2016 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

Releas ing the t eth er strap
"'Loosen the tension following the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
"' Depress the spring catch on the hook and re ­
lease it from the anchorage.
(D Note
I f you leave the chi ld restraint with the tether
strap firmly installed for several days, this
could leave a mark on the upholstery on the
seat cush ion and backrest in the area where
the tether strap was installed. The upholstery
wou ld also be permanently stretched around
the tether strap . This applies especially to
leather seats .
Using tether straps on rearward -facing
child restraints
Current ly, few rear-facing chi ld restraint systems
come with a tether. Please read and heed the
chi ld restraint system manufacturer's instruc­
tions carefully to determine how to properly in­
stall the tether.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat w il l be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates -even w ith an Advanced A irbag
System.
- T he inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant carrie r wi th great force and
will smash the chi ld safety seat and chi ld
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
- If you mus t install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immed iate ly install
the rear-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a rear
seating pos it ion and have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer.
Ch ild safety
Additional information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional in ­
formation about child restraint se lection, instal­
lation and use:
N HT SA advises that the best ch ild safety seat is
the one that fits your child and fits in your vehi­
cle, and that you wi ll u se correct ly and consis ­
tent ly.
T ry befo re yo u buy!
U.S National H ighwa y Tr affic S afety Administra ­
ti on
Tel. : 1-888-3 27-4236 ( TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAF E KIDS Campai gn
Tel. : (202) 662-0600
www .safekids.org
S af ety Belt Saf e U.S. A
Tel.: (800) 745-SAFE (English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish)
www .carseat.org
T ransport C anada Information C entre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or call 1-613-998-86 16 if
you are in the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/ eng/ roadsafety/men u. h tm
Aud i Cu stom er R elations
Tel.: (800) 822-2834
183

Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Preventative passenger
protection
A pp lies to ve hicles : w ith Audi p re se nse
Pre sense can initiate steps to protect vehicle oc­
cupants in certain dangerous situations. The
functions described are available depending on
veh icle equipment :
Pre sense basic*
The following functions can be triggered in cer­
tain driving situations:
- Tensioning of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking): The front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a collision
does not occur, the safety belts loosen slightly
and are ready to trigger again .
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (for ex­
ample, when
over-or understeering): The door
windows and the sunroof* are closed almost
completely until only a small gap is open .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be triggered at
speeds
above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Drive select : The dep loyment time is adapted in
Dynamic mode.
Pre sense front (vehicles with adaptive cruise
control*}
Pre sense front contains the functions of pre
sense basic . In addition, the likelihood of a rear­
end collision with the vehicle ahead is also calcu­
lated, within the limits of the system. If the risk
of a collision is detected, the following functions
can trigger :
- Braking guard
c:> page 90
- Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*
Pre sense rear (vehicles with side assist*)
Pre sense rear contains the functions of pre sense
bas ic. In addition, the likelihood of a rear-end
coll ision from the vehicle beh ind is also calculat­
ed, within the limits of the system. If the risk of a
collision is detected, the following functions can
trigger:
184
- Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*
Pre sense plus*
Pre sense plus contains the functions of pre
sense front and pre sense rear .
Error message
Audi pre sense: Unavailable
Preventative passenger protection is not availa­
ble. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
Pre sense cannot overcome natural physical
laws. It is a system designed to assist and it
cannot prevent a collision . Do not let the in­
creased safety provided tempt you into taking
risks. This could increas e your risk of a colli­
sion.
- The system can deploy incorrectly .
- Please note that the sensors do not always
detect all objects . This increases the risk of
a collision .
- Pre sense does not react to people or ani­
mals or objects that are crossing the vehi­
cle 's path or are difficult to detect
c:> page 84.
- Reflective objects such as guard rails or the
entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain and ice can
affect the function of the radar sensors and
the system's ability to detect a collision risk.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. Pre sense can be impaired by this.
Have an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility check their function.
{!) Tips
-Certain pre sense front functions switch off
when sport mode is switched off or when
driving in reverse.
1J11>

-The pre sense functions may not be avai la­
ble if there is a malfunction in the ESC
system or the airbag control module.
- The pre sense front/plus functions are not
available if there is a ma lfunction in the
adaptive cruise contro l* system
c:> page 91.
- The pre sense rear/plus f unctions are not
available if there is a ma lf u nct ion in the side
ass ist* system
c:> page 91.
Audi pr e sense
185

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Intelligent Technology
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Re corder
This vehicle is equipped wi th an Event Data Re ­
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an E DR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash -like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deploym ent or h itting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand­
ing how a veh icle 's systems performed . The EDR
is designed to record data related to veh icle dy­
namics a nd safety systems for a sho rt period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less . The E DR in this
veh icle is designed to reco rd s uch data as :
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper­
at ing;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far ( if at all) the driver was depressing the
acce lerator and/or brake peda l; and,
- How fast the ve hicle was trave ling.
These data can help provide a better understand­ ing of the ci rc u mstances in which c rashes and in ­
juries occur. NOT E: EDR data are recorded by yo ur
veh icle only if a non-trivia l crash situat ion occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e .g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) a re re­
corded . H owever , other pa rties , such as law en­
forcement, cou ld combine the EDR data w it h the
type o f person ally identifyi ng dat a routine ly ac­
qu ired dur ing a crash invest igat ion .
To read data reco rded by an EDR, specia l equip­
men t is req uire d, and access to the veh icle or the
E DR is needed. In ad dition to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, s uch a s law enforcement,
that have t he specia l equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the E DR.
Some s tate laws restrict the re trieva l or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a vehi ­
cle fo r the express purpose of retrieving data af -
186
ter an accident or crash event withou t the own ­
er 's consent.
Audi will not access the EDR and /or sim ilar data
o r g ive it to others -
- unless t he ve hicle ow ner (o r lessee if the vehi­
cle has been leased) ag rees; o r
- upon the offic ial request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the jud icia l
discovery process.
- Audi may also use the data for research about
veh icle operation and safety perfo rmance or
prov ide the data to a th ird party for research
purposes w itho ut identify ing t he specific vehi­
cle or info rmat ion about the ident ity of its own­
er or lessee and only afte r th e re co rded vehicle
d ata has been a ccessed.
Vehicle control modules
You r vehicle is also equ ipped with a number of
e lectronic cont rol modules for va rious vehicle
syste ms, such as engine ma nagement, em iss io n
contro l, air bag s, a nd safety be lts.
These electronic control modules record data
dur ing norma l vehicle operation t hat may be
n eeded by tra ined techn ic ians for d iagnost ic and
r ep air pur poses. The re cording capab ility of these
modules is lim ited to dat a (no sou nd is recor d­
ed). Only a sma ll amount of data is actually re ­
corded over a very limited period of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a contro l
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
vehicle speed, direction, or braking, as well as re­
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash . Stored data can also only be read a nd
down loaded w it h specia l equipment that is d i­
r ec tly connec ted to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be e quipped w it h Aud i con­
n ect . Yo ur use of certain Aud i connect fea­
tures requires wire less services that are p ro­
v ided by a third party wireless telecomm uni­
cations provider. Fo r de tails regarding how in ­
fo rmation obtained through Aud i connect is
collecte d, processe d, transmitted, use d, an d ..,.

shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
! MENUI button> Aud i connect > About
Audi conn ect.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road ho ld ing and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid­
d ing and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . E SC detects certain
d ifficult dr iving sit uat ions, including when t he
ve hicl e is begin ning to spin (yaw) out of contro l
and helps you to ge t the veh icle back under con­
tro l by se lective ly braking the wheels, and/or re ­
ducing engine powe r and provid ing steering as­
sistance to help hold the vehicle on the dr iver's
intended course. The indicator light
GJ in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is taking action
to help you co ntrol the vehicle.
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not a lways be able to help out under all con­
d itions you may come up aga inst. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudden change in the
coeff icient of friction of the road surface. When
there is a section of dry road that is sudde nly cov­
e red with water, slush o r snow, ESC cannot pe r­
form the same way it wo uld on the dry s urface . If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter i nstead of the road su rface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
ve hicle cannot be braked or steered. Dur ing fast
cornering, pa rticula rly on w inding roads, ESC
cannot always deal as effect ively w it h difficult
d riving si tuations tha n at lowe r speeds.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road , traffic and weather cond itions . ESC cannot
override the vehicle's physical lim its, increase the
ava ilab le traction, o r keep a ve hicle on the road if
road departure is a resu lt of driver in attention .
I nstead, ESC imp roves the possibi lity of keep ing
Intellig ent Technology
the vehicle under contro l and on the road d uring
extreme mane uvers by using the driver's steering
i nputs to help keep the vehicle go ing in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can provide any assistance, you may not exper i­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certain s itua­
tions when you need less tract ion, you can sw itch
off ASR by press ing the button
lm c> page 188,
fig . 177 . Be sure to switc h ASR on again whe n
you no longer need less traction.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking when brak ­
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even dur ing
hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
brake pedal ind icates that the system is acting to
stab ilize the veh icle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake peda l quickly in emergency sit­
uat ions. You must press and ho ld the brake pedal
unt il the dange rous situation is over . In vehicles
with adaptive c ruise cont rol*, the b rake ass ist
system is more se nsitive if the distance detected
to the ve hicle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power whe n the dr ive wheels
begin spin ning and adapts the force to the road
co ndit ions. This makes it eas ier to s tart, acce ler­
ate a nd d rive up incl ines.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other dr ive
wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with all
whee l drive*) . This function is not available a t
highe r speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automat ica lly switches off
to keep t he brake o n the braked wheel from over­
hea ting . T he veh icle is still working co rrectly. EDL
IJJ>
187

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will switch on again automat ically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the veh icle by changing
the steering torque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the steering in critical situa­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
ing on curves . The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
curve are braked selectively as needed. This al­
lows more precise driving in curves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "Automatic post-collision braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of slid ing and of other
coll is ions after an accident . If the airbag control
module detects a collision above a certain vehicle
speed, the vehicle is braked by the ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automat ically if:
- the driver presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri­
cal system are not functioning.
Switchin on/off
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the limits posed by natural physi­
cal laws. This is especially important on slip­
pery or wet roads. If the systems beg in act­
ing to stabilize your vehicle, yo u should im­
mediately alter your speed to match the
road and traffic conditions . Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks. This could increase your risk of
a co llision.
- Please note the risk of a collision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when driv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions -there is still a risk of acci­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
{l) Tips
-ABS and ASR only function correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identical
tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc­
tion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 177 Center conso le; !j. OFF button
188
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode
on in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rock ing the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow chains

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ESC levels Sport mode on Sport mode off
Behavio r
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stabilization function of the ESC
are limited ¢ .&. . and ASR is avai lable again.
Operation Press the I .a OFF I button.
Press the I.a OFFI button again .
Indicator II turns on. II turns off.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): sport. Warn- Stabilization control (ESC): on
sages ing! Restricted stability
A WARNING
Only switch sport mode on when your driving
abilities and the traffic s ituation permit, be­
cause there is a r isk of slid ing .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
wheels could spin and the vehicle cou ld
swerve, espec ially on slick or slippery road
surfaces .
(D Tips
Sport mode cannot be sw itched on if the
cru ise control system* or adaptive cruise con­
trol* is switched on.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢.&. . You can com­
pensate for this slightly reduced braking power
by push ing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid
h eavy braking loads during the break-in period .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub­
ject to wear , depend ing largely on operating con­
d itions and dr iving habits ¢.&. . On veh icles that
are e ither dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi deale r more of­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
F ailure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef­
fect of the engine. This way, you prevent un nec­
essa ry wea r on the brake system. If you must use
you r brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin­
u ous ly. Pump the brakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, bra king fo rce and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overn ight con­
densation or afte r wash ing your car, the brak ing
effect can be reduced by moisture or ic e on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried f irst with a few careful brake applications .
At h igher speeds and w ith the windshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brak e
rotors for a short amount of time. This occurs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better brake response t ime under
wet conditions.
T he effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a sa lt-covered road
and the brakes are not used . Likewise, yo u clean
off accum ulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the
brake¢ .&..
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on
the brake pads and corrosion to form on the discs .,..
189

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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.