2016 AUDI A6 transmission

Automatic transmissio n
than 2 seconds when the brake pedal is not
pressed.
Lock button
The lock button in the selecto r lever hand le pre­
ve nts yo u from moving the selector lever un in­
tentionally while in some se lector lever positions .
The positions that require the lock button to be
pr essed are marked in co lor in the i llustration
¢ fig. 116 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Starting the engine
~ T he selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
~ Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ Press and hold the release button in the selec­
tor lever handle, se lect the des ired selector lev­
er position such as D/S and r ele ase the button.
~ Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted
(you w ill feel a slight movement).
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac­
celerate .
Stopping t emporar ily
~ Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal , for example at traffic lights .
~ Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing
th is .
~ To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the park ing brake when stop­
ping on steep inclines¢,& .
~ The pa rk ing brake w ill release automatically
and the vehi cle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the se lector lever is not in the P posit ion when
you open the d river's door, the vehicle could roll.
The message
Tran smission : Car ma y roll! Shift
to park!
appears .
~ Press and hold the brake pedal unt il the vehicle
has come to a complete stop.
~ Apply the pa rking brake ¢ page 77, Parking .
~ Select the P selector leve r position ¢ ,& .
108
Stopping on an incline
~ Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the vehi­
cle in p lace and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢
,& . Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creas ing the engine speed ¢(D .
Starting on an inclin e
~ Activate the pa rk ing br ake.
~ With the driving gear selected, press the accel ­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake will
re lease a utomatically if your seat belt is fas­
tened.
Under certain circumstances, such as driving in
the mountains, it may be useful to switch tempo­ rarily to the manual sh ift program in order to ad­
j ust the gears to the dr iv ing cond it ions by hand
Q ,&. .
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.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also roll when the eng ine is
stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se­
rious injury .
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
r u nning while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the eng ine is r unning, ac­
tivate t he pa rking bra ke a nd move the selec­
to r lever to P.
- P owe r is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing a t idle . To p re­
ve nt the vehicle from "creeping ", yo u m ust
keep your foot on the b rake when the en­
gine is running and the se lector lever is in D/
5 or R or "tiptronic" mode is se lected .
- D o not press the acce le ra tor peda l when
changing the se lector lever posit ion while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
r u nning.
- Never sh ift into R or P whi le driving.

-Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptronic" .
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re ­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system .
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamp
l!] illuminates
and a driver message appears
¢ page 111
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 216 . Otherwise, any increase in en ­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied .
(D Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in
N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(D} Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Automatic transmission
Hill descent control
Hill des cent control assists the driver when driv­
ing down hills .
Hill descent control is activated when the sele c­
tor lever is in the D or S posi tion and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically selects a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
¢ page 82, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
,&. WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
109

Automatic transmission
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man­
ually select gears .

)
r
Fig. 117 Center console: shifting the gears manually
Fig. 118 Steering whee l: Shift paddles•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected eith er with
the vehicle stationary or on the
move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from D/S.
An M appears in the instrument cluster display
as soon as the transmission has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus position
G) ¢ fig. 117 .
• To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddles*
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro­
gram.
• To upshift , touch the shift padd le on the right
G)¢fig. 118.
• To downshift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached .
110
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
transmiss ion will downshift on ly when there
is no possibility of over-rewing the engine .
- When the kick-down comes on, the trans­
mission will shift down to a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle and engine speeds.
- Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmis­
sion is in the fail-safe mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistan ce point, the automatic tra ns­
mission downshifts into a lower gear, depending
on vehicle speed and engine RPM. It shifts up in­
to the next higher gear once the maximum speci­
fied engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Launch control program
App lies to vehicles: with S t ronic
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop .
Requirement: The engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
• Deactivate the Start-Stop-System *¢
page 81 .
The LED in the !CA.l "'! button turns on.
• With the engine running, press the
~,~-0-F F~I but­
ton briefly¢
page 188. The II indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabilization control
(ESC): Off. Warning! Reduced stability
ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display.
• Pull the selector leve r back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or se lect the .,..

DYNAMIC driving mode in drive select
¢page 101.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left food
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
~ At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way dow n with your right foot unt il the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
~ Remove your foot from the b rake pedal within
5 seconds
¢ /1. .
& WARNING
-
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the tra ffic flow.
- Only use the La unch control prog ram when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth ­
er drivers wi ll not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I~ OF FI button briefly to tu rn the sport
mode off.
@ Tips
- The t ransmission temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few m inutes. It w ill be
available again after a cool-down pe riod .
- When accelerating using the la unch control
p rogram, all veh icle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear .
Transmission malfunction
[il Transmi ssion : Please press brake pedal and
s elect gear again.
Press the brake pedal and se lect the des ired se­
l ecto r lever pos it io n aga in . You can t hen continue
,... driving.
N
~ [il Transmission overheating : Pl ease drive con-
~ se rvatively . Lil
M v:, ....
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
The t ransmission temperature has inc reased sig ­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner . Drive
i n a less spo rty manner unt il the temperatu re re­
turns to the normal range and the ind icator light
switches of.
[il Tran smission malfunction: you can continue
driving
T he re is a system malfunction in t he tra nsmis­
s ion . You may contin ue driving . Dr ive to your A udi
dealer or authorized A udi Service Faci lity soon to
have the malfunction cor rected.
[il Transmission malfunction: You can continue
dri ving with limited functionality
T he re is a system malfu nction in t he transmis ­
s io n. The transm ission is swi tc hi ng to eme rge ncy
mode. This mode only sh ifts into ce rtain gears or
will no longer shift at a ll. The eng ine may sta ll.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
l'iJ li'J Transmission malfunct ion: No reverse
gear . You can continue driving
S tronic t ransm iss io n: Th ere is a sys tem ma lf u nc­
t io n in the t ransm iss ion. The tra nsmission is
swi tching to emergency mode . This mode only
shifts into ce rtain gears or w ill no longer shift at
al l. The engine may stal l. You cannot engage the
reve rse gear. Dr ive to an a uthori zed Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected .
[il Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle and
shift to park.
Do not continue dr iving. Se lect t he P selector lev­
er position and see an authorized A udi dealer or
autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility for ass istance.
(D Note
If t he transm ission has swi tched to emergen ­
cy mode, drive to your autho rized Aud i dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Facility immediate­
l y to have the ma lfunction co rrected.
111

Automatic transmission
Selector lever emergency release
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
F ig. 119 F ront cen te r co nsole: Selector leve r em ergency
r elease
~ To reach the emergency release mechanism, re­
move the ashtray insert*.
~ Loosen and remove the sma ll cap in the ashtray
mount
~ fig. 119.
~ You now have access to a p in. Using a screw­
drive r or s imilar objec t, p ress the pi n down and
hold it in that posit ion .
~ Press the release button in the se lector lever
and move it into the N pos ition.
Only move the selector lever out of the P position
when the ignition is switched on. If the vehicle
must be pushed or towed due to a power fa ilure
(for examp le, the battery is dead), the selector
lever must first be moved to the N position using
the emergency re lease mechanism.
112

Intelligent Technology
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed¢& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed ¢
&..
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid level
is monitored e lectronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure
which is created only when the engine is running
c:;> &, .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c;> page 253, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken- in" dur ing
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies later
when new pads are installed.
- You should 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
cause an accident!
-
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and diminish brak ing efficiency.
190
- 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 over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care­
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Fa ilure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.

Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the maximum permitted RPM .
.,. Avo id high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm issib le road or engine speed.
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
i n N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
i ng the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale~
page 10 .
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well this
break- in process is done depends to a considera­
b le extent on the way the vehicle is d riven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati­
cally reduced. However, these rpm lim its are
programmed for an engine we ll run-in, not a
new engine .
194
® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive par­
ticularly careful for the first 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) after f itting .
.8, WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must also
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 mi les (500 kilometers).
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spo ilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
-
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung
chassis (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any highe r than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
.8, WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the brak­
ing effect can be red uced due to moisture on
the brake discs and brake pads . A few careful
brake applications should dry off the brakes.

CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch the Start-Stop-System* off
when driving through water
9 page 79.
@ Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water (corrosion).
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline 9 page 208,
Fuel supply.
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
9 page 220, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle. The catalytic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
Driving and the environment
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
9page220.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
195