2015 AUDI A6 brake light

90 Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard
Audi braking guard
Descript ion
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 95 Instrument cluster: approach warn ing
Braking guard uses radar sensors and a video
camera . It also functions within the limits of
the system when adapt ive cruise control is
switched off .
What can braking guard do?
When detected in time, the system can assess
situations when a vehicle ahead brakes sud­
denly or if your own vehicle is traveling at a
high speed and approaching a vehicle up
ahead that is moving more slowly . Brak ing
guard does not react if it cannot detect the
situation .
The system advises you of various situations:
- The
distance warning is given if you are too
close to the vehicle ahead for a long time. If
the vehicle ahead brakes sharply, you will not be able to avoid a collision . The indicator
light. in the display comes on .
- The
approach warning is given when a de­
tected vehicle up ahead in your lane is mov ­
i ng much more slowly than you are or if it
brakes sharply . When this warning is given,
it may only be possible to avoid a collision
by swerving or braking sharply . Th e indicator
light. and indicator in the display will
warn you about the danger
c::> fig. 95. You
will also hear an acoustic signa l.
ll This is not ava ilable in some co un tri es .
If you do not react fast enough or do not react
at all to the situation, braking guard will inter·
vene by braking.
- If a coll is ion is imminent, the system will
first provide an
acute warning by briefly and
sharply applying the brakes.
- If you do not react to the acute warning,
braking guard can brake wit h increasing
force w ith in the limits of the system . This
reduces the vehicle speed in the event of a
collision.
- The system can initiate maximum braking
short ly before a collision
1l . Full deceleration
at high speeds occurs only in vehicles with
adapt ive cruise control and side assist (pre
sense plus).
- If the braking guard senses that you are not
braking hard enough when a collision is im·
m inent, it can increase the braking force.
- The pre sense functions also engage when a
collision is imminent
c::> page 190.
Which functions can be controlled?
You can switch braking guard and the dis­
tance/approach warning on or off in the MMI
c::> page 91, Settings in the MMI.
A WARNING
Lack of attention can cause collisions, oth­
er accidents and serious personal injuries.
The braking guard is an assist system and
cannot prevent a collision by itself. The
driver must always intervene. The driver is
always respons ible for braking at the cor­
rect time.
- Always pay close att ent ion to traffic,
even when the braking guard is switched
on. Be ready to intervene and be ready to
take comp lete control whenever necessa­
ry . Always keep the safe and legal dis­
tance between your vehicle and vehicles up ahead.
- Braking guard works within limits and
will not respond outside the system lim· its, for example when approaching a ..,.

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Automatic Transmission
multitronic, S tronic,
tiptronic
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec­
tronically . The transmission upsh ifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is se lected .
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical
driving mode . It will then change up early and
delay the downshifts to give better fuel econ­
omy.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can als o se lect the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) q page 111.
Various automatic transmissions may be in­
stalled , depending on the model:
multitronic transmission
The multitron ic transmission is a continuously
variable transmission. Power is transferred us­
ing a multidisk clutch . In contrast to conven­
tional automat ic transm iss ions using shift ing
ope rat ions, the transmiss ion ratio in the con­
tinuously variab le transmission is changed
continuously. This optimizes the comfort level
and conserves fuel.
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual-clutch transmission .
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another. They
replace the torque converter used in conven­
tional automatic transm issions and allow the
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeable in­
terruption in traction.
Automatic Transmission 107
tiptronic transmission
In the tiptronic transmission, power is trans­
ferred by a torque converter.
Selector lever positions
Fig. 114 Disp lay in the instrument cluster: selector
l ever positio n
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the se lector lever as we ll as in the in­
strument cluster display.
P- Park
In this selector lever position the transmis­
sion is mechanically locked. Engage P on ly
when the vehicle is
completely stopped q .&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 110.
To shift in or out of positio n P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector lever handle
while moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on.
R - Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed i:> & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 110 .
Before you move the se lector lever to R, press
both the button in the handle of the selector
lever
and the brake pedal at the same time .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R. ..,.

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The Automatic Shift Lock only functions when
the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below
1 mph (2 km/h).
At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deacti­
vated in the N position.
A time delay element prevents the se lector
l eve r from locking when it is moved thro ugh
the N position (going from R to 0/5). The lock­
ing e lement will lock the selector lever if the
lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap­
prox imately 2 second, without the brake ped­
al being pressed.
R elease button
The release button on the selector lever pre ­
vents the lever from being accidenta lly shifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc­
tion of the shift, the selector lever locks at d if­
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
in the illustration
¢ fig . 115 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Fig. 116 Shift gate on the center conso le: selector lev ­
er w ith release button
Starting the engin e
• The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
• Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
• Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle, select the desired selec­
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the button .
• Wait br iefly until the transmission has sh ift­
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 109
• Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
accelerate.
Stopping t emporarily
• Keep the veh icle stationa ry using the brak ­
ing pedal, for example at traffic lights.
• Do not press the accelerator peda l w hen do­
ing this .
• To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when you
start dr iving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines¢.&_ .
• The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
press the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transm ission: Car
may roll! Shift to park !
appears.
• Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop.
• Apply the parking brake¢
page 77, Parking.
• Select the P selector lever posit ion c::> ,&. .
Stopping on a n incline
• Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve­
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
c::> .&_ . Do not try to prevent the veh i­
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increas ing the engine speed
c:::, (D ,
Sta rting on an incline
• Activate the parking brake .
• With the driving gear selected, press the ac­
celerator peda l carefully. The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be useful to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or ­
der to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i­
tions by han d
¢page 111.
On s lopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position .
This prevents too much stress from being placed on the locking mechanism. .,.

112 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
long as the accelerator peda l is depressed, the
engine speed is automatica lly regulated for
maximum acceleration.
Appli es to v ehicl es with a S tronic -/,
tip tronic t ransmis sion
When you depress the acce lerator pedal be­
yond the resistance point, the automatic transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle speed and engine speed.
The upshift into the next higher gear takes
place once the maximum specified eng ine
speed is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the d rive wheels can spin
if kick-down is used on a smooth slippery
road - there is a risk of skidding .
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with 5 tronic
The Launch Control Program provides the
best acceleration possible when starting from
a stop .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
i ng temperature and the steering wheel must
not be tu rned.
,,. Press the
I" O FFI button ¢ page 195 while
the engine is running. The
II ind icator light
illuminates in the instrument cluster and
Sta bilizati on co ntrol (E SC): Off W arning!
Redu ced st a bilit y
appears in the driver in­
f ormation system display.
,,. Move the selector lever to position D/S to
select sport mode (S) or select
Dynam ic
mode in Audi dr ive select ¢ page 101.
,,. Press the brake pedal strongly with your left
foot and hold it down for at least 1 second.
,,. At the same t ime, press the accelerator ped­
al down complete ly w ith your r ight foot un­
t il the engine reaches and maintains a h igh
RPM.
,,. Remove your foot from the brake pedal
within S seconds¢ .&_.
A WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow .
- Only use the Launch Control Program
when road and traff ic conditions allow it
and other drivers w ill not be endangered
or annoyed by your driving and the vehi­
cle's acceleration.
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when sport mode is switched on, espe­
cially when the road is slippe ry.
- Once you have accelerated, you shou ld
sw itch sport mode off by pressing the
I J'J OFF I button.
(D Tips
'
-The tra nsmission temperature may in­
crease significantly after using the
Launch Control P rogram. If that hap­
pens, the p rogram may not be avai lab le
for a few minutes . It w ill be ava ilable
again after a cool-down period .
- When accelerating using the La unch
Contro l Program, a ll vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
increased wear.
Transmission malfunction
ID T ransm ission: Pre ss bra ke pedal and se ­
l e ct ge ar a gai n
Press the brake peda l and select the desired
selector lever position again. You can then continue driving.
[O] Transmi ssion o verh eatin g: Plea se dri ve
con ser va tivel y
-
The transm iss ion temperat ure has inc reased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner .
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
ID T ra nsmis sion malfun ction : Y o u can con-
tinue dri ving ..,

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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. .,._

-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 .
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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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