2016 AUDI A6 trailer

Parking system s
to this vehicle should be approximately 3 ft (1
m).
.. Turn the Infota inment on and shift into reverse
gear. The parking system is turned on and the
cro ss park ing view is disp layed .
.. Press the control button on the Infotainment
unit (D
¢page 117, fig . 128 . The par all el park ­
ing
ind icator is displayed .
.,. Back up and align yo ur vehicle so the b lue area
@ borders on the rear end of the ve hicle be­
hind you or on the parking space line
¢ ..&. in
General information on page 118, ¢(D in Gen­
eral information on page 118 .
The blue area
represents an extension of the vehicle's out line
by approximately
16 ft (5 meters) to the rear .
The long side of the blue area should be on the
curb . The entire blue area must f it into the
parking space .
.,. With the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
whee l to the right as far as it w ill go .
.,. Back in to the par king space until the b lue curve
¢
page 117, fig. 129 touches the curb¢..&. in
General information on page 118, ¢(D in Gen­
eral information on page 118 .
Stop the vehicle.
.. With the veh icle stopped, turn the steering
whee l to the left as far as it will go.
.. Cont inue to back into the parking space unt il
the ve hicle is parked parallel to the curb¢
&
in General information on page 118, ¢(D in
General information on page 118. @
displays
the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle, at the latest ,
whe n the re d or ien ta ti on line @ borders an ob­
ject. Keep an eye on the front of your vehicle
whi le doing this.
Parking next to obstacles
When the re is an obs tacle (such as a wa ll) next to
the par king space, choose a space with more
space on the sides. Posit ion the long side of the
b lue area so t hat there is sufficient space from
the object . The area must not be on the curb . You
will also need to start turn ing the steer ing whee l
much earlier. The b lue curve¢
page 117,
fig . 129
must not touch the obstacle, but rather
there should be enough distance.
122
@ Tips
The left or right orientation lines and surfaces
will be d isp layed, depend ing on the tu rn s ig­
nal be ing used.
Trailer mode
App lies to vehicles: wit h peripheral ca meras a nd trailer hitch
This view assists you in positioning the vehicle in
front of a trailer.
F ig. 142 I n fota inment: rea r mode
Requirement: Trailer mode is selected
¢ page 120 .
.. Now you can posit ion your veh icle in front of
the trailer
¢ & in General information on
page 118, ¢(D in General information on
page 118 .
The orange colored orientation line
denotes the expected path towa rd the trailer
hitch. Use the bl ue lines to he lp you est ima te
the distance to the tra ile r hitc h.
Setting the mode
App lies to vehicles : wit h peripheral ca meras
.. Select: !CAR ! function b utton> (Car )* System s
control button > Driver assi st > Parking aid >
Change to front/rear > Auto or Manual.
Auto -
This view behind the vehicle (Rear mode)
i s disp layed automatica lly when you shift into re­
verse. This view in front of the vehicle
( Front
mode) is displayed automat ica lly when you shift
i nto the forward gears.
Manu al -When yo u sw itch the system on, the
view beh ind the veh icle
( Rear mode) is always
displayed and it does not switch to the
Front
mode when a forward gear is se lected.

Adjusting the display and the warning tones
A ppl ies to vehicles: W it h parkin g system plus/rearview c am·
era/peripheral ca meras
The display and warning tones can be adjusted in
the Infotainment.
~ Se lect: the ICARI function button > ( Car)* Sys­
tems control b utton
> Driver ass istance > Pa rk­
ing aid .
Display
On * -An op tical d isp lay is shown for the parking
system plus, a rearview camera image is s hown
for the rearview camera *.
Off -Whe n the par king system is switched off,
only audib le signa ls are give n.
Warning tones Front volume - Volume for the front a rea
Rear volume - Volume fo r the rear area
Front frequency· Frequency for the front a rea
Rear frequency · Freq uency for the rear area
Entertainment volume lowering - When the
pa rking system is turned on, the volume of the
aud io/video so urce is lowered .
The new ly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signal generato r.
@ Tips
- The warning tones can also be adjusted d i­
rectly by the vis ual disp lay or the pictu re
from the camera. Simply press the Settings
control bu tton.
- Changed settings are activated when the
parking system is switched o n aga in.
- The settings for volume and frequency are
automat ica lly saved and assigned to the re­
mote control key be ing used .
Error messages
Appl ies to vehicles: W ith pa rk in g syste m plus/rearview ca m·
era/per ipheral ca meras
There is an erro r in the system if the LED in the
Pw , button is b linking and yo u hear a continuous
Parking systems
alarm for a few seconds after sw itch ing on the
par king system or w hen the pa rking system is a l·
ready activated. If the error is not cor rected be ­
fo re you switch
off the ignition, the LED in the Pw ,
button wi ll blink the next time you switch on the
park ing system by shifting into reverse.
Parking sy stem plus
If a sensor is fa ulty, the .l?4 symbo l will appear i n
front of/behind the vehicle in the Infotainment
display. If a rear sensor is faulty, on ly obstacles
that are in areas @and @ are shown
¢ page 114, fig . 120 . If a front sensor is faulty,
only obs tacles tha t are in areas © and @are
shown. The re is a lso a system ma lf u nction if all
segme nts ar ound the veh icle are red or if no seg·
me nts are disp laye d.
Peripheral cameras*
T he re is a system malfu nction if t he
t8> • symbol
appea rs and the co rresponding disp lay area is
shown in bl ue. The camera is not wo rking in this
area.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
Trailer hitch
App lies to vehicles: wit h parking system pl us/rea rv iew cam ­
era/periphera l cameras an d tra ile r hitc h
For vehicles using the t rai ler socket, the park ing
system rear sensors do not tu rn on whe n you
shift into reverse gear or when yo u press the
Pwi
button. This resu lts in the following restrict ions.
Parking system plus
There is no distance warning for the rear. The
front senso rs remain activated. The v isua l display
switches to t he tra iler tow ing mode.
Rearview camera* /peripheral cameras *
T he re is no distance warning for the rear . The
front sensors remain activated . The visua l display
switches to the tra ile r towing mode. The rearv iew
camera image w ill not show the orientation lines
and the b lue surfaces. .,,.
123

Parking sy stem s
(D Tips
Trailer hitches that are not installed at the
factory may cause the parking system to mal­
function or they may restrict its funct ion.
124

Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer tow ing not only p laces more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trai ler operation mode
¢ page 199, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Tr ailer hitch
Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The h itch must be suitab le
for your vehicle and tra ile r and must be mo unted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always che ck wit h the t rail­
e r hitch manufac turer to make s ure that you a re
usi ng the co rrect hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No mod ifica tions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to time, chec k that all hitch mo un ting
bo lts rem ain securely fastened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca u sing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
struck from behind
¢ .&, .
Trailer mode
Trailer brakes
If your traile r i s equ ipped with a b raking sys tem,
c h ec k t o be sure that it con forms to a ll regu la ­
tions.
T he tra ile r h ydr aulic bra ke sy stem must not be
directly con nected to the vehicle's hydr aulic
brake sy stem.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the tra iler .
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w it h your Aud i dealer for correct wir ing,
swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After remov ing the tra ile r hi tch, do not sto re
i t in yo ur vehicle. In case of sudde n brak ing,
t he hitch could fly fo rwa rd and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A traile r for yo ur vehicle is lim ited to a typical
cla ss 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribut ion
Be sure the load in the tra iler is held secure ly in
place to p reve nt it from shifting forward, back­
ward o r sideways.
Ne ver allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 201 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra ile r makes the engine wor k harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cool ing system has enoug h fluid . .,..
199

Trailer mod e
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of you r
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Fu ll
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
trai ler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Light s
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safet y chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the h itch on the veh icle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners . When yo u install safety chains, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi d rive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface bef ore
hitching up the t railer and bef ore adjust ing the
tongue we ight . The vehicle must be in
auto or
comf ort driving mode and not raised
r::!> page 100, r::!> 0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button > Lower
control button .
I f you m ust dr ive under poor road condit ions, you
can ra ise the vehicle
afte r coup ling the t rai ler or
after adjusting the tongue weight r:!> page 102.
(D Note
-Changes in tempe rature or load can affect
the he ight of the vehicle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode. Othe r­
wise, the tongue load spec ified for yo ur ve­
hicle w ill no longer be applicable .
200
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible hand ling of veh icle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not dr ive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes ea rly.
.,. Monitor the temperat ure gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car results
i n a h ighly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steer ing contro l.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
k eeping the trailer as l ight as poss ible under the
c ircu mstances . Wheneve r possib le, transfer
some ca rgo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be ­
comes fo r the driver to con trol the r ig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
cond itions are unfavorab le -particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
i mmed iatel y if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not tr y
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down -
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine .,..

braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a tra ile r, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI :
ICARI function button > (Car)* systems control
button>
Vehicle settings> Air susp.: towing>
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
For more information about ind icator lights, re­
fer to. ¢
page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not p roperly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know -
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and
economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come comp letely fami liar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer comb inat ion behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer-
Trailer mode
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally wo uld because of
the added load . Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your veh icle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 2 73.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
"Apply the foot brake .
" Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
"W ith chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
" App ly the parking brake.
" Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
"App ly the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
"S elect the D/S se lector lever position.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
" Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
201

Trailer mod e
(D Tips
If you move the se lector lever of the automat­
ic transm ission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before block ing the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P position .
202

Wheels
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load . The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 1 SO lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi-
244
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 241,
fig. 195.
&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.