2018 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Intelligent Technology Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
Electronic stabilization control (ESC) supports
driver safety. It reduces the risk of slipping and
improves driving stability. ESC detects critica l sit­
uations such as the vehicle oversteering and un­
dersteering or the wheels are spinning. The vehi­
cle is stabilized by applying the brakes or reduc­ ing engine torque. As soon as the ESC is actively
regulating, the
If] indicator light b links in the in­
strument cluster.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking when brak­
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even during
hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
brake pedal indicates that the system is act ing to
stabilize the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases braking power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quickly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
until the dangerous situat ion is over . In veh icles
with adaptive cruise contro l*, the brake assist
system is more sensitive if the distance detected
to the vehicle dr iv ing ahead is too small. On
vehicles with activated and functioning night vi­
sion assist*, the brake assist system can respond more sensitively if there is a warning .
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin spinning and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler­
ate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL applies the brakes to a whee l that starts
spinning and transfers the drive power to the
other driving wheel or wheels (if the vehicle is
Intelligent Technology
equipped with a ll wheel drive*). This function is
not avai lab le at higher speeds.
In extreme cases , EDL automatically switches off
to keep t he brake on the braked whee l from over ­
heating. The vehicle is still working correctly. EDL
will switch on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Power steering
The ESC can also support veh icle stability
through steering .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
i ng on curves. The front whee l on the ins ide of
the curve or both wheels on the ins ide of the
curve are braked selectively as needed. This al­
lows more precise driving in curves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "automat ic post-collis ion braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sliding and of addi­
tional collisions after an accident. If the airbag
contro l module
detects a co llision above a certa in
vehicle speed, the vehicle is braked by the ESC.
T he vehicle does not brake automatically if:
- the driver presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
-
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the lim its imposed by natura l
p hys ica l laws. This is especially impo rtant
on slippery or wet roads. If the systems be­
g in acting to stabilize yo ur vehicle, you
should immediately alter your speed to
match the road and traffic conditions. Do
not let the increased safety provided tempt
you into taking risks. This could increase
your r isk of a coll is ion.
- Please note the risk of a coll ision increases
when dr iv ing fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when
IIJ,,
119

Intelligent Technology
driving too close to objects ahead . The ESC
and its integrated systems cannot always prevent coll isions
-there is still a risk of ac­
cidents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such as ice and snow . The drive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal-
Switching on /off
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 sizes 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. 137 Ce nter con sole: OF F~ 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:
- Rock ing the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization f unctions Th
e fu ll stabilization f unction of the ESC
are limited
~ &. . and ASR is avai lab le again.
Operating Press the I~ O FF I button . Press the I~ OF F! button again .
Indicator filturns on. . turns off.
lights
Messages Stabilization control (ESC): Sport Warn-Stabilization control (ESC): On
ing! Reduced stability
A WARNING
-Only switch sport mode on when your driv­
ing abilities and the traffic situation 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 slippery road
surfaces .
120
-
{l) Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise con­
tro l* is switched on .
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full braki ng
effec t during the first 2SO mi (400 km). They
must be "broken in" first.

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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.
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Intellig ent T echn olo gy
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you insta ll
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
brakes are venti lated properly. Otherwise,
the brake system could overheat, wh ich re­
duces the ir effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impairs braking
performance, which increases brak ing dis­
tance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest author ized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac il ity.
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press muc h ha rde r on the bra ke
peda l to compe nsate for the lack of the
booste r.
0 Note
- Neve r let the brakes "rub" by press ing the
pedal light ly when bra kin g is not actually
ne cessa ry. Th is ca u ses the brakes to over ­
hea t an d increases bra king d istance and
causes wear.
- B efo re dr iv ing downh ill a long distance on a
steep hi ll, de crease your speed and se lec t a
l ower gear . This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes . If
you need to brake additionally, brake in in­
tervals and not continuously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front spoil ­
er, whee l covers or s imilar items, make sure
that the a ir flow to the front whee ls is not
i nterrupted. Otherw ise the brake system
can become too hot .
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
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Indicator lights and me ssag es
• Do n ot driv e vehi cle: Ste ering d efe ctiv e
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the veh icle in a safe location as soon as pos ­
s ible. Do
n o t continue driving . See an authorized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Fac ility for
ass ista nce.
kr-D S te ering: System fault You can cont inu e
dri ving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more d iffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driv ing stra ight.
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to have the mal ­
funct ion corrected.
l;rfl D ynamic steer ing: Init ializing
If the indicator light is blinking and this message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
The steering wheel will be easy to move after
start ing the engine. Re-initialization might be
necessary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and r ight while the veh icle was not
moving. T he d isplay turns off if the in it ial izat ion
was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or ':r,y indicator l ight only stays on
for a sho rt time, you may cont inue d riv ing.
- The dynamic steering stability systems
~page 119 are not ava ilable in the event of
a system malfunct ion.
- For add itional information o n dynamic
steering,
see~ page 104 .

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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.
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Intelligent Technology
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understand­
ing how a vehicle's systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle dy ­
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less . The EDR in this
veh icle is designed to record such data as :
-How various systems in your vehicle were oper ­
at ing;
-Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
-How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
-How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understand­ ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in ­
juries occur. NOTE : EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e .g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other pa rties , such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data wit h the
type of persona lly identifying data routine ly ac­
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, specia l equip­
ment is required, and access to the veh icle or the
EDR is needed. In add it ion to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the specia l equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the
E DR .
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs installed in a vehi­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af­
ter an accident or crash event without the own ­
er's consent.
124
Audi will not access the EDR and/or simi lar data
or give it to others
-
-un less t he ve hicle owne r (or lessee if the vehi ­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
-upon the offic ial request by the police; or
-upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
-for the defense of a lawsuit through the jud icial
discovery process .
-Audi may also use the data for research about
veh icle operat ion and safety performance or
prov ide t he data to a third party for research
purposes without identify ing t he specific vehi­
cle or information about the identity of its own­
er or lessee and only after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is also equ ipped with a numbe r of
electronic cont rol modules for various vehicle
systems, such as engine management, em iss ion
contro l, airbags, and safety be lts.
These elect ronic control modules record data
during normal vehicle operation t hat may be
needed by trained technic ia ns for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is limited to data (no sound is record ­
ed). Only a sma ll amount of data is actually re­
corded over a very limited period of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a control
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
vehicle speed, d irection, or braking, as well as re­
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash. Stored data can also only be read a nd
down loaded w ith specia l equipment that is di­
rectly connected to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped w ith Aud i con­
nect. Your use of certain Audi connect fea­
tures requires wire less services that are pro­
vided by a third party wireless telecommuni ­
cations provider. For details regarding how in­
formation obtained through Audi connect is
collected, processed, transmitted, used, and
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommun ications provider .

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" N .... 0 0 \.J ' Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
The individual safety features of your vehicle can
work together as a system to help protect you
and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if they
are not always correctly adjusted and correctly
used .
This chapter contains important informat ion,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
iz ed here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section -for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The informa tion in t his section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the fea ­
tures described in this sections may be standard
eq uip ment on some models, or may be optional
equ ipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your i nterest and in the in­
terest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell yo ur
vehicle so that this important information
w ill always be available to the driver and
passengers.
-Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions .
Driving safety
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job ! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure tha t the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all w indows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide.
.. Secure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
¢ page 54, ¢page 53 .
.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
peda ls .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correct ly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
¢ page 166, Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure t hat
your passengers do the
same¢ page 47, Seats
and storage.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts
properly ¢ page 134 .
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 ­
hicle and a ll of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impa ired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you a lso become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ &_ . Therefore:
.. Do not let yourse lf be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving abi lity is im­
pa ired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed lim its and plain common sense .
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Driving sa fety
,.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
,.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
,.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
sure or whe n you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driv ing safety inc reases the risk of
ser ious persona l inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver sea ting po sition is impor tan t
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 138 Correc t seat ing posit ion
F or your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position :
,.. Adjust the dr iver's seat so tha t you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor whi le
keeping your knee(s) s light ly
bent ¢ ,A.
,.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive.
"' Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm ) between the
stee ring wheel and your breast
bone ¢ fig. 138 .
If not possib le, see you r autho rized Aud i dea l­
ersh ip about adaptive equipment .
126
,.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wh eel 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.
"' F or ad justab le head rest raints: Adjust the head
restraint so t he upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head . If that is not pos­
sible, t ry to adjust the head restraint so tha t it
is a s close to this pos it ion as poss ible . M ove the
he ad restraint so tha t it is as close to the back
o f the head as possible.
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 137 .
"'Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the veh icle at all times .
Fo r detail ed information on how to adjust the
dr iver's seat,
see ¢ page 47.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted , out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in-
jured by an airbag as it unfo lds . To help re-
duce the risk of serio us pe rsonal i njury:
-Always adjust the driver's seat and the steer ing whee l so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that the re are at least
4 inch es (10 cm) between the knees a nd the
lower part of the ins trumen t panel.
-Always hold t he s teering wheel on the out­
side of t he steering wheel r im with yo ur
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the dr iver 's airbag inflates.
-Never hold the stee ring wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with you r hands at
other positions inside the steer ing whee l
rim o r on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head
-
if the driver's airbag inflates . .,_