2017 AUDI A6 light

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0 0 <.,;) 'SI"
Electromechanical
parking brake
Fig . 82 Center co nso le: park ing brake
Your vehicle is equipped with an e lectromechani ­
cal parking brake
¢ fig. 82. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the veh icle from roll ing un­
intentiona lly and replaces the hand brake.
Setting /manually relea sing th e parking
b rake
.. Pull the<®> switch to set the park ing brake. The
LED in the switch illuminates. The -(USA
models)/ . (Canada models) ind icator light al­
so turns on in the instrument cluster display .
.. To release the parking brake manua lly, press
the b rake o r acce lerato r pedal whi le the igni­
t ion is switched on and p ress the© switch at
the same t ime . The L ED in the b utton and the
i ndicator light in the display t urn off .
Releasing the parking brake automatically
Requirement : the driver's door must be closed,
the dr iver's safety be lt must be latched and the
pa rking brake must be set.
"' To start driving and re lease the park ing brake
automatically, press the acce lerato r peda l as
usual.
In addi tion to releasing the parking brake auto­
mat ica lly, other convenience and safety funct ions
are available when you sta rt driving ¢
page 76,
Starting from a stop.
Preventing the automatic parking br ake
release
The vehicle could begin rolling uninte ntiona lly,
depending on the hill or if towing a trail er.
D rivi ng
"'To prevent the parking brake from releasi ng au­
tomatically, pull and hold the<®> switch and
press the accelerator peda l. The pa rking brake
remains set and prevents the vehicle from roll­
ing backward.
"' You can release the<®> switch again once you
are sure t hat you are giving enoug h driving
force to the wheels by press ing the accel erator
pedal.
Emergency braking function
You can use the emergency braking function in an
emergency s ituation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled.
.. Pull and ho ld the(®) switch.
"' As soon as you release the <®> switch or acceler-
ate, the braking stops .
Pull ing and ho ld ing the© switch wh ile driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func­
t ion. The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by
activating the hydraulic brake system . The brak­
ing effect is sim ila r to heavy braking ¢_& .
To reduce the risk of activat ing the emergency
braking by mistake, a warning tone (buz zer)
sounds when the© switch is p ulled . Emergency
braking stops as soon as the© switc h is released
or t he accelerator pedal is pressed.
Parking
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle.
"' Pull the(®) switch to set the parking brake .
"' Place t he selector lever in t he P position .
"' Tu rn the engine off¢_& .
"' Tur n the steering w heel when par king o n in­
clines so tha t the wheels w ill roll into the curb
if the vehicle st arts moving.
& WARNING
-
- Do not press the acce lerator peda l inadver­
tently if a gea r is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running. Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
d iate ly and this could result in a n accide nt.
- Eme rgency brak ing sho uld only be used in
an emergency, when the norma l brake pedal
has fai led or the brake pedal is obstructed . .,.
75

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0 0 <.,;) 'SI"
-Hill hold assist cannot hold the veh icle in
place on all h ills (for example, if the ground
is slippery or icy).
- To reduce the risk of an accident, always
make sure the vehicle is situated safely
wh ile stat io nary.
Automatic transmission
Introduction
The automat ic transmission is cont rolled e lec­
tron ica lly. The tra nsmission shifts up or down au­
tomatically depending on which drive program is
selected.
When a
moderat e driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical driving mode. The t ransmission upshifts at a lower RPM
and downshifts at a higher RPM to improve fuel
efficiency .
The transmission sw itches to a sporty mode a fter
a kick-down or when the driver uses a
s po rt y
driving st yle
characterized by quick accelerator
pedal movements, heavy acce leration, frequent
changes in speed and traveling at the maximum
speed .
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually ( tiptronic mode) q page 80 .
Appl ies to : ve hicles w ith S tro nic t ran smi ssio n
The 5 tronic is a dual-clutch transmiss ion . Powe r
is transferred using two cl utches that work inde­
pendently from one another. They replace the
torque converter used in conventional automat ic
transmissions and allow the vehicle to accelerate
without a noticeab le interruption in tract ion.
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with a t iptro nic tr ansmi ssio n
Power is transfer red using a torque conver ter.
D rivi ng
Selector lever positions
Fig. 83 Instrument cl uster: selector leve r pos itions
The selector lever position that is engaged is
shown in the instrume nt cluster display .
P - Park
This selector lever position prevents the vehicle
from rolling. You can only shift into Park when
the vehicle is
stationary q &. .
To shift in and out of the P selector lever posi ­
tio n, press the inter lock b utton in the selector
lever
while pressing the brake peda l. Th is only
works when the ign ition is turned on.
R- Reverse
Only s hift into reve rse gear when t he vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running at idle
speed
q &. .
To se lect the R selector leve r pos ition, press the
in terlo ck button
while pressing the brake pedal
at the same time. The back-up lights switch on in
the R position if the ignition is switched on .
N -Neutral
T he tra ns m ission is in idle in th is posi tion
q &_ .
DIS -Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S se lector lever position, the t ransmis ­
s io n can be operated e ither in the normal D mode
or in the 5 spo rt mode . To select the 5 sport
mode, pull the selector leve r ba ck briefly . Pu llin g
t h e lever ba ck aga in will selec t the normal D
mode. The instr ument cluster disp lay shows the
selected driving mode .
77

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0 0 <..:l - than 2 seconds when the brake pedal is not
pressed.
Interlock button
The in terlo ck button i n the selector lever handle
p revents yo u from moving the selector lever i n­
advertently while in some se lector lever posi­
tions. The positions that require the interlock button to be pressed are marked in co lor i n the il ­
lustration
c:> fig . 84.
Driving tips
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in the P or the N po­
s it ion.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the lock button in the selector
lever hand le, select the desired se lector lever
pos ition such as 0/5 and release the lock but­
ton .
.. Wait a moment unt il the transm ission shifts .
You w ill no tice a slight movement when t he
gear e ngages .
.. Release t he b rake pedal and press the acce le ra­
tor pedal
c:> &_ .
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the veh icle stat ionary using the braking
peda l, for example at traffic lights .
.. Do no t press t he accelerator pedal when doing
t hi s.
.. To p revent the vehicle from rolling when yo u
sta rt driving, se t the park ing brake when stop­
ping on steep i nclines
c:> _&. .
.. The parking bra ke wi ll re lease automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the se lec to r l ever is not in the P posi tion when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could rol l.
The message
Transmission: selector lever in
drive position!
appears . A warn ing tone wi ll also
sound.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal
c:> _&. .
Driving
.. Se t the par king brake.
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
U nder certain circumst ances, su ch as driving in
t h e mo unta ins, i t may be useful to swi tch tempo ­
ra rily to the manual s hift program in order to
man ua lly adjust the gea rs to the driving condi ­
tions
c:> poge 80.
On inclines, activate the parking brake fi rs t a nd
t h en move the selector lever to t he P position
c:> page 75. This prevents the locking mechanism
from be ing loaded too heavily and will make it
easier to move the selector lever out of the P po­
s ition .
A WARNING
- The vehicle ca n roll even if the ignit ion is
sw itched off .
- Never leave your ve hicle w ith the engine
r u nning while in gear .
- Do not press the acce le rator peda l when
changing the se lector lever posi tion while
the vehicle is s ta tionary and the engi ne is
r u nning .
-
-Please no te that a small amo unt of power is
transmi tted if the veh icle is stopped tern po­
r a rily w hile in t he D/S or R select or leve r po­
si tion. To reduce t he risk of an a cc iden t, y ou
m ust cont in ue pressing firmly on the brake
pedal whi le t he veh icle is stoppe d so that i t
does not ro ll.
- Never engage the R or P sele ctor leve l pos i­
tions while dr iv ing. It could ca use a crash .
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and sh ift into a lowe r gear w ith
"t i pt ronic" .
- Do not r ide the brakes or p ress the brake
pedal too often or too lon g when dr iving
downhill . Constant bra king causes the
brakes to overheat and s ubstant ially re­
duces brak ing performance, increases b rak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete fai lure of
the bra ke system.
- If you must stop on an incline, a lways hold
the vehicle in place wit h the foot brake or
pa rking bra ke to p reve nt i t from rolling
back.
79

Driving
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload . The
[i1 indicator Light turns on
and a message appears~
page 81 when
the clutch is overloaded.
(D Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected. This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Set the parking brake or press the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not lubricated .
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is fastened.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in the Dor S position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is suitable for the hill . Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations. If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
~ page 86, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations , so it may not be able to maintain
80
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes .
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
The tiptronic mode allows the driver to shift the
gears manually.
'
}
Fig . 85 Center console: sh ift ing manually with the selector
l ever
Fig. 86 Steering wheel : manual s hift ing with the s hift pad­
dles*
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tip tron ic mode while stationary
and while driving.
.,. To shift into tiptronic mode, push the selector
lever from the D/S setting to the right. As soon
as the transmission switches over, the
M selec­
tor lever position will appear in the instrument
cluster display .
.,. To shift up a gear, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 ~ fig. 85.
.,. To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever back
0-
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or M
selector lever positions. ..,.

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' ~ To shift up one gear, tap the shift paddle 0
¢fig. 86.
~ To shift down one gear, tap the 0 shift paddle.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistance point, the automatic trans­
mission downshifts into a lower gear, depending
on vehicle speed and engine RPM.
It shifts up in­
to the next higher gear once the maximum speci­
fied engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Launch control program
A ppl ies to: ve hicles wit h S tro nic
-
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop.
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
~ Deactivate the Start/Stop system*¢ page 74.
The LED in the l0 u•I button turns on.
~ Switch the Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) sport mode on ¢
page 121. The II i ndi­
cator light turns on.
~ Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or select the
DYNAMIC driving mode in drive select
¢page 106.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second .
Driving
~ At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal within
five seconds ¢_& .
A WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I.P-O FFI button briefly to turn the sport
mode off.
@ Tips
- The transmission temperature may increase
significantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few minutes.
It will be
available again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Transmission malfunction
DD Transmission: please press brake pedal and
select gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
lector lever position again. You can then continue
driving.
DD Transmission overheating: Please drive con­
servatively.
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indicator light switches of. .,..
81

co
co
.... N
" 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 . .,_

co
co
.... N
" 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