2016 AUDI A6 ESP

About this Ow ne r's Manual
This manua l contains important information,
tips, suggestions and warnings for using your ve­ h icle.
Keep this manua l in yo ur vehicle at all times. This
is especially important if yo u loan your vehicle to
others or sell it.
This owner's manua l describes the
equipment
rang e
specified for this mode l at the time of
printing. Individual equipment options described
may on ly be available at a later date or may on ly
be offered in certain countries.
Some se ct ions in this manua l do not apply to all
vehicles. When this is the case, the beginning o f
the section indicates the
va lidity , for example
"Applies to veh icles: with Audi s ide ass ist" . Op ­
tional or vehicle-spec ific equ ipment is a lso identi ­
fied with an asterisk"*".
The
illu st ration s are designed as a general guide
and on your vehicle may look s light ly different
than what is illustrated.
There is a
Table of Content s at the beginning of
this owner's manua l that lists a ll of the topics
covered in this book in the order that they ap­ pear. There is also an alphabetical
Inde x at the
end of this owner's manual.
All
direct ion s, such as "left", "right", "front" and
"rear", are based on the vehicle's direct ion of
travel.
* Optiona l or vehicle -specific equipment
.,._ The section conti nues on the next page.
~ .&. Cross reference to a "WARNING" with in a
section. If a page number is indicated, the
WARN ING is located o uts ide of the section.
&, WARNING
T ex t with this sy mbol con tains info rmation
about safety and how to reduce the risk of se ­
rious persona l injury or death .
([) Note
6
Text with th is symbol contains info rmation
about reducing the risk of damage to your ve­
hicle.
-
® For the sake of the environment
Text with this symbol contains information on protecting the envi ronment .
@ Tips
Text with this symbol contains additional use ­
ful information.

-If the 1111 (USA models) . (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function may
have failed. Functions that stabilize the ve­
hicle are no longer available . This could
cause the vehicle to swe rve and increase the
risk of sliding. Drive carefully to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or other qualified
workshop and have the ma lfunction correct ­
ed.
- If the brake warn ing/ indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the park­
ing brake is re leased, or lights up while you
are driving, the flu id level in the brake fluid
reservoir is too low. If you believe that it is
safe to do so, proceed immediately at low
speed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer
or qualified repair facility and have the brake system inspected.
- Always keep in mind that after several brake
applications, you will need greater pressure
on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle. Do
not rely on strained brakes to respond w ith
maximum stopping power in critical situa­
tions . You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by
fading brakes could lead to an accident.
PARK /(® ) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the elec ­
tromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light- (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake was
set .
- (USA m od els) • (Canada mod els) Ca u·
t io n: Vehi cle parked to o s teep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to keep
the vehicle from ro lling. The brakes have over­
heated. The vehicle could roll away even on a
sma ll incline.
Pr ess bra ke pedal to rele a se par kin g brak e
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
Instrum ents an d ind ic a to r ligh ts
with starting assist at the same time
¢page 78.
Plea se r ele a se parki ng brake
To release the parking brake manually, press the
brake pedal and press the button~ at the same
t ime . The park ing brake only releases automat i­
ca lly if the d river 's safety belt is fastened .
Ill Parking brake!
If the liJ indicator light turns on and this mes ­
sage appears, there is a parking brake malfunc­
t ion. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop immediately to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
_L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must
be repaired as soon as possible .
• Swit ch off engine a nd check c ool ant l eve l
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the coolant temperature is too high or
the coolant level is too low.
.. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle.
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Check coolant level¢
page 222 .
.. Add coo lant if necessary¢ page 223 .
.. Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your author ized Audi dealer for assis-
tance if necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the ra­
diato r fan may be the cause of the malfunction.
• Cool ant temper atu re too high! Pl ease let en ­
gine run with ve hicle s tat ionar y
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, let the engine run at id le for a few mi-
nutes to cool down. ..,.
15

9:::1: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol re­
quires immediate service or repair . Driving with a
Low-oil-pr essure indication is Likely to inflict se­
vere damage to the engine.
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, the oi l pressure is too low.
~ P ull off the road.
~ Stop t he ve hicle .
~ Turnoff the engine.
~ Check the engine oil level¢ page 220 .
~ If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine oi l
¢ page 220. Make sure that the oil pressure
warning symbol. appears no longe r in the
display before you s ta rt driving ag ain.
~ If the engi ne oil leve l is correct and t he i ndic a­
t or lig ht still tur ns on, turn t he eng ine
off and
do not continue d riving . Seek p ro fessional as ­
s istance .
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill
requires oil refill or workshop service with ­
out delay . Do not wait until the red oil
pressure warning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill . By then , your engine may already have
suffered serious damage .
~ . Engine oil
• Please add oil immediately .
Add oil immedia tely ¢ page 21 8.
Ill Add oil max.XL. You may continue driving
Ad d the amount of oi l indicated in the dis play im­
mediately
¢ page 218.
Instruments and ind icator lights
~ - Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle : Steering defective
The re is a ma lf u nct ion in the e lectro nic steer ing
l ock . Y ou canno t turn the ign ition on .
Do
not tow yo ur vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an a uthorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Se rvice Facility for ass istance .
m Steering lock : System fault Please contact
dealer
T he re is a ma lf u n ct ion in the e lectron ic s teeri ng
l ock .
Dr ive to an a uth oriz ed A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity immed iately to h ave the
malfu nction corrected.
A WARNING
D o not tow yo ur vehicle when there is a mal­
f u nction in t he e lectro nic s teer ing lock - t his
i nc reases t he risk of an acc ident.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer
Do not switch the ignition off b eca use you may
not be able to switch it on again.
Dr ive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au tho riz e d
A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected.
Ill Engine start sy stem fault . Please contact
dealer
-
T he re is a ma lf u nc tion in the e ngine s ta rting sys­
tem.
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or autho rized
A udi Se rvice Fac il ity immed iate ly to have the
m alfu nction co rrected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: System fault You can drive
slowly (max . speed 60 km/h )
The re is a ma lf u n ct ion tha t can res ult in re stric t-
ed drivi ng sta bi lity . ..,_
17

Instruments and indicator lights
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35 mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
• Air su spen sion : Service mode. Vehicle can
onl y be moved with re strictions
Ca refu lly drive to your author ized A udi dealer or
author ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to
have the serv ice mode deactivated .
LIi Air suspen sion : S ys tem fault
There is a system malfunct io n that ca n result in
restricted drivi ng stability or reduced ground
clearance.
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
LIi Air suspe nsion : Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a system
malfunct ion . Wa it until the air suspension sys­
tem has restored norma l ground clea rance. Oth­
erwise, conditions such as an uneven road surface
can lead to vehicle damage.
ii !f Safety systems
The II (USA models) tfll (Canada models) indi­
cator light monito rs the safety systems (e.g. air­
bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition on.
If t he
II (U SA models)/ E,I (Canada models) in­
d icator light does not go out, or if it i llum inates
while you are d riving, or if i t starts to blink , then
there is a ma lfunction somewhere in the system.
If the light does not ill uminate when you switch
the ign ition on, this also means there is a ma l­
function.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer im­
mediately. Othe rw ise the safety systems may
not work properly in an acc ident .
18
L'h Brake booster
D Brake servo : limited functiona lity . You can
continue driving . Conta ct work shop
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booste r is ava ilab le, but its effectiveness is
r educed. Bra king behavior may be different from
how it normally f un ct ions and the br ake pedal
may vibrate .
D rive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facil ity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction cor rec ted .
;;.I C; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the bJ indicator light blinks while driving, the
ESP o r ASR (anti-slip regu lation) is actively regu­
l ating .
If the
bJ ind icator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC off. In th is case, you can switch
the ignition off and then on to switch the ESC on again. The indicator light t urns off when the sys ­
tem is functioning fully .
If the
II ind icator light turns on, ESC was
switched off using the
I~ O FFI button
¢ page 187 .
Stabilization control (ESC / ABS ) malfun ction!
See owner's manual
If the G1 ind icator light and t he ABS indica to r
li ght
rJ]J (U SA mode ls) / ii] (Canada mode ls)
tu rn o n and the message appears, the ABS or
e lectronic different ial lock is malfunctioning .
This also causes the ESC to malfunction. The bra kes sti ll function with the ir norma l pow er, but
ABS is not active.
Drive to your au thor ized A udi dealer or au thor ­
i zed Audi Service Facility to have the malfunction
correct ed .
A WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada mod­
e ls) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gethe r with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulating function may have
fa iled . Fu nctions that stabilize the vehicle a re .,.

....
no longer available. This cou ld cause the vehi­
cle to swerve and increase the risk of sliding.
Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or other qualified workshop and have
the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
refer to
c:::;, page 187.
ABS /C8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light~ (USA models)/
KG» (Canada mode ls) will come on for a few sec­
onds when the ignition is switched on. The light
will go out after an automatic check sequence is
completed .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illuminate
when you switch the ign ition on .
- Th e warning/indicator light does not go out af­
ter a few seconds .
- The warning/indicator light illuminates while
driving.
The ESC indicator light also illuminates if the re is
a ma lf u nction in the ABS. The message
Stabiliza­
tion control (ESC/ ABS): Fault! See owner's
manual
also appears in the instrument cluster
disp lay and a warning tone sounds.
The brake system will still respond even with­
out the assistance of the ABS system. See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible to re­
store full braking performance.
For more infor­
mation regarding the ABS
c:::;, page 187.
Malfunction in the brake system
I f the brake warning light¢ page 14 and the ABS
warn ing illuminate together there may be a mal­
function in the ABS, and there may also be a ma l­
function in the brake system itself
c:::;, ,&. The ABS
"' will not work and you will notice a change in
0
~ braking response and performance. .... M Instruments and indicator lights
In the event of a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem
the warning/indicator light 11111 (USA mod ­
els) . (Canada models) in the instrument clus ­
ter flashes
c:::;, page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS . The ABS
warning light will come on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the EDL system
c:::;, page 187. See your au­
thorized Aud i dealer as soon as possible .
A WARNING
= -
-If the ~ (USA models)/ 11] (Canada mod-
els) warning light does not go out, or if it
comes on while dr iv in g, the ABS system is
not working properly. The veh icle can then
be stopped only with the standard brakes
(without ABS). You will not have the protec ­
tion ABS provides . Contact your Audi dea ler
as soon as possible.
- USA models: If the
11111 warning light, the
D.J warning light and the~ warning light
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel
lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an accident . Have your vehicle repaired im­
mediately by your author ized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models:
If the brake warn ing light
• • the
Ji] warning light and the ABS warn­
ing light
II] come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard brak­
ing . Rear whee l lock -up can cause loss of ve ­
hicle contro l and an accident. Have your ve­
hicle repaired immediate ly by your author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications.
(0} Worn brake pads
iJ Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads inspected . On
liJJ,-
19

Instruments and indicator lights
indicator light corresponds with the location on
the vehicle.
Drive to an autho rized Aud i de aler or autho rized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
Vehicle lights : Malfunction
There is a malfunction in the headlights or the
light switch .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
~(i) Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
control is no longer work ing properly. Have the
system checked and repa ired at your Audi dealer .
isO Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Light
IIJ Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and th is message
appears, there is a malfunction in the adaptive
light system . The headlights st ill function .
Go to an authori zed dea lership to have the head­
lights or the control unit for the Adaptive Light
repaired .
~D Light/rain sensor
!I Automatic headlights/ automatic wipers :
System fault
The light/rain sensor is malfunct ion ing.
F or safety reasons, the low beams are turned on
permanently with the sw itch in
AUTO . However,
you can continue to turn the lights on and off us­
ing the light switch. You can still control a ll func­
tions that are independent of t he rain sensor
through the w indshield wiper lever .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have t he
malfunct io n corrected.
22
I-! Sport differential
Applies to vehicles: with sport differentia l
I'll Sport differential: system fault
There is a malfunction with the sport d ifferential.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
I'll Sport differential: overheating
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive
in a less spo rty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the norma l range and the indicator light
switches of .
A WARNING
-
Contact your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differential is
faulty or malfunctioning. The repair must be
performed by trained personnel using the cor­
rect oil in order to ensure safety .
¢¢Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal.
Whenever yo u use the left II or the right B
turn s ignal, the ind icator light blinks. When you
use the emergency flashers, both indicator lights
flash.
If one of the turn signa l light bulbs burn out, the
turn s ignal will blink twice as fast as normal.
Carefully drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler im­
med iately to have the malfu nction corrected. The
i ndicator light does not indicate a ma lfunction if
a turn signal on the trailer or on the vehicle fails
i n trailer towing mode.
0) Tips
For more information on the turn signa ls, re­
fer to¢
page 45.
CRUISE /l~) Cruise control
The wa rning/indicator light (ijjrn~i~ (USA models)/
... (Canad a models) il lum inates when the cruise
contro l is activated ¢
page 82.

.... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
Driver information
system
Overview
Fig. 4 Driver information system in the instrumen t cl uster
Fig. 5 Display : example of the information line
The driver information system contains informa­
tion @ that is displayed on tabs@¢ fig.
4. The
following content is possible depending on vehi­
cle equipment:
@
®
Tab Content
1 Vehicle function s:
On-board computer ¢page 24
Efficiency program*¢ page 25
Digital speedomete r
Cruise control*¢ page
82
Adaptive cruise control and braking
guard* ¢page
84
Audi active lane assist*¢ page 93
Display darkened
Instruments and indicator lights
@ ®
Tab Content
2 Indicator lights and messages
Warn ing when a door, the hood or the
rear lid is not closed
Service interval display ¢ page
26
Speed warning system ¢ page 81
3 Night vision assistant*¢ page 103
4 Audio/video
s Telephone*
6 Nav igation*
The second and third tabs are only visible if at
least one indicator light or message is shown or if
that system is switched on.
The status line © is located in the bottom part of
the display¢ fig.
4. It displays the exterior tem­
perature, time, selector lever position, tripod­
ometer and odometer.
For some vehicle functions, you can access the
trip information from the temporary memory
¢ page 25 in the line (D ¢ fig. 5.
_& WARNING
--Never rely exclusively on the outside tem­
perature display to determine if a road sur­
face is icy or not. Keep in mind that road
surfaces, especially bridges and overpasses,
could be ice covered and slippery even at an
outside temperat ure above 41 °F (+S °C).
- Always remember, even if the "snowflake"
symbol (ice warning) does not appear in the
d isp lay, black ice could be on the road.
- Always reduce your speed and drive with specia l care in co ld weather conditions when
the chance of encountering icy road surfaces
increases .
(0 Tips
- If the vehicle is stationary, or if you are driv­
ing at a very low speed, the temperature
shown in the display might be slightly high­
er than the actual outside temperature . This
is caused by the heat being radiated from
the engine . .,..
23

.... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
-Inspection or oil change reminder: After a cer­
tain distance driven, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each time the ign i­
tion is switched on or off¢
fig. 13. The remain­
ing distance or time is displayed briefly.
-Inspection or oil change due: If your vehicle is
due for an inspection or oil change or both, a
message appears briefly in the instrument clus­
ter display when sw itching the ign ition on or
off:
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due! .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un­
til the next oil change or next inspection n the
Car menu. To do this, select: the
ICARI function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals .
Resetting the indicator
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility will reset the service interval dis­
play after performing service .
If you have changed the oil yourself, you must re­
set the oil change interval.
To reset the indicator, select: the
ICARI function
button
> (Car)* System control button > Service
& control > Service intervals. Turn the control
knob downward to
Reset oil change interval and
press the control knob.
(D Note
-Only reset the oil change indicator if the oil
was changed.
- Following the service intervals is critical to
maintain ing the service life and va lue of
your vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
the mileage on the vehicle is low, do not ex­
ceed the time for the next service.
- Calculating the t ime to the next oil change
i s interrupted when the vehicle battery is
disconnected.
If the vehicle is not driven for
a long period of time, check the mainte­
nance schedule so that you can follow the
maintenance interva ls.
Instruments and indicator lights
Head-up display
Applies to vehicles: with Head-up display
Fig. 14 Example : Indicato rs in the Head -up d isplay
Fig . 15 Instrument panel: head-up display knob
The Head-up display projects certain warnings or
selected information from the assistance sys­
tems* or navigation* on the windshield . The dis­
play appears w ithin the driver's field of vision.
Switching on/off
.. To switch the head-up display on or off, press
the knob~¢
fig. 15 .
Adjusting the height
The height of the display can be adjusted to the
individual driver .
.. Make sure you are seated correctly
r=!)page 126.
.. Turn the knob~ to adjust the disp lay .
Settings in the Infotainment system
.. Select: the I CAR I function button> (Car)* Sys­
tem
control button > Driver assistance > Head­
up display > Head-up display contents
or Dis-
play brightness. .,..
27