2017 AUDI A6 ESP

The adjustment depends on the driving mode se ­
l ected, steering movements, the driver's brak ing
and accelerat ion, and as the road su rface, vehicle
speed and load.
The vehicle ground clearance depends on the mode se lected and the speed . When you are in
the
auto , the highway setting is act ivated when
you dr ive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for more
than 30 seconds. The g round clearance is in­
creased automat ica lly if the speed drops below
44 mph (70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds .
Steering
The power steering adapts. Ind irect steering that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
sui ted to long drives on a h ighway. The Dynamic
mode provides sporty, direct steering .
Applie s to: vehicles with dynamic steering
The steering ratio changes based on vehicle
speed in order to maintain optimum steering ef­
fort for the dr iver at a ll times. This sets the steer­
i ng to be less sensit ive at higher speeds in order
to p rovide imp roved vehicle contro l. At reduced
speeds, steer ing is mo re direct in order to keep
t he s teering effo rt as m inima l as poss ib le when
t he dr iver is maneuvering the vehicle . At low and
ave rage speeds, dynamic steering* additionally
p rovides more responsive stee ring performance.
Sport differential *
As a component of the all wheel d rive system
(quattro)
<=? page 124 , the sport diffe rential dis ­
tr ib utes the dr iv ing power to the rear ax le de­
pending on the situation. The distribution o f
power varies from balanced (comfort) to sporty
(dynamic) depending on the selected mode . The
goa l is a high leve l of agility and ab ility to accel­
erate on curves. The ve hicle is very respons ive to
steer ing.
Cornering light*
The cornering light adapts the high beams to the
direction of the curve depending on the speed.
The pivot ing action and the light ing also adapt to
~ t he mode . .... N
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Adaptive cruise control*
T he behavio r whe n accelerating ca n be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control also
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner.
Engine sound *
The eng ine sound adapts to the c urren t mode
and can be subtle to sporty.
(D Note
Applies to: vehicles with adaptive ai r suspension
- Make sure there is enough clearance above
and be low the vehicle when parking. The
height of the vehicle (gro und clearance) can
change once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load conditions
and changes to the dr iving modes .
- When transporting the vehicle on a car car­
r ie r, train, ship or by other means, o nly tie
the vehicle down at the run ning s urface of
the t ires , which is the outer c ircumference.
Se cur ing the vehicle at the axle compo­
nents, sus pen sion str uts o r towing eyes is
no t perm itted because the pressure in the
air suspens ion struts can change d uring
transport . The vehicle may not be secured
sufficiently if th is happens .
(D Tips
-In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the auto and
dynamic modes.
- The S selector lever position automatica lly
engages if the dynamic mode is selected.
- Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering:
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the engine. Th is does not ind icate
a problem.
105

Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rearview cam­
era/peripheral camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment , various
parking aids will help you when parking and ma­
neuvering.
The
parking system plus assists you when park­
ing by audibly and visually indicating objects de­
tected
in front of and behind the vehicle
¢page 109.
The
rearview camera shows the area behind the
vehicle in the Infotainment system display. This
display assists you when you are cross or parallel parking
¢ page 110. The parking system plus
functions are also available
¢ page 109.
The
peripheral cameras assist you with parking
and maneuvering. You are aided by various cam­
eras depending on the vehicle equipment level
¢ page 113. The parking system plus functions
are also available
¢ page 109.
A WARNING
-Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it directly
as well. The parking system cannot replace
the driver's attention. The driver is always responsible when entering or leaving a park­
ing space and during similar maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system .
-
-Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be detect­ ed . Be especially cautious of small children
and animals.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The park­
ing system may be impaired as a result.
Have an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility check their func­
tion .
- Make sure the sensors are not obstructed by stickers, deposits or other materials. If they
are, the sensor function could be impaired.
108
For additional information on cleaning, see
¢page 231.
(D Note
-Some objects are not detected or displayed
by the system under certain circumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall ex­
tensions
- Objects with certain surfaces or structures
such as chain link fences or powder snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low ob­
ject, it may disappear from the sensor range. Note that you will no longer be
warned about th is obstacle .
- Keep enough distance from the curb to re­
duce the risk of damage to the rims .
(D Tips
-The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cover­
age area in some situations, such as :
- certa in road surfaces or when there is tall
grass.
- external ultrasonic sources such as from
cleaning vehicles .
- in heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice parking in
a traffic-free location or parking lot to be­
come familiar with the system . When doing
this, there should be good light and weath­
er conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of the
signals as well as the display
¢ page 118.
- Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trailer located in
¢page 118.
- What appears in the infotainment d isplay is
somewhat time-delayed.
- Th e sensors must be kept clean and free of
snow and ice for park aid to operate .

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@ Tips
The left or right orientation lines and surfaces
will be displayed, depending on the turn sig­ nal being used.
Peripheral cameras
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with peripheral cameras
With this equipment, the parking system plus*
c::!;> page 109 is supplemented with various periph­
e ral cameras.
Depending on vehicle equipment, you are provid­
ed with the following views: area around the ve­
hicle, front corner view and rear corner view, view
in front of the vehicle and behind the vehicle.
General information
Applies to: vehicles with pe ripheral came ras
);
Fig. 126 Locatio n of peripheral came ras
The peripheral cameras are located in the radia­
tor grille, in the luggage compartment lid and on
both exterior mirrors
r::!;> fig . 126.
Make sure that the lenses are not covered by de­
posits or any other obstructions as it may impair
the system . For information on cleaning, refer to
¢page 231.
In the Surrounding mode, black corners are
shown in the vehicle silhouette. Objects in these
areas are outside of the camera's field of view
and are not detected .
The accuracy of the orientation lines and the blue
surfaces is reduced if the adaptive air suspen-
Parking systems
sion* is faulty, if the vehicle is lift ed or if the Dy­
namic
mode is activated ¢ page 104.
.&_ WARNING
-
-Always read and follow the applicable warn-
ings¢ .&.
in General information on
page 108.
- If the position or the installation angle of a
camera was changed, for example after a
collision, do not continue to use the system
for safety reasons . Have it checked by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility .
- Keep in mind that the image in the display is
distorted if the exterior mirror housing has
been moved out of place.
- Use the
Rear mode and the Corner view
(rear)
mode only when the luggage com­
partment lid is fully closed . Otherwise the
image in the display will be incorrect.
- The vehicle surroundings are shown using
the camera images. The vehicle image is
shown by the system. Objects and obstacles
above the camera are not displayed.
- Camera lenses enlarge and distort the field
of vision. The objects appear both altered
and inaccurate on the screen.
(D Note
- Always read and follow the applicable warn­
ings
9 (£) in General information on
page 108.
- The Infotainment display shows the direc­
tion in which the rear of the vehicle is travel­
ing based on the steering wheel angle. The
front of the vehicle swings out more than
the rear of the vehicle. Maintain plenty of
distance so that an exterior mirror or a cor­
ner of the vehicle does not collide with any
obstacles .
@ Tips
If the 8/u;ri/r::::::5, symbol appears in the dis­
play and the respective display area is grayed
out, then the power exterior mirrors were
folded in or the driver's door/front passeng­
er's door/luggage compartment lid was
opened .
113

Parking systems
displayed and it does not switch to the Front
mode when a forward gear is selected.
Adjusting the display
and the warning tones
Applies to: ve hicles w ith parking system plus/rearview cam­
era/per ipheral came ra
The display and warning tones can be adjusted in
the Infotainment.
.,. Se lect: the ICARI function button > (Car)* Sys­
tems
control button > Driver assistance > Park­
ing aid.
Display
On* -
An optical disp lay is shown for the parking
system plus, a rearview camera image is shown
for the rearview camera*.
Off -When the parking system is switched off,
only audible signa ls are given.
Signal tones
Front volume -
volume for the front area
Rear volume -volume for the rear area
Front frequency-frequency for the front area
Rear frequency -frequency for the rear area
Music volume during nav . prompts -the volume
of the audio/video source is lowered when the
parking system is turned on.
The newly selected level is demonstrated briefly by the sound generator .
(D Tips
- The warning tones can also be adjusted di­
rectly by the v isual display or the picture
from the camera. Simply press the
Settings
control button.
- Changed settings are activated when the
parking system is switched on aga in.
- The settings for volume and frequency are
automatically saved and assigned to the re­
mote control key being used .
118
Error messages
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rea rv iew cam­
era/peripheral camera
There is an error in the system if the LED in the
P'11A button is blinking and you hear a continuous
alarm for a few seconds after switching on the
parking system or when the parking system is al­
ready activated. If the error is not corrected be­
fore you switch
off the ignition, the LED in the PwA
button will blink the next time you switch on the
parking system by shifting into reverse.
Parking system plus*
If a sensor is faulty, the.!¾ symbol will appear in
front of/behind the vehicle in the Infotainment
display. If a rear sensor is faulty, only obstacles
that are in areas @ and @ are displayed
c> page 109 , fig. 116. If a front sensor is faulty,
only obstacles that are in areas © and @are d is ­
played . There is also a system malfunction if all
segments around the vehicle are red or if no seg­
ments are displayed.
Peripheral cameras*
There is a system malfunction if the~· symbol
appears and the corresponding display area is
shown in blue. The camera is not working in this
area.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunction corrected .
Trailer hitch
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rearv iew cam­
era/peripheral cameras and t ra ile r hitch
For vehicles using the trailer socket, the parking
system rear sensors are not activated when you
shift into reverse gear or when you press the
PwA
button. Th is results in the following restrictions.
Parking system plus*
There is no distance warning for the rear. The
front sensors remain activated. The visual display
switches to trailer mode. ..,.

Intelligent Technology
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
120
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 .
121

Intelligent Technology
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
122
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

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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. ..,.
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