2015 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

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@ Tips
-Certain Audi pre sense functions are not
ava ilable when ASR is switched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse.
- The Audi pre sense functions may not be
available if there is a malfunction in the
ESC system or the airbag control mod­
ule.
- The Audi pre sense front/plus functions
are not available if there is a malfunction
in the adaptive cru ise control* system
9 page 91.
-The Audi pre sense rear/plus functions
are not available if there is a malfunction
i n the Audi side assist* system
9page 91 .
Audi pre sense 191
•
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192 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
E ve nt Dat a Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an airbag deployment or h itting a road obstacle, data that will ass ist in
understand ing how a veh icle's systems per­
formed. The EDR is designed to record data
re lated to vehicle dynamics and safety sys­
tems for a short period of time, typically
30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
- How various systems in you r vehicle were
operating;
- Whether or not the d river a nd passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far ( if at all) the dr iver was dep ress ing
the accelerator and/or brake peda l; and,
- How fast the ve hicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under­
stand ing of the c ircumstances in which crash­
es and injuries occur . NOTE : EDR data a re re­
corded by your veh icle only if a non-trivial
crash sit uat ion occ urs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving cond itions and
no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, co uld
comb ine the EDR data with the type of per­
sonally identify ing data routinely acquired
during a crash invest igation .
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equ ipment is required, and access to the veh i­
cle or the EDR is needed. In add ition to the ve­
h icle manufacturer, other parties, such as law
e nfo rcement, that have the special equip­
ment, can read the information if they have
access to the ve hicl e or the EDR. Some state
laws restrict the retrieval o r down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a
vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash event w ithout
the owner's consent .
Audi will not access the EDR and/or simi lar
data or g ive it to others -
- un less the vehi cle owner (or lessee if the ve ­
hicle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the officia l request by the police ; or
- upon the o rder of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the ju­
dicia l discovery p rocess.
- Aud i may also use the data for research
about vehicle ope rat ion and safety perform­
ance or provide the da ta to a third party fo r
research purposes without iden tif ying the
specif ic vehicle or in formation about the
identity of its owner or lessee and only after
the recorded vehicle data has been ac­
cessed .
Vehicle control modul es
Your vehicle is also equ ipped with a n umber of
electron ic control modules for various vehicle
systems, such as engine management, emis­
sion contro l, airbags, and safety belts.
T hese electronic con trol mod ules record data
during norma l vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic
and repair purposes. The recording capability
of these modu les is limited to data (no sound
is recorded). Only a small amount of data is
actually recorded over a very lim ited period of
t ime, or stored when a system fault is detect­
ed by a contro l modu le. Some of the data
stored may re late to vehicle speed, direction,
o r braking, as well as restraint system use and
performance in the event of a crash. Stored
data can also only be read and dow nloaded
with special eq uipment that is directly con-
nected to the vehicle. .,..

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@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi
connect. Your use of certain Aud i connect
features req uires wireless serv ices that are
provided by a third party wireless telecom­
municat ions provider. For details regard­
ing how information obtained through
Aud i connect is collected, processed,
transmitted, used, and shared, please see
your contra ct w ith the wire less telecom ­
municat ions provider and the "About A udi
connect" tab in your vehicle's MMI:
!MENU !
button > Audi connect > About Audi con·
nect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects
certain difficult driv ing s ituations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw) out of cont ro l and helps you to get the vehicle
back under control by select ively brak ing the
wheels, and/or red ucing engine powe r and
p roviding steering assistance to help hold the
ve hicle on the driver's intended course . The in­
dicator light
m in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
phys ics. It will not a lways be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
h elp you master situat ions where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of fr iction of
the road surface. When there is a sect io n of
d ry road that is s udden ly cove red with water,
slush o r snow, ESC canno t perform the same
way it would on the dry su rface.
If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a c ush ion of wate r in­
stead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because con-
Int ellig ent technolog y 193
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast corner ing, particular ly on wind ing
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult dr iv ing s ituations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather conditions . ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical lim its, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a veh icle
o n the road if road departu re is a result of
driver ina ttent io n. Instead , ESC imp roves the
poss ibility of keep ing the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering i nputs to
help keep the vehicle go ing in the intended di­
rect ion. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake ass ist sys­
tem, ant i-slip regu lation (ASR), electron ic dif­
ferential lock (EDL), dynam ic steer ing* and
El ectronic interax le differentia l lock* /selective
whee l to rque control*. ESC is switched on a ll
the time. In ce rtain sit uat io ns when yo u need
less traction, you can sw itch off ASR by press­
ing the b utton
[fil ¢ page 195, fig. 178. Be
s u re to switch ASR on again when you no lon­
ger need less traction .
Anti-lock braking system (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locki ng up
when b raking. The vehicle can st ill be stee red
even during hard braking . App ly steady pres­
su re to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake a ssis t sy ste m
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
distance . It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake peda l quickly in emer­
gency s ituations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal unti l the situation is over. In .,,.
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194 Intelligent technology
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
smal l.
Anti -slip regulati on (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels .
This function is available up to abo ut 75 mph
(120 km/h) .
I n extreme cases , ED L automat ic all y switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL will switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Dynamic st eering*
On vehicles with dynamic steering* , ESC helps
stabilize the steering in critical situations .
Electronic interaxle differential lock */
s elective whe el torque control *
The electronic in teraxle d iffe ren tial lock (fro nt
wheel drive) or the select ive whee l torq ue
control (a ll-wheel drive) operates when driv­
ing throug h curves . The front whee l on the in­
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed.
T his minimizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
curves . The applicable system may not acti­
vate when d rivi ng in wet or snowy conditions.
_& WARNING
- E SC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dynamic steering*
and the E lec tronic interaxle differentia l lock
*/se lective whee l torque control*
cannot overcome the laws of physics.
This is especially important on slippery
or wet roads .
If the systems beg in acting
to stabilize your veh icle, you should im­
mediately chang e you r speed to match
the road and t raffi c conditions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems temp t you to take risks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and serio us per­
sonal injur ies.
- 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 o n slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
a head . ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys­
tem, ED L, ASR, dynam ic steeri ng* and
the Electronic in terax le different ial
loc k*/se lective whee l torque control*
cannot prevent collisions .
- Always accelerate wi th spe cial care on
even, smooth s urfaces such 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 reduce the risk of loss of ve­
hicle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires . D ifferent tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine powe r.
- You may hear noises when the systems descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator light
Bl or fJl1 (USA
mode ls)l iiJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 19,
¢page 19 .

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Intelligent technology 195
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 178 Center console,:, OFF button
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where it may be useful to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iv ing with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stab ilizat ion function of the ESC
are limited¢ ,&.
Operation Press the I~ OFFI button .
Indicator II turns on.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Sport
sages Warning! Reduced stability
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if
your dr iving abilities and road conditions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on . The
dr iv ing wheels could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swerve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces.
@ Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched o n when
adapt ive cru ise control* is sw itched on.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
-
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are st ill
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
in g conditions and driv in g habits ¢.&,. . On and
ASR is available again.
Press the
I S'} OFF I button again.
Iii turns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
t he
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Moisture or road salt
Under certain cond itions, for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your veh icle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remov e any ice coatings. .,._

196 Intellig ent technolog y
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield 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 accumulated salt coat ing
from brake d iscs and pads with a few careful
applications of 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
only for short trips with l ittle use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firm ly a few times from a mode rately high
speed ¢.& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢.&. .
Low brake fluid le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake boost er
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢ .&. .
Brake lining w ear status
Brake lining wea r may be checked by vis ual in ­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in ­
spection
¢ page 272, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
- You shou ld 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 ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the br akes or ho ld the pedal down too
long o r too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter , dr iving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the b rakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
d iscs and drum s. Carefully app ly bra kes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coa t­
ings wi ll be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt -covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effective ness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it to wed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the eng ine shut
off.

-If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
'y. ij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
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. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight .
Drive slow ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
' :r- ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
If this d river message appears and the indica­
tor light is flashing on the instrument panel,
dynamic steering* is being reinitialized. After
starting the engine, the steering whee l w ill
move slightly. Re-initialization might be nec­
essary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and right while the vehicle was not
ev1 moving . The display goes out as soon as initi-
"' 8 alization is complete .
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Intelligent technology 197
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lfunction
corrected.
_& WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system mal­
function repa ired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop -risk of acc ident!
(D Tips
If the . or (;r, ij ind icator light only stays
on for a short time, you may continue driv­ ing .
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to¢
page 100.
Driving with your
quattro
Applies to veh icles: w it h all -w hee l drive
-
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distr ibuted to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
cond it ions at the time. See also
Qpage 193.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle.
It
works together with selective wheel torque
control, wh ich activates when driving through
curves ¢
page 194. With the sport differen­
tia l*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive se lect
¢ page 100.
The all-whee l drive concept is des igned for
high engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions ¢
&- .,._
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198 Intelligent technology
Winter tires
When dr iv ing in the w inter, your ve hicl e w ith
a ll-whee l drive has an advantage,
even with
regular ti res . In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (o r all-sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
whe els .
See also c:> page 264, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire cha ins are mandatory on certa in
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
with a ll-wheel drive
c:> page 265, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheel s/tir es
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must a lways
have tires of the same size . Also avoid tires
with d ifferent tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 257, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off-Road driv ing?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear ­
ance to be used as an off-road ve hicle . It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
c:> page 201.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic conditions . Do not let the ext ra safety
afforded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Alt hough the all-whee l dr ive is
very ef­
fec tive, a lways remember that b raking
c ap aci ty is limited by tire traction. Yo u
sho uld the re fo re not dr ive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road su rfaces.
- O n wet road s urfa ces, be c areful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld begin to sli de on top of the water
(aq uaplaning) . If this sho uld occ ur, you
will have no warn ing from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
w heel d rive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds w hich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of c rash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system
is not driven for a long period of t ime, t he bat­
te ry is discharged by idling current consume rs
(e .g. immobili ze r). In certa in circumstan ces it
ca n res ult in the re be ing insu ffic ien t energy
available to start the eng ine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cl e ha ndles the dist rib ution o f electr ica l ene r­
gy. Start ing abili ty is m arke dly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the batte ry. Sensors determine
batte ry voltage, batt ery cu rr e nt and battery
tempe ratu re. This de termines the cur ren t
sta te o f cha rge and t he power o f th e battery.
Idling current management
Idli ng cur rent management reduces energy
consumpt ion while the vehicle is standing .
With the ig nition sw itched off, it controls the
energy supp ly to the variou s ele ctri ca l compo ­
nen ts. Da ta from ba ttery d iagnos is is co nsid­
ered.
Depend ing on the batte ry's state of cha rge,
i ndivid ual con sume rs are g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge o f the battery
and th us main tain starting capabi lity.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being d riven, dynamic en­
ergy ma nagement distr ib utes the energy ge n­
era ted a ccord ing to t he needs of the indivi du-
al components .
It regula tes consumption, so
t h at more electrical energy is not being used ..,.