2014 AUDI A6 ECU

190 Child Safe ty
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 176 Tethe r ancho rs: recess flaps behind the rear
seatbacks
The tether anchors for the rear seating posi­
tions are located in recesses i n the rear win­
dow shelf ~ fig.
176
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
specia l anchorage points in the veh icle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for·
ward movement of the ch ild restra int in a
crash, in order to help reduce the r isk of head
in ju ry that could be ca used by striking the ve­
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restra ints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U .S .
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requ irements make a
tether necessary on most new child safety
seats.
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of child restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re­
stra int you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of child restra int anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in ·
jury in a co llision. Th e anchors are de·
sign ed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by cor rect ly fi tted ch ild restraints.
- Never mou nt two chi ld restraint systems
on one LA TCH lower anchor po int. -
Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage.
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attac h any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If you must install a rearwa rd facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional c ircumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat i n a rea r seating position and
have the airbag system inspe cted by your
Aud i dea ler.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig. 177 Tet her strap: proper rou ting and mounting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to t he child re­
s traint manufacturer's instructions.
.,. Guide the upper te ther s trap
under the rear
head restra int ~ fig.
177 (ra ise the head re­
stra int if necessary) .
.,. Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket.
.,. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of the tether anchorage .
.,. Pull on the tethe r strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tighten the tether strap firmly fo llow ing the
child res traint manufa cturer's instructions. .,.

206 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 follow 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 206, 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 vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer 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
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brakin g 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 trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
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 208.
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.

-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch :
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical ha zards c:::> & .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition ,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm .
Checking and filling 225
-Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
(® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"'Let the hood
drop down and latch in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c:::> ,A .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while driv ­
ing .
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­ ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driving that the hood
is not secured properly , stop at once and
close it. •
•

248 Tire s and whee ls
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring* system can work cor­ rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the funct ion of the tire pressure mon itor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated ti res bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden ti re fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden ti re fail ure
and loss of control.
- If the tire press ure is too low or too high,
the tires wi ll wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase the
fuel consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any veh icle and any t ire ca n carry.
A veh icle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Over load ing
can not on ly lead to loss of veh icle contro l, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire fai lure, in­
clud ing a b lowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
G ro ss Vehicl e We ight R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to car ry ("seat ing capac ity") with an
ass umed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenge r at a designated seating position
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve ­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
G ro ss Axle We ight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar . Your Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating posi­
t ion has a safety belt
Q page 138, Safety
belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
t ra ile r hi tch and the tongue weigh t of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug-
gage.
~

chains because the vehicle will be ex­
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­
el, the snow chains might severe ly dam­
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle .
@ Tips
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all -wheel dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts mu st always be tigh tened to the
correc t torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory in sta lled r ims. If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used . This ensures that wheels are f itted
secure ly and that the brake system f unctions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a d iffe rent vehicle -even if it
i s the same mode l
¢page 285.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tig hte ned or maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose causin g loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury .
- Alw ays keep the w heel bolts and the
th reads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the w heel h ubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
o iled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle .
- Always maintain the co rrect tightening
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the
Tire s an d wheel s 257
risk of a wheel loss. If the tighte ning tor­
que of t he wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing . If the tighte ning torque is
too h igh, the wheel bol ts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(I) Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb ( 120 Nm) with a tole ranc e of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torq ue whee l bolts diago­
nally. Afte r cha nging a whee l, the torq ue
must be checked as soon as possible wi th a
torque w rench -prefe rably by an au thor­
i z ed Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is facto ry-eq uipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance , road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving cond i­
tions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation . The numera l rep resents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewall height in relation to its
t read width ex pressed in perce ntage. Conven ­
tion al tires have a he igh t/w idth ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspe ct-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitiv e to improper infla tion
pres sure. It is therefore important that l ow
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres·
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
¢ page 246, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w it h potholes , curbs, gul lies ..,.
•
•

262 What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover .
Fig. 204 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spare t ire
Fig . 205 Trunk lid: Vehicle tool kit
• Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:> fig. 204.
• Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
• Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
c:>fig. 204 and remove the spare tire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
• Unhook the cargo floor before clos ing the
rear lid.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment p in for changing wheels
- Screwdr iver w ith reve rsible blade
- T owing loop
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING ,-
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy vehicles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional extras .
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c::> page 266.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for short-term use only.
Taking out the spare tire
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
c::> page 262, fig . 204 .
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
.,. Turn the large screw
c:> page 262, fig. 204
counter-clockwise .
.,. Take out the spa re tire.

-On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping .
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve­
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct , ad­
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack.
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
(D Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position
the vehicle jack only at the designated lift­
ing points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehi­
cle will be damaged.
(D Tips
The vehicle jack mode* switches off auto­
matically at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/
h).
Removing and installing the sill cover
Applies to vehicles : wit h sill
Fig. 211 Sill: remov ing t he cover
.,. Pull the cover down to remove it c'> fig. 211.
.,. To install the cover again, insert it into the
retainers and then swing it upward until it
clicks into place. The cover must be flush
with the sill.
What do I do now? 267
@ Tips
Some models may also have a cover for the
rear vehicle lift point.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
Fig. 212 Changing a wheel: using the screwdrive r han­
dle (w it h th e blade re m oved) to turn the bolt s
Fig. 213 Changing a wheel : alignment p in in sid e the
top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle
off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows :
Removing the wheel
.,. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriv­
er handle
to completely remove the top­
most wheel bolt and set it aside on a clean
surface c>fig. 212 .
.,. Screw the threaded end of the
alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the
empty bolt hole r::;;fig . 213 .
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de­
scribed above .
.,. Take
off the wheel leaving the alignment pin
in the bolt hole
r::;; d). ..,.

-Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle a s soon as
possible. Remount the wheel co ve r.
U ntil th en, driv e with extr a car e and at re ­
du ced speeds .
~ WARNING
-
-If you are going to equip your vehicle
with t ires or rims wh ich differ from those
wh ich were factory installed, then be
sure to read the informat ion
c:> page 251,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always make sure the damaged wheel or
even a flat tire and the jack and tool k it
are properly secured in th e luggage com·
partment and are not loose in the pas·
senger compartment.
- In an accident o r sudden maneuver they
c ou ld fly forward, inju ring anyone in the
vehicle .
- Always store damaged w heel, jac k and
tools secure ly in the luggage compart­
ment. Otherw ise, in an acc iden t or sud­
den maneuver they cou ld fly forward,
causing injury to passenge rs i n the vehi·
cle .
What do I do now? 269
•
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