2014 AUDI A6 warning

ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS) , brake assist sys ­
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif­
ferential lock ( EDL) and e lectronic interax le
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 <::;> page 196, fig . 178 . Be sure
to switch ASR on again when you no longer
n eed less t raction.
Anti-lock br aking s ystem (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking . The veh icle can still be steered
even during hard braking . Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped ­
a l. A puls ing in the bra ke peda l 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 p resses the brake pedal quic kly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and ho ld the
b rake peda l 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 d rive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ie r to
s tart, accelerate and drive up hills.
El ectronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive powe r to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all-whee l drive*. This function is available up
t o about 75 mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases , ED L automatica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating.
E DL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Int ellig ent technolog y 195
Electronic intera xle differential l ock */
se le ctive wheel torque cont rol *
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
whee l drive) or the se lective whee l 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 p recise d riving through
curves . T he 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 diffe rential 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 veh icle, you should immedi­
ately change yo ur speed to match the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let
the increased safety provided by these
systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing
so will increase the r isk o f a loss of vehi ­
cle control, collision and serious personal inju ries.
-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 iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, EDL, ASR and the e lectronic inte r­
axle d iffe ren tial lock function* cannot
preven t coll is ions.
- Always accelerate with spec ial care on
even, smooth surfaces su ch 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. .,.
•
•

196 Intelligent technology
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
ca l tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduct ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
Switching on and off
- If the indicator light DJ or til] (USA
mode ls)/ [I] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 20 ,
¢ page 19.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 178 Ce nter co ns ole, f). O FF bu tton
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where
it may be usefu l to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it i s st uck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g round
- Driving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Beha vio r
The ESC a nd ASR stabilization fun ct ions The fu ll stabilization function o f the ESC
are limited ¢.&, .
Op eration Pr ess the 1.$ O FFI button .
Indicato r I) turns on.
lights
Driv er mes- Stabiliza tion control (ESC ): Sport
sage s Warning! R educed stability
,8. WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if
your driving abilities and road cond itions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on. The
dr iv ing whee ls could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces .
{D) Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched on when
adapt ive cr uise control* is switched on.
-
and ASR is availab le again .
Press the
1 .$ O FF I button again.
fl tu rns off.
Stabilization c ontrol (ESC ): On
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra kes on today's automobiles a re still
s u bje ct to wear, depending largely on ope rat­
i ng conditions and driving hab its
¢ A . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop­
and-go city traff ic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer 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 brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, yo u prevent un­
necessary wea r on the brake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter ­
vals.
Moi stu re or r oad salt
Under certain conditions, for examp le, 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
free zing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
f ew care ful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you a re d riving at higher speeds with
the w indshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces . You the driver will 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 accumu lated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
appl ications o f the brake ¢,&. .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
on ly for short trips with l ittle use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if cor­
rosion has fo rmed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by brak ing
firm ly a few times from a moderately h igh
speed ¢.&. .
F a ults in the brake system
If you should notice a
sudden increase in
b rake pedal travel, then one of the two bra ke
circu its may have failed¢,&. .
Int ellig ent technolog y 197
Low br ake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the brake system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronica lly.
Brake booster
T he brake booster wo rks with vacuum pres­
s ur e which is created only when the engine is
runn ing ¢.&. .
Brake lining we ar statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
th rough the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for th is 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 or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Unde r ce rtain cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums . Carefully app ly brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency. ..,.
•
•

therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possible . Also refer to
<=:> page 203.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fective, a lways remember that braking
capacity is limited by t ire traction . Yo u
should therefore not dr ive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road su rfaces.
- On wet road su rfaces, be careful not to
dr ive too fast because t he fro nt wheels
c ou ld beg in to s lide on top of the wa ter
(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 ­
wheel drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimi zes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a veh icle wit h a conventional energy system
i s not d riven for a lo ng pe riod o f time, the bat­
tery is discha rged by idling cu rrent co nsu mers
(e .g. immobilizer) . In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insufficient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine .
I n tell igen t energy m anagemen t in your veh i­
cle hand les the d istribu tion of electrical ener­
gy . Starting ab ility is marked ly imp roved and
the life of the battery is extended.
B asically , energy management consists o f
battery diagnos is , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic ene rgy man agement.
Int ellig ent technolog y 199
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously de termines
the state of the battery . Sensors de termine
batte ry voltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling curren t management reduces energy
consumption while the vehi cle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnos is is cons id­
ered .
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
i ndivid ua l cons umers are g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en ­
ergy ma nagement distrib utes the energy ge n­
erated accord ing to the needs of the individ u­
al components . It regulates consum ption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of cha rge for the battery .
(D Tips
-But even ene rgy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
t hat the powe r and life of a battery are
limited .
- If start ing ability is threatened , the indi­
cator light (•) appears
c::> page 17 .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year . Abundant electrical energy is re -
quired, but on ly a little is generated . It is also ..,. •
•

200 Intelligent technology
critical if the engine is not running and electri­
cal components are turned on. In this in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you wi ll
notice energy management actively regulat­
ing the distribut ion of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a pe riod
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer period.
Some of the conven ience functions may not
operate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustment. The conven ience
functions will be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumption, the following warning ap­
pears in the MMI display:
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although elect rical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens most ly when
little energy is being generated and a great
dea l consumed and the battery 's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium, consumers which require especia lly
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular requ ire a great deal of energy. If you notice,
for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be available again as
soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly. Th is is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.

Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the first 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. This applies whether the
transmission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
¢ page 11.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 ki lome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, t hese rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and environment 201
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing the f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llowing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 ki lomete rs) afte r they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pads don't have the best stop­
p ing power and must be "broken-i n" dur­
ing the initi al 100 to 150 miles (150 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
•
•

202 Driving and en vir onm ent
Catalytic converter
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline e ngin e
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 215,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty .
.. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 229, Adding engine oil .. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalyti c converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is cr itically
important for the l ife of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
T he temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
@) Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will al ready seriously de­
grade the perfo rmance of the cata lytic
conve rter. -
Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 229.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . The engine co uld m is­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is mov ing .
- Do not continue to ope rate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle maintained p roperly
and in accordance w ith the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehicle wi ll impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sa ke of the en vironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
ope rat ing properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Usi ng a different brand of fuel may help,
or f illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles: with diese l eng ine
The diesel part icu late filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil­
te r cleans itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l
dr iv ing cond itions . If the filte r cannot clean it­
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diesel
particulate filter ill uminates ¢
page 22. ..,.

A WARNING ,~
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter cou ld start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, o r over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make ce rtain that
l ow -lying parts such as spoi lers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low ­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and f ully load ­
ed veh icles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iv ing t hrough water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake roto rs and pads. Dry
the brakes fi rst by brak ing carefully to re­
sto re the full b raking effect.
- Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectr ical
system can be severe ly damaged by driv­
i ng th rough water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water
r::;> pag e 79.
-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 203
(D Tips
-Check t he dept h of the water before d riv­
ing through it .
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the e ngine off w hen driving
thro ugh water.
- Keep i n mind t hat oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi ­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avo id driving through salt water because
it can cause corros ion.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of t i me, contact an
Audi or other spec ia lized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
s io n prevention, maintenance and sto rage .
Pay attent io n to additional info rmation con­
ce rning the bat tery. Refe r to ¢
page 235.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your per sonal style of driving will de termine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex ­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environme nta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires la rgely
depe nd on three fac to rs:
- your personal d riving style
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economica lly, yo u can easily cut yo ur
f uel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent. This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook. •
•