2015 AUDI A6 ESP

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_&. WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead
to loss of control, a crash and serious personal injury!
-Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
-
-Worn tires are a safety haz­ ard, they do not grip well on
wet roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and
loss of control.
-Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such
as grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo­ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
Tires and wheels 257
failure and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels hove to
be broken in.
Fig. 199 Tire specification codes on
the sidewall of a tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where
applicable)
0 Nominal width of tire in
millimeters
® Ratio of height to width
(aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code

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tires because they meet the highest standard s regarding
safety and driving characteris­
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of
plies, the more weight a tire
can support. Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
terials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tem­ perature grades¢
page 263.
Tires and wheels 261
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire under normal driving condi­
tions.
A WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatch­
ed tires and
I or wheels or
improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to
loss of control, collision and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
•
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'

264 Tire s and wheel s
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure<=>,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand ­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
corne ring, hydrop lan ing o r peak traction
character istics .
A WARNING ,.,.____
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure yo u purchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruct ion
type as t he other tires on your ve hicle.
If your vehicle is equ ipped with all -wheel
drive*, this will improve t ract ion during w inter
d riving, even wit h the standard tires. Howev­
e r, we strong ly recommend that you always
eq uip a ll four w heels on yo ur vehicle wi th cor­
rectly fitted win ter tires or a ll-season tires,
when winte r road conditions are expected . This also improves the veh
icle's brak ing per ­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires p rovide less gr ip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fou r wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for perm itted
winter tire siz es. Use
o n ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con ­
ditions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel
<=>page 257.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi ­
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured. P lease see<=>
page 260,
Speed rating (letter code)
fo r a listing of the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be d riven .
The speed rating letter code (<=>
page 242) is
on the side wall of the t ire
c> page 257.
A WARNING ,.___
W inter t ires have maximum speed lim its
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
i mum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off. Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur specific
winter tires . This wi ll ca use damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
'----
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle were designed can cause t ire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,

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thro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
cause damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Audi dea ler. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible.
- Inspect yo ur tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause tire fa ilure . If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ir e as soo n as possible.
- T hese tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers .
- Please also remember that, while these tires deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more no ise than
othe r cho ices .
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
season condition s
All t ires are des igned for certain pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance
tires orig inally installed on your veh icle are in ­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per ­
formance and handling . They are not s uitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
fo r your ve hicle, or their equ ivalent.
Refer to¢
page 264 for mo re deta iled infor ­
mat io n regarding winter t ires .
Tire pressure
monitoring system
U) General notes
Each t ire, includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked month ly when cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacture r o n the vehicle
p lacard or tire inflation pressure label. (If yo ur
Tire s an d wheel s 267
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat ion pressure labe l, you sho uld determine
the proper t ire inflation press ure for those
tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
ti res is significant ly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressu re. Driving on a sign ifican tly un­
der -infla ted ti re causes the tire to overhea t
and can lead to tire fai lure . Under-inflation al ­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­ er's respons ibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of t he
TPMS low tire pressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low t ire pressure telltale . Whe n the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash fo r approximate ly one m inute and then
r em ain continuously illum ina ted . Thi s se­
quence will continue upon s ubsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists .
When the malfunction indicato r is illum inat­
ed, the sys tem may no t be ab le to detec t or
s ignal low tire pressure as in tended . TPMS
malfu nctions may occur for a var iety of rea ­
sons, incl uding the insta llation of rep lace­
ment or a lternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after rep laci ng one or more tires or
whee ls on your vehicle to ensu re that the re­
placement o r alternate tires and wheels a llow
the TPMS to con tinue to funct ion p ro perly .
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268 Tires and wheels
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 200 Display : und erinflatio n warn ing
Fig. 201 Display: Syste m malfunction
Using the ABS sensors , the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
[9] and a
message ¢
fig. 200.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad­
justed (e. g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle¢
page 269 . The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
¢page 244.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low, -
the tire has structural damage,
- th e tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 269.
- the spare tire* is mounted .
Warning symbols
[9] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
[9] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 12.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
Ill (Tire Pressure Monitoring System ) Tire
pressure! System malfunction . Iflll appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
¢
fig. 201 and the indicator light [9] in the in­
strument cluster blinks for approximately one
minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction . Attempt to store the correct tire
pressure ¢
page 269. If the indicator light
does not turn off or if it turns on shortly
thereafter, immediately drive your vehicle to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres ­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 244 . Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly. ..,

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-Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor
indicator may be delayed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
- The tire pressure monitoring system may
stop working when there is an ESC mal­
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using t ires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall
c> page 257. We recom­
mend using these t ires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
"' Before storing the new tire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four t ires
correspond to the specified values and
adapt the p ress ures to the current load
c> page 244.
"'Switch on the ignition.
"' Se lect in the MMI:
!CAR ! func tion button>
(Car )* sys tems contro l button > Servicin g &
checks > Tire pre ssure mon ito ring > Store
tire pre ssure s> Y es, sto re now .
Do not store the tire p ress ure if the re a re
snow chains on the tire. Otherwise, a sys­
tem ma lf u nction may occu r.
Tires an d wheel s 269
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282 Fuses and bulb s
No. Equipment Amps
s Parking system s
6 Rear Seat Entertainment s
7 Start-Stop-System s
8 side ass ist s
9
Gateway, Vehicle electrical sys-
s tern control module 1
10 Sport d ifferential s
Fuse panel © (black)
No. Equipment Amps
1 Rear seats 20
Fuse panel ® (black)
No. Equipment Amps
1 Movement-activated luggage 1
compartment lid opening
Bulbs
Replacing light bulbs
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace burned
out bulbs for you .
It is becoming increasingly more and more
difficult to replace vehicle light bulbs since in
many cases, other parts of the car must first
be removed before you are able to get to the
bulb . Thi s appl ies especial ly to the light bu lbs
in the front of your car which you can only
reach through the engine compartment .
Sheet metal and bulb ho lders can have sharp
edges that can cause ser ious cuts, and parts
must be co rrectly taken apart and then prop­
erly put back together to help prevent break­
age of parts and long term damage from wa­
ter that can enter housings that have not been
properly resealed.
F or your safety, we recommend that you have
your author ized Audi dealer rep lace any bulbs
for you, since your dealer has the proper tools,
the correct bu lbs and the expertise.
Gas di scharge lamps (Xenon lights):
Due to the high e lectr ica l voltage, have the
bulbs replaced by a qualified technician.
Head lights w ith Xenon light can be identified
by the high voltage sticker .
LED headlights* require no maintenance .
P lease contact your authorized Audi dealer if a
bulb needs to be replaced.
A WARNING
Contact with high-voltage components of
the electrical system and improper re­ placement of gas discharge (Xenon) head­
light bulbs can cause ser ious personal in­
jury and death.
- Xenon bulbs are pressur ized and can ex­
p lode when being changed.
- Changing Xenon lamps requ ires the spe­
cial tra ining, instructions and equip­
ment.
- Only an authorized Audi dealer or other
qualified workshop should change the
bu lbs in gas discharge lamps .
_& WARNING
There are parts with sharp edges on the
openings and on the bulb holders that can
cause ser ious cuts.
- If you are uncertain about what to do,
have the work performed by an author­
ized Audi dealer or other qualified wo rk­
shop . Serious personal injury may result
from improperly performed work .
(D Tips
-If you still prefer to replace the light
bulbs yoursel f, be aware that the engine
compartment is a hazardous area to
work in
c:::> page 222<=::> .&.
- It is best to ask your authorized Audi
dealer whenever you need to change a
bulb .

288 Emergency situations
heavy components such as the engine
b lock or transmiss io n are removed.
- W he n removing heavy components like
these, ancho r vehicle to ho ist o r add cor­
responding weig hts to ma inta in the cen ­
ter of g ravity . Othe rwise, the vehicle
might tilt or s lip off t he hoist, causing
ser ious p erson al injury.
(D Note
-Be awa re of the follow ing points befo re
li fting the vehicle:
- The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil pan, the transmission housing, the
front or rear axle or the body side
membe rs. This could lead to ser ious
damage.
- To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame , a rubber pad must be
i nserted between the floor jack and
the l ift points.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
check that the veh icle weight does not
exceed the permissible lifting capacity
of the hoist .
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
ensure that there is sufficient clear­
ance between the hoist and low parts
of the vehicle.