2017 AUDI A6 warning

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l - Rearview camera* /peripheral cameras*
There is no distance warning fo r the rear. The
fron t sensors remain activa ted . The visual display
switches to trai ler mode. The rearview camera
image will not show the orientation lines and the
b lue surfaces.
Trailer hitches that are not installed at the
factory may cause the parking system to ma l­
function or they may restrict its function.
Parking systems
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Intelligent Technology
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
Elect ronic Stabilization Control (ESC) suppo rts
driver safety.
It red uces the risk of slipping and
improves dr iving stability. ESC detects crit ica l sit­
uations such as the veh icle oversteering and un­
dersteering or the wheels are sp inning. The vehi­
cle is stabilized by app lying the brakes or reduc ­
ing engine torque. As soon as the ESC is active ly
regulat ing, the
D.1 indicato r light blin ks in the in­
s trumen t clus ter.
The fo llow ing systems are integrated in the ESC :
Ant i-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS p revents the whee ls from locking whe n brak­
ing. The vehicle can sti ll be steered even during
hard brak ing. Apply steady press ure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in t he
b rake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
s tabilize the vehicle .
Br ake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing dis­
tance . It increases brak ing power when the driver
presses the brake pedal q uick ly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold t he b rake pedal
until the dangerous sit uat io n is over . In veh icles
with adapt ive c ruise control*, the bra ke as sist
sy stem is more sensitive if t he di sta nce detec ted
t o the vehicle dr iv ing ahead is too small. On
ve hicl es with act ivated and f unct io ni ng night vi ­
sion assist*, the brake assist system can respond mo re sensit ively if there is a warning .
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive w heels
be gin sp inning an d adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easie r to sta rt, acceler ­
ate and dr ive up h ills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
T he EDL applies the b rakes to a whee l t h at s tarts
sp inning and tra nsfe rs t he dr ive powe r to t he
o ther driving wheel or wheels (if the veh icle is
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equipped with a ll w hee l drive*) . T h is f unction is
not avai lab le at higher speeds .
I n extreme cases , EDL automat ic al ly swi tches off
to keep t he b rake o n the br aked wheel from ove r­
heating. The ve hicle is still working correct ly. ED L
will switc h on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC he lps to s tabili ze th e vehicle by ch ang ing
t h e s teer ing torque.
I n veh icles with dynamic s teer ing*, ESC a lso
helps to stab ilize the s teeri ng in cr it ic al situ a­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Se lective wheel to rque control is used when d riv­
i ng on curves . The front whee l on the ins ide of
t h e curve or both whe els on the i nside of th e
cu rve are braked se lectively as needed. This al­
l ows mo re pre cise driving in curves .
Automatic post -collision braking system
The "a utomat ic post -coll is io n braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sl iding and of addi­
tiona l co llisions after an acc iden t. If the a irbag
c on tro l modu le dete cts a collision above a cer tain
vehicle speed, the veh icle is braked by t he ESC.
The veh icle does not brake automatically if:
- the drive r presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the bra king force generate d by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the b raking force
that would be in itiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the bra ke system or the vehicle elect ri­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integ rated systems can not
overcome the lim its imposed by natura l
p hys ica l laws. Th is is es pec ially i mpo rtan t
on s lippery or we t roads. If the system s be­
g in a cting to s tabili ze yo ur vehicle, you
should immedi ately alte r your speed to
match the road and tra ffi c conditions. Do
not let the inc reased safety provided tempt

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you into taking risks. This could increase
your risk of a collision.
- Please note the risk of a co llision 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 r isk of acci­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
Switching on /off
Intelligent Technology
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only function correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identical
tires. Different tire s izes 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. 139 Center console: OFF ~ button
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode
on in order 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 iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The full stabilization function of the ESC
are limited
c:> .&. . and ASR is available again .
Operation Press the I~ OFF I button. Press the I~ OFFI button again.
Indicator ltltur nson. II turns off .
lights
Messages Stabilization control (ESC): Sport Warn· Stabilization control (ESC): On
i ng! Reduced stability
A WARNING
- Only switch sport mode on when your driv­
ing abilities and the traffic s ituation permit,
because there is a risk of sliding .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is switched on. The driving
wheels could spin and the vehicle could
swerve, espec ially on slick or slipp ery road
surfaces .
(D Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise con­
trol* is switched on .
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Braking
New brake p ads
New b rake pads do no t achieve the ir full b raking
effect during the firs t 250 mi (400 km) . They
m ust be "broken in" first .
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely o n the way the
ve hicl e is driven and on operat ing cond it ions.
This is especi ally true if you are d riving frequently
in the c ity and on c urves or with a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when bra king depend ing on the
speed, b raking force and outs ide cond it ions s uch
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In ce rtain s ituations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnight con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the b raking
effect can be red uce d by mo isture or ice on the
b rake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
"dried" first with a few careful brake applica­
tions.
At highe r speeds and with t he windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the bra ke
rotors for a short amount of time . This action,
which is not felt by the driver, happens at regular
intervals and ens ures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weathe r.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on sa lted roads and you do not apply t he
brakes for long periods of time. The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first when the brakes are applied.
Corrosi on
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mi leage and avo iding heavy brak ing
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to d irty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy b raking or if there is
corros ion present, occasional heavy braking at
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high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads¢.&. .
Brake system malfunction
if you not ice that the b rake peda l t ravel has sud­
denly increased, then a br ake circuit in the du al­
c irc uit b rake system may have malfunctioned.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
A udi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive w ith
reduced speed and keep in m ind t hat you will
need a longer distance to stop and you will need
to press the brake peda l harder .
lo w b rake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level
i s electronically monitored.
Brake booster
The brake boos ter amp lifies the pressure you ap ­
ply to the brake pedal. It only works when the en­
gine is running .
A WARNING
- Only app ly the brakes for the purpose o f
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This i ncreases the
r is k of an accident .
-
- Never let the ve hicle roll while the engine is
s topped because this i ncreases the ris k of an
accident .
- New brake pads do no t ach ieve the ir full
braking effect dur ing the first 250 m i
( 4 00 km). They m ust be "b roken in" fi rst.
However, you can compensa te fo r the
slightly reduced brak ing force by pressing
firm ly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy brak ­
ing during the break-in period.
- Ce rtain weather and operating condi tions
such as d riving through water, dr iv ing in
heavy rain o r driv ing after washi ng your ve­
hicle can impai r the effectiveness of the
brakes. In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and dr ums. Check

Intelligent Technology
- For addi tional in format ion on dynamic
steering, refer to
c:> page 104.
ALL wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive
In oil wheel drive, all four wheels ore powered.
General information
In a ll wheel d rive, the d rivi ng power is divided be­
t ween a ll four wheels. Th is happens au tomatical­
ly depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road cond itions. Also see
c::> page 120, Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) .
A center differentia l distrib utes the driv ing power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gethe r with selective wheel torq ue control, which
activates when driving through curves
c::> page 120. With the sport differentia l", power
d istr ibut ion to the rear wheels is variable and can
be ad justed w ith drive select
c::> page 104.
The a ll wheel drive concept is designed for h igh
engine power. Your ve hicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal dr iv ing condit ions and on
snow a nd ice . Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions
c::> ,& .
Winter tires
By us ing a ll wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward mot io n with standard t ires in winter con ­
d itions . However, in winter we recommend using
w inter or all season t ires on all fo ur wheels, be­
cause th is w ill improve the b raking effe ct.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
c::> page 226, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles w ith all wheel dr ive, only whee ls with
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid using t ires with different tread depths
c::> page 217, New tires or wheels .
124 Offroad vehicle?
You
r A udi is no t an off road vehicle -there is not
eno ugh ground clearan ce . F or this reason, avoid
difficult terra in .
_&. WARNING
- Also, in veh icles with all wheel drive, adapt
your driving sty le to the current road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking r isks,
because this inc reases the risk of an acc i­
dent .
- The b raking ab ility of your vehicle is limited
to the t raction of the whee ls . In this way, i t
is not different from a two wheel d rive vehi­
cle. Do not be tempte d to accelerate to a
hig h speed when the ro ad i s slip pery, be­
cause th is increases the r is k of an accident .
- Note that on wet s treets, the front wheels
c a n " hyd ropla ne" if driv ing a t spee ds tha t
are too h igh. Unlike front wheel drive
veh icles, t he engine does not rev higher sud ­
de nly when t he vehicle begins hydroplan ing.
For this reason, adapt yo ur speed to the
road conditions to reduce the risk of an acci­
de nt.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
elec trical energy distribution and optimi zes the
availability of electri cal energy for starting the
engine .
When a vehicle wi th a conventiona l energy sys­
tem is no t driven for a l ong time , the veh icle ba t­
te ry is d raine d by equ ipment ( fo r example, the
immo biliz er). In certa in circ umstances, there
could may not be enough energy to start the en­
gine.
Yo ur vehicle is equipped with an inte lligen t ener ­
gy management system fo r dist ributing elec trici ­
ty. This significantly improves the starting ability
and increases the vehicle battery life . .,.

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others. We have summar­ ized here what you need to know about safety
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1 . Al­
ways observe the i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model versions of yo ur vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in t his sections may be s tanda rd
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others . If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers.
- Always keep the comp lete Owner's Litera­
ture in your A udi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the d river and
passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
t ions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce
the risk of injury in a wide variety of occident si t­
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advan ces i n tech­
nology have made a var iety of features avai lab le
to help reduce t he risk of injury in an accident .
128
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your Audi :
- sophis tica ted safety be lts fo r dr ive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt p retensioners,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r th e front seats,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for the
front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation
features,
- special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- head rest raints fo r ea ch seating position,
- adj ustab le steering col umn.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to ­
ge ther as a system to help protect you and your
passengers in a wide range of acc idents. These
features canno t wo rk as a sys tem if they are not
alw ays cor rec tly adj usted and cor rect ly used.
Safety is everybody' s re sponsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving alway s:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outs ide .
.. Sec ure all luggage and othe r items carefully
~page 57, ~page 56 .
.. Ma ke sure that noth ing ca n interfere wi th the
peda ls .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for yo ur height .
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their he ight.

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.. Make sure to use the right chi ld restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
~ page 171 , Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page SO, Seats
and storage .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty be lts properly ¢
page 139 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
h icle and all of its occupants. If you r ability to
d rive is impaired, safety risks for eve rybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢A -Therefore :
.. Do not let you rself be dist racted by passengers
or by us ing a cellular te lephone .
.. NEVER dr ive when your dr iv ing ability is im ­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traff ic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather cond itions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two ho urs at a stretch .
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
s ur e o r when you are st ressed.
_& WARNING
Impaired dr iv ing safe ty inc reases the risk of
ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
.
Dr iving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
F ig. 140 Correct seat ing pos it io n
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the dr iver 's seat to the fo llowing
pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing your knee(s) slightly bent¢&. -
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contac t wi th it when you dr ive .
.. Adj ust the steer ing wheel so that there is a d is­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 140.
If not poss ible, see your author ized A udi deal­
ership about adapt ive equipment.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. For adjustab le head rest raints: Adjust the head
rest raint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
b le with the top of your head. If that is not pos ­
sible, t ry to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this posit ion as possible. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of t he head as possible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
Qpage 142. ..,.
129

Driving safety
"' Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c;, page SO.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds . To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out ­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the su pplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
130
-
-Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c;,page 171. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c:;, page 147.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident , we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
"'Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
"'For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c:;, page 131 . Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c;,page 142.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:;, page SO .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
Ill-