow the applicable
warn ings
r::;, .&. in General information on
page 112.
-If the position and the installation angle
-
of the rear view camera was changed, for ~

r::> & in General information on page 114,
r::> (Din General information on page 115 .
The blue area represents an extension of the
vehicle's outline by approximately 16 ft
(5 m) to the rear . The long side of the blue
area should be on the curb . The entire blue
area must fit into the parking space.
• With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the right as far as it will go.
• Back into the parking space until the blue
curve
r::> fig. 12 7 touches the curb r::> & in
General information on page 114,
r::> (D in
General information on page 115.
Stop the
vehicle.
• With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it will go .
• Continue to back into the parking space un ­
t il the vehicle is parked parallel to the curb
r::> & in General information on page 114,
r::> (D in General information on page 115.
@ marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle,
at the latest, when the red orientation line
@ borders an object. Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle while doing this .
Parking next to obstacles
If there is an obstacle (such as a wall) next to
the parking space, position the vehicle so
there is more space on that side. Position the
long side of the blue surface so that there is
sufficient space from the obstacle. The sur­
face must not be touching . You will also need
to start turning the steering wheel much ear­
lier . The blue curve
r::> fig . 12 7 must not touch
the obstacle and should have sufficient room.
(D Tips
The left or right orientation lines and sur­
faces will be displayed, depending on the
turn signal being used.
Peripheral cameras
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with parki ng system plus w ith periph­
eral cameras
In addition to parking system plus
r::>page 113, this parking system contains pe-
Parking systems 117
ripheral cameras. Depending on the vehicle
equipment, you are assisted by various views
such as peripheral view, corner views at the
front and rear of the vehicle, and views direct­
ly in front of or behind the vehicle.
General information
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with periph­
eral cameras
Fig. 128 Locat ion of per ipheral cameras
Depending on the vehicle equipment , the pe­
ripheral cameras are found in the radiator
grille, in the luggage compartment lid and on
both exterior mirrors*
r::> fig. 128. Make sure
that the lenses are not covered by deposits or
any other obstructions as it may impair the
system. For information on cleaning, refer to
qpage 211.
In the peripheral mode, black corners are
shown in the vehicle silhouette. Objects in
these areas are outside of the camera's field
of view and are not detected .
The accuracy of the orientation lines and the
blue surfaces is reduced if the adaptive air
suspension* is faulty, if the vehicle is lifted or
if the
Dynamic mode is activated 9 page 98.
A WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
r::> .&. in General information on
page 112.
- If the position or the installation angle
of a camera was changed, after a colli­
sion for example, do not continue to use
the system for safety reasons. Have it checked by your author ized Audi dealer-
-
ship. ~

162 Airbag system
experience, informat ion and specia l
too ls necessary to perform the work
safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate Material - special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/haza rdouswaste/per­
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts w it h pretens ioners are
s crapped, a ll applicable laws and regula­
tions mus t be observed. Your au thori zed
Audi dea le r is familiar with these requi re­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dea ler perfo rm this serv ice for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag Sys­
tem pe rforms in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not app roved by Aud i,
lowering the vehicle, ch anging the stiffness o f
the suspension, including the springs, suspen ­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the a irbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors a nd make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in w hich it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made . Other kinds of
ch an ges may reduce the force levels meas­
u red by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it sho uld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r th e
d river a nd front passe nger sea t tell the elec ­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not .
If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will dep loy at a slightly high­
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par- t
icu lar collision, it is possible that an airbag
will not dep loy at a seat ing position where the
safety belt is be ing used b ut w ill inflate at the
pos ition where the safety belt is not be ing
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with t he safety be lt buckles so that the sen ­
sors can send the correct info rmation about
safety belt use to the electronic control un it .
_&. WARNING
Changi ng the vehicle's suspension includ ­
i ng use of unapp roved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag per­
formance and increase the risk of serious pe rsonal injury in a crash .
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same pe rformance
characteristics as the components o rigi­
na lly installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
App lies to vehicles : wi th knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple­
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants .
Fig . 1 60 Driver 's knee a irbag
T he dr iver knee airbag is in the ins trument
pane l underneath the steering wheel
~ fig. 160, the airbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the instrument pan-
el underneat h the glove compartment. .,.