2013 AUDI S6 wheel

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. ..,_ •
•

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-

@ Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
mat ic transm ission to P before app lying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion .
Trailer towin g 207
•
•

208 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Audi or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 194 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select only environ mentally friendly clean­
ing products. Leftover cleaning products
should not disposed of in the household
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmental in ­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the vehicle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental influences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and industria l gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects will be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sunlight intensify the corro­
sive effect, particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Under other conditions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a
professional car wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint
c::> page 210.
A WARNING
-A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 208.

Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly with water . Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to ­
ward the bottom using a
neutra l sh ampoo
and a soft mi crofiber cloth . Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thorough ly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
s pon ge on these areas .
R inse the vehicle tho roughly aga in and let i t
a ir dry. If there are any wa ter spots, they can
be removed using a
le ather cloth.
Clea n again with the sp ecial cl eaner for matt e
finish paint
i f ne cessary.
Removing stubborn dirt
B ird dropping s or tree sap a re best removed
with plenty of water and a m icrofiber cloth .
You shou ld r inse off
gasoline residue immedi­
ately with plenty o f water.
A WARNING
- Wash your veh icle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
c rash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 208.
0 Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte f inish paint usi ng polish ing mate­
r ials or hard wax . These products could
cause damage to the appearance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use p rotective wax.
It can destroy
the matte fin ish effect .
- Do not p lace any st ickers or magne tic
s igns on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The pa int co uld be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sun ligh t.
Cleaning and protec tion 21 1
-To prevent damage to the pa int sur face,
do not use insect remova l sponges ,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ila r items .
- Yo u should remove deb ris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle . Only clean the head­
lights using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy water is
recommended.
(D Tips
For more information on special cleaning
products designed for matte finish paint,
see your Aud i deale r.
, Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brus h and remove
ice with a de- ic ing sp ray that does not con­
t ain so lvents.
- Clean the senso rs (adaptive cruise co ntrol*,
pa rking system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
tha t does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth .
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
camera lens is norma lly cleaned by the
windshie ld wipers (Audi active lane assist*)
or head light wipers (night vision system *).
If the lens or the area is exceptionally dirty,
clean the area with glass cleaner and a soft,
dry cloth .
@ Note
-If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
was her,
- make sure there is eno ugh distance to
sensors in the fron t and rear bumper,
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area a ro und them with t he press ure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
cou ld cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive products.
•
•

A WARNING ,~
Always read an d heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 208.
Touch-up paint
/\1inor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
~ Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks .
Your Audi dea ler has touch -up paint for minor
scratches and stone chips. Scratches shou ld
be touched up soon after they occ ur to pre ­
vent corrosion.
I f a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job w ill not be enough . The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-r ust primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
The number for the original vehicle paint can be found on the vehicle identification labe l
c:::>poge280.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 208.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
C lean all windows regularly to remove road
fi lm and car wash wax b uildup .
~ Remove s now from windows using a br ush.
~ U se a plast ic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirro rs .
~ Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray -on glass cleaner.
~ Wipe the windows dry with a clean p iece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from windows and mirrors is to use a brush . Use a non-abra­
sive
plastic ice sc raper -better still, a spray
de icer -to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors .
Cleaning and protec tion 213
Oil, grease o r silicone residue can be removed
with
gla ss cleane r or silicone remove r. How­
ever, wax res idue requires the use of a spec ia l­
l y formulated solvent. Please contact your
Audi dealer for adv ice on safe products for
wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at reg ular intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces . Wax resi ­
due on the chamois can impa ir v is ion through
the windows .
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 208.
-The windsh ield must not be treated w ith
water-repellent materials. They can in­ crease glare unde r poor v is ibility condi­
tions such as wetness, da rkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi­
tion, they can ca use the w indshie ld w ip­
ers to ch att er.
0 Note
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirro rs.
T his could cause the glass to crack.
- To p revent damage to the w ires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
sti ckers on the ins ide of the rear w indow
over the wires.
- T o help p revent dirt from scra tching the
w indow, always sc rape in a forwa rd di­
rection -pushing the sc raper away from
you -never back and forth .
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cost (light) alloy wheels require special care.
~ Wash the wheels w ith a sponge or hose
b ru sh eve ry other week.
~ For deep clean ing a fterw ards, use on ly a
dedicated
acid-free c ast alloy wheel cleaner.
~ Rub a coat of liquid wa x onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
•
•

214 Cleaning and protec tio n
To preserve the deco rative appearance of the
cast a lloy whee ls , some specia l care is neces­
sary. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, brake
dust is also corros ive. If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitt ing.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i dealer. Never leave the cleaner on
the r ims longer than spec ified on the label. If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid conta ined in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts.
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents . If the protective coating has been
ch ipped, e .g . by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as poss ible.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
Q page 194, General
information .
Test the brakes caref ully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 208.
-
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the facto ry.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed w it h a plastic
scrape r and a suitab le solven t.
A WARNING
So lvents can be dange rous.
- Benzine is flammable and toxic.
If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains. -
Be s ure to observe all safety and environ ­
mental regulat ions. Follow all instruc ­
tions on the container .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 208.
Chassis
Hove the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time .
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosion .
Any damage to the undercoat ing ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prom ptly.
A WARNING
r----
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la-
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional under coating or
r u stp roof ing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
-
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 208.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regular ly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chr ome polish or other ab rasive clea ners.
Clean the tail pipes with ca r c are products
t h at are suitable fo r stainless steel.
Your authorized Aud i dea ler can provide clean­
ing produc ts tha t have been tested and ap­
proved for yo ur vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* display may be cleaned wit h a
soft clot h and commercia lly-available "LCD
cleaner ". The clot h should be coated lightly ..,