2017 AUDI A6 tow

Driving
rm Tran smissio n m alfun ction: Yo u can continu e
d riv ing
There is a system malfunc tion in the t ransm is­
sion. Yo u may continue dr iving. Drive to your au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
F acility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
rm Tran smission m alfun ction: You can continue
driving with limi ted fun ct iona lity
There is a system malfunct ion in the transm is­
sion. The transmission is switching to emergency
mode. This mode only shifts into certain gears o r
will no longer shift at all. The engine may stall.
Drive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
Appl ies to: ve hicles w ith 5 tro nic t ra n smi ssio n
rm Ii] Tran sm iss ion malfunction: No re verse
gear. You can cont inu e dri ving
There is a system malfunct io n in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emergency
mode . This mode only shifts into certain gears o r
will no longer shift at all. The engine may stall .
You cannot engage the reverse gear. Drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
[O] Tran smission m alfunction : Stop vehicle and
s hi ft t o park .
Do not cont inue driving. Select the P se lector lev­
er position and see an a uthorized Audi dea le r or
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility for assis tance.
d) Note
If the transmission has switched to emergen­
cy mode, drive to your author ized Audi dealer
or au thori zed A udi Service Fa cility immediate­
ly to have the malfunc tion cor rected.
82
Selector lever emergency release
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency .
Fig. 87 Front center console: emerge ncy re le ase for these·
lecto r lever
.,. To reach the emergency release mechanism, re­
move the asht ray insert *.
.,. Loosen and remove the small cap in the ashtray
mount
¢ fig. 87 .
.,. You now have access to a pin . Using a screw­
driver or sim ila r object, press the pin down and
hold it in that position.
.,. Press the re lease button in the selector lever
and move it into the N position.
Only move the selector lever out o f the P position
when the ignition is switched on .
If the vehicle
must be pushed or towed due to a power failure
(for example, the vehicle battery is drained), the
selector lever must first be moved to the N posi­
tion using the emergency release mechanism.

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' Trailer towing 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.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For 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
c::> page 83, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount. Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct 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 modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
trailer hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage shou ld your vehicle be
struck from behind
c::> .&, .
Tra iler towing
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regu la­
tions.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
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 with your Audi dealer for correct wiring,
switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable 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 removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or s ideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer c::> .&.
in Driving instructions on page 85 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid . ..,.
83

Trailer towing
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of yo ur
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under " Fu ll
load" on the label¢
page 220. Inflate trai ler
tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to ma ke sure both vehicle and t railer lights
are working proper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are proper ly connect­
ed from the traile r to the hitch on the vehicle.
L eave enough slac k in the c ha ins to permi t turn­
ing corners. When you 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 drive select
Make sure the veh icle is on a level surface before
h itchi ng up the t railer a nd before adjus ting the
tongue we igh t. The vehicle must be in
auto or
c omfort driving mode and not ra ised
¢page 104, ¢(!) .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainmen t, se lect:
ICARI f u nct ion butto n> Lower
con trol b utton.
I f you must dr ive under poo r road conditions, you
can ra ise the vehicle
aft er coup ling the t rai ler or
after adj usting the tongue weight¢ page 106.
@ Note
-Changes in tempe rature or load ca n affect
the he ight of the vehicle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode . Other­
wise, the tongue load spec ified for your ve­
hi cle w ill no longe r be applicable.
84
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
i n a h ighly unstab le distribut ion of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, wh ile
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
c ir cumstances . Wheneve r possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow ve hicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle load ing conside ra tions.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the dr iver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
yo ur speed even more if load, weather or wind
cond it ions are unfavo rab le -pa rtic ularly whe n
going downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immed iately if the t railer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
t o stop th e s waying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds fo r
vehicles tow ing traile rs are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the eng ine
braki ng effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
bra kes alone ca n cause them to overheat a nd fail.
Air suspension*
When dr iving with a trailer, act ivate the trailer
mode of the air suspens io n. Switch the a ir sus­
pension trailer mode on w hen you are towing a
trailer. This wi ll limit the regulation by the air
s u spension while dr iv ing. Se lect in the M MI:
I CAR ! funct ion but ton > (Car )* s ystem s contro l
button >
Vehicle setting s > Air su sp .: towing >
On . .,_

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 9 must
be observed carefu lly . 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.
F or more information about ind icator lights, re­
fer to.
c::> page 14.
A WARNING
Anyone not proper ly 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 properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer towing information
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
tra iler because of the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribut ion . 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, stopp ing and back ing up in an area away
from traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely fam iliar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater d istance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You w ill need more
r oom 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 wou ld because of
the added load. Make s ure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, a llow plenty of room for
your tra iler before changing lanes again.
Trailer towing
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
c::> page 259 .
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
• Apply the foot brake.
• Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
• With 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.
• Select 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.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
i c transmission to P before applying the park­
i ng brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
l ever out of the P position.
85

co
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" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' -Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents
the cruise control from braking. This is be­
cause pressing the accelerator pedal over­
rides the cruise control system .
- If a brake system malfunction such as over­
heating occurs when the cruise control sys­
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system may be switched off. The rest of
the cruise control system functions remain
active as long as the
(tj;(IM@ (USA models) /
ii (Canada models) indicator light is on.
@ Tips
The brake lights turn on when the brakes are
applied automat ically .
Changing speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
.. To increase or decrease the speed in incre­
ments, tap the lever toward
010 ¢ page 86,
fig. 88 .
.. To increase or decrease the speed quickly, hold
the lever in the
G)/0 direction until the de­
sired speed is displayed.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down to
increase your speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed you set earlier will re­
sume as soon as you release the accelerator ped­
al.
However, if you exceed your saved speed by 5
mph (10 km/h) for longer than 6 minutes, the
cruise control system turns off temporarily .
The green
ltj;(i )~i@ (USA models) 1 '11 (Canada mod­
els) indicator light in the speedometer turns off
and the stored speed is maintained.
Preselecting the speed
App lies to: ve hicles with cru ise control system
You can pre-select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
.. Switch the ignition on.
.. Pull the lever into position
(D ¢ page 86,
fig. 88 .
Assist
.. To increase or decrease the speed, tap the lever
toward
0 10 .
.. To store the speed displayed, release the lever.
T his function makes it possible, for example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the
highway. Once on the highway, activate the
cruise control by pulling the lever toward @.
Switching off
Appl ies to : vehicles with cruise co ntrol system
Temporary deactivation
.. Press the brake pedal, or
.. Press the lever into position @ (not clicked into
place)
¢ page 86, fig. 88, or
.. Drive for longer than 5 minutes faster than 5
mph (10 km/h) above the stored speed .
Switching off completely
.. Press the lever into position @(clicked into
place), or
.. Switch the ignition off.
The speed you stored will be maintained if the cruise control has been switched off temporarily .
To resume the stored speed, release the brake pedal and pull the lever to position@.
Switching the ignition off will erase the stored
speed .
A WARNING
--You should only resume the stored speed if it
i s not too high for existing traff ic conditions.
Otherw ise you can inc rease the risk of an acci­
dent.
87

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- With stationary objects~ page 90.
A WARNING
Always pay attention to traffic when adapt ive
cruise control is switched on and braking
guard is active . As the dr iver, you are still re­
sponsible for starting and for maintaining
speed and d istance to other objects. Braking
guard is used to assist you . The driver must
always take action to avoid a collision . The
driver is always responsib le for brak ing at the
co rrect time .
- For safety reasons, do not use adapt ive
cruise co ntro l when driv ing on ro ads w ith
many curves, when the road su rface is in
poor condit ion and/or in bad weather (s uch
as ice, fog, grave l, heavy rain and hydrop la n­
ing). Using the system under these condi­
t ions increases the risk of an accident.
- Switch adaptive cruise contro l off tempora­
rily when driving in turning lanes, on ex­
pressway exits or in construction zones. This
prevents the vehicle from accelerating to
the stored speed when in these situations .
- The adapt ive cru ise control system will not
brake by itself if you put your foot on the ac­
celerator pedal. Doing so can overr ide the
speed and distance regulation .
- When approaching stat ionary objects such
as stopped traffic, adapt ive cru ise control
will not respo nd and braking gua rd will have
l imited func tion .
- The adapt ive cru ise control system and
bra king g uard do not react to people, ani­
mals, objects crossing the road or oncom ing
objects.
- T he function of the radar sensors can be af­
fec ted by reflec tive objects s uch as guard
rai ls, the ent rance to a tunnel, heavy rain or
ice.
& WARNING
- Improper use of adaptive cruise control can cause collisions, other accidents and serious
persona l injury.
- Never let the comfort and convenience that
adaptive cruise cont rol and braking guard
A ss ist
offe r dist ract you from the need to be alert
to traffic cond itions and the need to remain
in full control of your vehicle at all times,
- Always remember that the adaptive cruise
control and braking guard have limits -they
will not slow the vehicle down or maintain
the set distance when you dr ive towa rds an
obstacle or something on or near the road
that is not moving, s uch as vehicles stopped
in a t raff ic jam, a stalled or disab led vehicle.
If r eg istered by the radar sensors, vehicles
or obsta cles that are not moving ca n trigger
a co llision wa rning and if confirmed by the
video came ra, an acute co llision wa rning .
- Never fo llow a vehicle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safely . The adap­
tive cruise contro l cannot slow or brake the
veh icle safely w hen you follow another vehi­
cle too closely. A lways remember that the
automatic braking function cannot bring the
veh icle to a sudde n or emergency stop u n­
der these conditions .
- To prevent unintended operat ion , always
sw itch ACC off when it is not being used .
(D Note
The sensors can be d isplaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. That could affect the adaptive
cruise contro l system and braking gua rd .
Have an au thorized Audi dealer o r autho rized
A udi Service Fac ility check the ir funct ion.
In curves
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
I
F ig. 91 Exa mpl e: dri ving into a c urve
89

Ass is t
When driving into a curve ~ fig. 91 and out of a
curve, the adaptive cruise control may react to an
object in the neighbor ing lane and apply the
brakes. You can prevent that by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal brief ly .
Stationary objects
App lies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise contro l
Fig . 92 Examp le: ob ject changin g lanes and stationary o b­
j ect
The adaptive cruise contro l system only reacts to
objects that are mov ing or that the system has
a lready detected as moving. For examp le, it can
react when a vehicle that has a lready been de ­
tected @turns or changes lanes, but adaptive
cru ise control does not react to a stat ionary vehi ­
cle @.
Switching on /off
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 9 3 Operat ing leve r: sw itching on a nd o ff
90
F ig. 94 In str umen t cl uste r: ad ap tive cr uise cont rol
You can set any speed between 20 mph (30 km/
h) a nd 95 mph ( 150 km/h).
Ind icator lights and messages in the instrument
cluster display inform you about the current sit­
uat ion and setting .
An additional indicator appears in the Head-up display* .
Switching ad apti ve c ruise control on
.,. Pull the lever toward you into position (D
r=> fig. 93 . ACC: standb y appears in the disp lay.
Saving the speed and activating regulat ion
.,. To save the current speed, press the ISETI
r=> fig . 93 button . The stored speed is shown in
the speedomete r in the LED line @and appears
briefly in the info rmation line @'=>
fig. 94.
.,. To activate the regu lation while stationary, also
press the brake pedal.
Switching adaptive crui se control off
.,. Push the lever away from you into position @
until it clicks into place. The message
ACC : off
appears .
@ Indicator lights
fll-adap tive cr uise contro l is sw itched on. No
objects are detec ted ahead. The s tored speed is
maintained.
• -A n object ahead was detected . The adaptive
cruise contro l sys tem regu lates the speed and
d istance to the objec t ahead and ac ce lera tes/
brakes automatically .
f:i-adaptive cruise control is switched on. An
object ahead was detected . Yo ur vehicle remains
stopped and will not start driving au toma tically. ..,.

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l 'SI'
•-T he automatic braking is not enough to
maintain a sufficient distance to an object ahead.
You must intervene ¢
page 93, Request for
driver intervention.
© In str um ent clust er dis pla y
If adaptive cruise control is not shown in the in­
strument cluster display, you can call it up using
the multifunction steering wheel b uttons
¢ page 21.
Based on the graphics in the d isp lay, you can de­
termine if the system is maintaining a distance to
the object ahead and what that distance is.
No v ehi cle -No object ahead was detected .
Whit e v ehicle -An object ahead was detected .
Red veh icle -Request for driver intervention
¢page 93.
Both arro ws on the scale© indicate the distance
to the object ahead. No arrow appears when the
vehicle is on an open road and there is no object
ahead .
If an object is detected ahead, the arrow
moves on the scale .
The green zone on the scale indicates the store
distance. For information on changing the dis­
tance, refer to ¢
page 92 . If the distance se­
lected is exceeded or not reached, the arrow
moves into the red zone on the scale.
A WARNING
If you press the !SETI button when driving at
speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the vehicle
accelerates automatically up to 20 mph (30
km/h), which is the minimum speed that can
be set .
(}) Tips
-If yo u switch the ignition or the adapt ive
cruise control system off, the set speed is
erased for safety reasons .
- The elect ronic stabi lization cont rol (ESC)
and the anti-slip-regulation (ASR) are au to­
matically sw itched on when the adaptive
cruise control is switched on .
Ass ist
Changing the speed
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
0
f
•
0
Fig. 95 Operating lever: changing the speed
.,. To increase or reduce the speed in increments,
tap the lever up or down .
.. To increase or decrease the speed quickly,
ho ld
the lever up or down until the red LED @reach­
es the des ired speed ¢
page 90, fig. 94.
After each change, the new stored speed appears
briefly in the information line¢
page 90, fig. 94
@ .
Driving in stop-and-go traffic
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive cru ise con trol system also assists
you in stop-and-go traffic.
Stopping automatically
If an object ahead stops, your vehicle will brake
and stay at a stop, within the limits of the sys­
tem. The Sta rt/Stop system* can be used as usu­
al.
Dri ving manu ally
.,. Tap the accelerator pedal, or
.,. pull the lever toward you into pos ition @.
(D Tips
If an obstacle is detected when your vehicle
starts moving, the dr iver intervent ion request
appears¢
page 93. Your vehicle will drive
more slowly when starting. Th is may a lso
happen in some sit uat ions when there is no
apparent obstacle.
91