2018 AUDI A6 driving style

Drivin g
Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in for the first 1,000 mi les (1,500 km). Do not dr ive at speeds
t hat will exceed 2/3 of the max imum pe rm itted
engine speed (RPM) for the first 600 miles
(1,000 km), and avoid fu ll acceleration during
this period . You may gradually start increasing
the RPM and the speed between 600 miles
(1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven d uring the first 1,000
miles (1 ,500 km) a lso affects the engine quality .
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icu larly when running a cold
eng ine . Th is will reduce eng ine wear and improve
the m ileage .
Do not drive at too
low of an engine speed (RPM).
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­ ly". Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati­
cally reduced .
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
@ Note
When driving on poo r roads, by cu rbs and on
s teep ramps, make su re t hat low-hang ing
compone nts such as the spo ile r and exha ust
system do not come into contact with these
or they could be damaged. This especially ap ­
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and veh icles that are heavily loaded.
Warming up/cooling down
Applies to: S models
By warming up/cooling down the engine carefu l­
ly, you can help red uce unnecessary stra in o n
your veh icle when driving in a sporty sty le .
64
The eng ine speed is lim ited when the engine is
cold - the full engine output is not availab le.
When the engine is at operat ing temperatu re,
the engine speed limitation moves to a h igher
RPM range. A lso, cold t ires may not have full
road gr ipping capab ilities until they have warmed
up .
Your vehicle a lso has an after-run cooling fea­
ture . However, cooling down is still important.
The eng ine and the brakes as well as the exhaust
system and the transmission become very hot
whe n driving in a spo rty style . Before you shut
t h e ve hicle off, you should cool down the vehicle
by d rivi ng a few miles at low speeds with l igh t ac ­
ce leration.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damag e when driving throug h water, for exampl e
on f looded roads:
- The water must not be any higher t han the bo t­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster tha n wal king speed .
& WARNING
After driving th ro ugh water or m ud, the effec ­
tiveness of the brakes may be red uce d due to
mo isture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake app lications shou ld dry
off the brakes and restore the full braking ef­
fect .
@ Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
t ransmiss ion, suspens ion or elect rical sys­
tem can be seve rely damaged by drivi ng
throug h water .
- Always switch the Start/Stop system* off
when driving through water
¢ page 70 .
(D Tips
- Determine the depth before driving throug h
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.

a co .... N
" N
-Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion.
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amount of fuel consumption, the environ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brakes and tires depends mostly on your driving
style. With an anticipatory and economic driving
style, fuel consumption can be reduced by ap­
proximately 10-15%. The following tips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time.
Anticipatory driving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when accelerating.
When you drive with anticipation, you do not
need to brake as often and so you accelerate less.
When possible, let your vehicle coast with a
gear
engaged, for example, when you notice that the
next traffic light is red. This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumption to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the accelerator pedal slowly and
avoid "kick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
8 Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine 0 \.J ' Driving
off when stopped at railroad crossings and long
red lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the engine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
gine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm-up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while doing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regularly on
your vehicle, you can help to reduce fuel con­
sumption before you even start to drive. The maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but al ­
so impacts
fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Avoid short trips
The engine and emissions control system must
reach their optimal operating temperature to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions .
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high amount of fuel. The engine reaches operating
temperature and consumption normalizes only
after approximately
2 .5 miles (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct pressure
Q page 211. The
fuel consumption can increase by S% if the pres­
sure is only 0.5 bar too low . Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures will also
lead to greater tire
wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every pound of extra weight increases fuel
consumption, a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces -
sary weight.
.,.
65

Drivin g
held with the br ake pedal. T he parking brake
eliminates the tendency to creep when a se­
lector lever pos ition is engaged . As soon as
you press the accelerator pedal, the park ing
brake releases automat ically and your vehicle
starts to move
¢ page 74 .
(D Tips
- Occasiona l noises when the parking brake is
set and re leased are normal and are not a
cause for concern .
- The park ing brake goes through a se lf-test
cycle at regular intervals when the veh icle is
stopped . Any noises associated w ith this are
no rmal.
- If there is a power fa ilure, the parking brake
will not set if it is released, and it will not r elease if it is
set¢ &. See an authorized
A udi dealer or authori zed Audi Servi ce Fa­
cility for ass istance.
Starting to drive
Va rio us conven ience and safety fu nctions may be
av aila ble when the vehicle begins d riv in g, de ­
pending on vehicle eq uipment.
Starting on hills with the parking brak e set
Requ irement: the dr iver's door must be closed
and the dr iver's safety be lt must be fastened .
.. To start driving comfortab ly when on a hill , se t
the parking brake and begin dr iv ing as usual.
T he brak ing force of the park ing brake does not
re lease automatically until t he wheels b uild up
eno ugh dr iv ing fo rce .
Starting on hills with hill hold assist
Hill hold ass ist makes it eas ier to start on hills.
Req uirement: the driver 's door must be closed
and the eng ine must be r unning.
.. T o activate hill hold assist, press an d hold the
brake peda l for seve ral seconds. The ve hicle
must be in an up hill direction of travel.
Afte r releasing the br ake pe dal, the br aking pow ­
er is ma intained for a brie f
moment¢ A to p re ­
vent the vehicle from rolling back when starting .
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During this time, you can easily begin to move
yo ur vehicle .
A WARNING
Applies to: ve hicles with hill hold assist
- If you do not beg in driving immed iate ly or
the engine stalls after releasing the brake
pedal, your veh icle may beg in to roll back­
ward. Press the bra ke peda l or se t the park­
ing b rake immedi ately.
- The inte lligent technology of hill ho ld assist
cannot ove rcome the limitat ions imposed by
natural phys ica l laws. The increased com fort
offered by hill hold assist should not cause
you to take safety risks.
- Hill hold ass ist cannot hold the vehicle in
place on all hills (for examp le, if the ground
is s lippery or icy).
- To reduce the risk o f an accident, always
make sure the vehicle is situated safely
while stationary.
Automatic transmission
Introduction
The au tomatic transmissio n is controlled elec­
t ronically. The transmission shifts up or down au ­
tomat ic al ly depen ding on which dr ive p rogr am is
selected .
When a
moderate driving sty le is used, the
t ransm iss ion selects the mos t econom ica l dr iv ing
mode. The tra nsmission upshi fts at a lowe r RPM
and downs hifts a t a higher RPM to improve fue l
efficiency.
The transmission sw itc hes to a sporty mode after
a kick- down o r when the dr iver uses a
s porty
dri ving style
characterized by quick acce lerato r
pedal movements, heavy acceleration, frequent
c h anges in sp eed and t raveling at the maximum
speed .
I f desired, t he driver can also selec t the gears
manually (tipt ronic mode ) ¢ page 78.
Applies to: vehicles wit h S t ronic transmiss ion
The S tron ic is a d ua l- cl utc h t ran smission. Power
i s transfer red using two clutches that work inde -
pendent ly from one another . They rep lace the
..,_

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
0 0 \,;J ' torque converter used in conventional automatic
transmissions and allow the vehicle to accelerate without a noticeab le interruption in tract ion .
Appl ies to: veh icles wit h a t iptro nic tra nsm iss io n
Power is transferred using a torque converter .
Selector lever positions
Fig. 82 Instrument cluste r: se lecto r leve r po sition s
The selector lever position that is engaged is
shown in the instrument cluster display .
P- Park
T his selector l ev er position prevents the vehicle
from rolling. You can only sh ift into Park when
the vehicle is
stationary ¢.&. .
To shift in and out of the P selector lever posi­
tion, press the interlock button in the selector
lever
while pressing the brake pedal. This only
works when the ignition is turned on.
R - R everse
Only shift into reverse gea r when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running at idle
speed ¢.&. .
To select the R se lector lever position, press t he
interlock button
while pressing the brake peda l
at the same time. The back-up lights switch on in
the R position if the ignition is switched on .
N -Neutral
The transm iss ion is in idle in this pos it ion ¢,&. .
DIS -Normal pos iti on for d riv ing forward
In the D/S selector lever pos ition, the transm is ­
sion can be ope rated either in the normal D mode
or in the S sport mode . T o select the S sport
D rivi ng
mode, pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling
the lever back again will select the normal D
mode. The instrument cluster d isp lay shows the
selected driving mode.
In the
n o rmal mode "D", the transmission auto ­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio .
It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driving
style.
Se lect the
sport mode "S " for sporty driving. The
vehicle makes fu ll use of the engine's power.
Sh ift ing is more not iceable when accelerating .
To move from selecto r lever pos ition N to D, you
must press the brake pedal and the vehicle must
be traveling less than 1 mph (2 km/h) or be sta­
t ionary ¢.&. .
A WARNING
----
-The vehicle can roll even if the ignition is
sw itched off.
- Never se lect R or P while driving, because
this increases the risk of an accident.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle . To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", you must keep your foot on the b rake in all selector
lever positions (except P) when the engine is
r u nning. Otherwise, this inc reases the risk
of an acc ident.
- Do not inadvertently p ress the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stopped if a gea r is
engaged. O therwise the ve hicle will start to
move immed iate ly, even if the parking brake
is set . This could result in a crash.
- To decrease the r is k of an accident, these­
lecto r lever mus t be in the P pos ition and
the parking brake must be set before open ­
ing the hood and working on a running en­
g ine. A lways read and follow the applicable
warn ings
¢ page 189, Working in the en­
gine compartment.
(D Tips
- Drive select : sporty shifting characteristics
can be se lected using the
Dynamic driv ing
mode.Swill appear in the instrument clus­
ter display instead of D.
75

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" N .... 0 0 \.J ' Cornering light*
The cornering light adapts the high beams to the
direc tion of the curve depending on the speed .
The pivoting action and the lighting also adapt to
the mode .
Adaptive cruise control*
The behav ior when accele rating can be adjusted
from comfortab le to sporty, depen ding on the
drive select mode . Adaptive cr uise cont rol a lso
responds to the driving behavior of the ve hicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner.
Engine sound*
The engine sound adapts to the cur rent mode
an d can be subtle to sporty .
(UJ) Note
Applies to: vehicles with adaptive air suspension
-Make sure the re is eno ugh clearance above
and below t he ve hicle when par king . The
height of the vehicle (ground clearance) can
change once it is pa rked due to tempe rature
fluctuations , changes to the load conditions
and c hanges to the driv ing modes .
-When transport ing the veh icle on a car car­
r ier, tra in, sh ip or by other means, only t ie
the veh icle dow n at the runni ng surface of
t h e tires, wh ich is the outer circ umference .
Secur ing the ve hicle at t he a xle co mpo­
nen ts, suspe nsio n str uts or tow ing eyes is
not permi tted be cause the p ress ure in the
air sus pension str uts can change during
transport. The vehicle may not be secured
sufficiently if this happens .
Adjusting the Individual mode
Ass istance systems
(D Tips
-In some models, the maximum ve hicle
speed can only be reached in t he auto and
dynamic modes.
-T he S selector lever position automatica lly
engages if the dynamic mode is selected.
- Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering:
operati ng no ise is heard when sta rting or
stopp ing the engine. T his does not ind icate
a prob lem.
Selecting the driving mode
.. To select the mode, select the follow ing in the
Infota inment:
!CARI function b utton> Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Individual.
You can change the driv ing mode when the veh i­
cle is stationary or while driving . If traff ic per­
mits , afte r changing modes, briefly take your
foot off the accelerator pedal so t hat the recently
selected mo de is also ac tiva ted fo r th e e ngine.
Comfort -provides a comfort-or iented vehicle
setup a nd is s uited fo r long d rives o n highways .
Auto -provides an ove rall comfortab le yet dy­
nam ic dr iving feel and is suited for everyday use .
Dynamic -gives the driver a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driving style .
Individual -q page 105.
A WARNING ~ -
Pay attention to traffic w hen ope rating the
d rive select to reduce the r isk o f an accident.
You con adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
.,. Select : t h e ICARI fu nction bu tton > Set individ ­
ual
con trol button . Once yo u select the me nu,
yo u wi ll au tomatically drive in t he
Indi vidual
mode.
Afte r you have closed the se tt ings, you will a uto ­
mat ica lly dr ive i n the
Individual mode . T
he equ ipment in yo ur vehicle will dete rm ine
wh ich se tt ings you can adjust. The fo llow ing ta -
ble g ives an overview o f the characteristics .
.,_
105

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Wear Brake pad
wear depends largely on the way the
vehicle is driven and on operating conditions.
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
in the city and on curves or with a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, after overnight con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
"dried" first with a few careful brake applica ­
tions.
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time. This action,
which is not felt by the driver, happens at regular
intervals and ensures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather .
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the brakes for long periods of time. The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
f ir st when the brakes are applied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mileage 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 braking or if there is
corros ion present, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and
pads¢ &..
Brake system malfunction
If you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud­
denly
increased, then a brake circuit in the dual­
circu it brake system may have malfunct ioned.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Intelligent Technology
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mind that you will
need a longer distance to stop and you will need
to press the brake peda l harder.
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur . The brake fluid level
is e lectronically monitored.
Brake booster
T he brake booster amplifies the press ure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal. It on ly works w hen the en­
gine is running.
A WARNING
-
-Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic cond itions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident .
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident .
- New brake pads do not ach ieve the ir full
braking effect dur ing the first 250 m i
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first .
However, you can compensate fo r the
slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy b rak­
ing during the break -in period.
- Ce rtain weather and operating conditions
such as driving through water, dr iv ing in
heavy rain or driving after washing your ve ­
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes. In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums. Check
these components by braking carefully. Ap­
plying the brakes carefully several times
dries the brakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency of the brakes can also be im­
pa ired by dr iv ing for long stretches on roads
covered with salt without using the brakes.
You can remove salt deposits from the
brake rotors and pads by carefully applying
the brakes several times.
121

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles wit h all wheel drive
In oil wheel drive, oil four wheels ore powered .
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels. This happens automatical­
l y depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions. Also see
c:> page 119, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) .
A center differential distributes the driving power
variab ly to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving through curves
c:>poge 119. With the sport differential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted w ith drive select
c:> poge 104 .
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characteristics
both under normal driv ing cond itions and on
snow and ice. Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions
c:> .&, .
Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward mot ion with standard tires in winter con­
ditions . However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on all four w heels, be­
cause this will improve the braking effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
c:> page 217, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
For vehicles with all wheel drive, only wheels with
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid using tires with different tread depths
c:> page 208, New tires or wheels .
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficult terrain.
Intelligent Technology
A WARNING
--
- Also, in veh icles with all wheel drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and
traffic conditions . Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks,
because this increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- The braking ability of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the wheels. In this way, it
is not different from a two wheel drive vehi­
cle. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippery, be­
cause t his increases the risk of an accident .
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydrop lane" if driving at speeds that
are too high. Unlik e front wheel drive
veh icles, the engine does not rev higher sud­
denly when the vehicle begins hydroplaning.
For this reason, adapt your speed to the
road conditions to reduce the risk of an acci­
dent.
Energy management
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent ener­
gy management system for distributing electrici­
ty . This significantly improves the start ing ability
and increases the vehicle battery life.
(D Tips
- If you dr ive short distances frequently, the
veh icle battery may not charge enough
w hile driving. As a result, convenience func­
tions for electr ical equipment may be tem­
porarily unavailable.
- Th e vehicle battery w ill gradually drain if
the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time, or if electrical equipment is used
when the engine is not running. To ensure
that the vehicle can still be started, the
electrical equipment will be reduced or
switched off.
123

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Audi rec ommends
~ Castrot /lftlg;'f.E@t Frtrrr.::--.~lri,'lAl.
A ud i recomm ends using the Lo ng Life h igh ­
perfo rm ance eng ine oil from Aud i Genu ine
Parts .
Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info ­
tainment system
Observe the safety precautions ¢ A in Working
in the engine compartment on page 189.
~ Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Shut the engine off when it is warm .
~ Switch only the ignition back on.
~ Wait approx imately two minutes.
~ Select : the ICARI function button > (C ar)* Sys ­
tem s
control button > Service & control > O il
l e v el.
~ Read the o il level in the display. Add eng ine oil
i f t he ba r in the oil leve l ind icator is just before
"min" ¢ page 194.
(UJ) Note
The engine oil leve l mus t not be unde r the
"min" mark ing, as this will increase the risk of
engine damage.
(D Tips
The o il level indica tor in the disp lay is on ly an
informationa l display. If the o il level is too
low, a minimum oi l warning appears in the in ­
strument cluster. Add oil and close the hood.
The current oil level is d isplayed in the Info­
tainment system the next t ime the ignition is
sw itched on.
(D Tips
The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 m iles (0.S liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on driving style and operating condi­
tions. Consumpt ion may be h igher during the
first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Because of this,
the eng ine oil level m ust be checked regu lar­
ly. I t is best to chec k each t ime yo u refuel
your veh icle and befo re long d rives .
Ch eck ing and F illing
-In order to prov ide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l engine components, a ll
internal comb ustion engines consume acer ­
tain amount of oil. Oi l consumption var ies
from engine to engine and may change sig­
nificantly over the life of the engine . Typi­
cally, eng ines with a specified break-in peri­
od consume mo re o il du ring the break-in pe­
r iod than they consume afte r oil cons ump­
t ion has s tabilized.
-Under norma l co ndit io ns, the rate of oil
cons umption depe nds on the q ual ity and
vis cos ity of the oil , the R PM (revo lutions per
m inute) a t which the engine is operated, the
ambient temperature and road conditions .
Further factors are the amount of oi l di lu­
tion from water condensat ion or fue l resi­
due and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage builds
up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry.
-With all these var iables com ing into play,
no sta ndard rate of o il consumption can be
established o r specified. There is no a lter na­
ti ve to c hec king the oil leve l reg ularly and
frequently.
-If you have the impress ion your e ngine co n­
sumes excessive amo unts o f oil, we recom ­
mend that you consult an author ized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that t he
acc urate measurement of o il cons umption
requires great care and may take some
time . An authorized Aud i dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measu re o il consump­
tion accurate ly.
-You can find informat ion on engine oil and
eng ine o il capacit ies for the USA at
www.aud iusa.com/he lp/ma intenance, o r
for Ca nada at www.aud i.ca/ ca/web/en/
cu stomer -area/ ca re -and -m a i ntena nee/ a u di ­
serv i ce -sched u les. htm l, or ca ll
800 -822-2834 .
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