2018 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' -Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­ sion .
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints : before driv ­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
~ page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger
seat ¢ page 142 .
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, r elaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust th e seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it wh enever the vehicle is moving.
.. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible , try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
~ page 128. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
Driving safety
.. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passeng er seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 137 .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front pass enger's s eat, see
¢ pag e 47.
A WARNING
= -
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
g reat force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
~
127

Driving safety
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c> page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 142.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the
ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
i ng:
• For adjustable head restra ints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c> page 128 .
• Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c>page 137.
• Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age
c::> page 166.
_& WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched. By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger
in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
128
-For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to : vehicles with adjustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 139 Head restra int: viewed from t he front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of your head . If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head
re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible
c> fig. 139 . Move the head restraint so
that it is as close to the back of the head as
possible.
• If the re is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint
up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
c> page 48.
_& WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fata l neck injury
dramatically . To help reduce the risk of injury:
-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
-

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \.J ' -Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the upper edge is as
even as possible w ith the top of your head .
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le. Move the head restra in t so that
it is as close to t he b ack of the he ad as pos ­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restra int
w hil e d riving. If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the dr ive r headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restraint .
- Children must a lways be proper ly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
r=) page 166.
Examples of improper seating positions
Th e occupant r estraint syst em con only r educ e
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
I mp roper seating posi tions can cause se rious in ­
jury or death . Safety belts can only work when
they ar e properly positioned on the body. Im ­
prope r seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safe ty belts and w ill even increase the r isk of
injury and death by moving the s afety belt to crit­
ical areas of the body . Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not i n the prope r seat ing pos ition. A d rive r
i s respons ible for the safety of a ll vehicle occu ­
pants and especia lly fo r children . There fore:
"' Never allow anyone to assume an inco rrect
seat ing pos it ion w hen t he ve hicle is being used
r=) & .
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious inju ry
and dea th. O ur hope is that these examp les w ill
make you more aware of seat ing pos it ions tha t
are dangerous .
Therefore, wh enever th e vehicle is moving:
- never stand up in the veh icle
- never stand on the seats
Dri ving saf ety
- never kneel on the seats
- neve r ride wit h the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the seats
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on t he instr ument pane l
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
-
Imp roper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious perso nal in jury and death whenever
a ve hicl e is being u sed .
- Always make sure that all ve hicle occupants
stay in a p roper seating posit ion and a re
p roperly restra ined whe never the veh icle is
be ing used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
A WARNING
= -
A lways make s ure t hat the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accide nt by interfering with the
way t he a irbag dep loys or by be ing pushed in­
to you as the a irbag dep loys .
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the a irbag deploys, this can res ult in
ser io us or fatal injur ies.
- N o objects of a ny kind should be ca rr ied in
the footwell a rea in front of the dr ive r's or
p a sse nger's seat. B ulky objects (shopp ing
b ags, for exam ple) can h amper o r preven t
proper dep loymen t of the airbag . Sma ll ob ­
jects can be thrown thro ugh the vehicle if
129

Drivin g saf ety
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that noth ing prevents them from
returning to the ir original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
A WARNING
Peda ls that cannot move free ly can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury .
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere w ith pedal function . In case of
sudden brak ing or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fa ll or
move into the dr iver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at ­
tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
"'Make sure that the floor mats are properly se-
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
peda ls ~ ,& .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of pos ition . You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Aud i
Dea le r.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
130
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to thes e fasten ers. Properly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­ pair safe operation of your vehicle in o ther ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the r isk of
serious pe rsonal injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop­ erly secured .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from s lipping and interfer ing with the ped­
als or the ab ility to cont rol the vehicle.
- Never p lace or install floor mats o r other
floor coverings on top of al ready installed
floor mats . Addi tion al floor mats and other
cover ings will reduce the size o f the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly re install and secure floo r
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects canno t fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­ ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly , changing vehicle handling charac ­
te rist ics . Loose items can also inc rease the risk of
se rious persona l injury in a sudden veh icle ma­
neuver or in a collision .
"' Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com ­
partment .
"'Always place and prope rly secure heavy items in
the l uggage compa rtment as fa r fo rwa rd as
possible .
.,.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \.J ' ~ Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
~ page 54.
~ Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­ sonal injury in the event of hard b raking or an
accident . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal in jury:
- Always put objects, fo r example, luggage o r
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
- Always sec ure objects in the luggage com­
partmen t using the tie-down hooks an d
s u itable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads wi ll influence the way yo ur vehi­
cle handles. To he lp reduce the ris k of a loss
of contro l leading to serio us pe rsonal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always d istribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as poss ible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the driv­
er's side B-p illar. Exceeding permissible
we ight s tanda rds can cause the vehicle to
slide and handle differently .
- Please obse rve information on safe driving
~page 1 2 5.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed wh ile driving.
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitt ing completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid can not be fully closed.
-
Dri ving saf ety
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all a ir outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch
off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
A WARNING
=
A lways make su re that the doo rs, all win-
dows, the powe r roof* and the rea r lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the r isk of
i njury when the veh icle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid , always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked .
- Never leave your veh icle unattended espe­
cially with the rear lid left open . A child
could crawl in to the vehicle th rough the lug­
gage compartment and close the rea r lid be­
coming trapped and unab le to get o ut. Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle c an le ad to ser ious
pe rsonal injury.
- Never let children play in o r around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment. Vehicle occupants mus t al­
ways be p roperly restrained in one of the ve­
h icle's seat ing pos itions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce w indow fog­
ging. Stale air esc apes to the outs ide
t hrough vents in the tr im panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The tire p ressure m ust co rres pond to the
load. The t ire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The t ire pressure label is lo ­
cated on the dr iver's side B-pillar . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures fo r the veh icle at its
maximum capac ity weight and the tires that
we re on your vehicle at the time it was man­
ufac tured . For recommended t ire pressures
for normal load condi tions, p lease see chap­
t er
~page 213.
131

Drivin g saf ety
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo proper ly
¢ page 130, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of p hysics mean that even
sma ller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause ser ious in­
jury . Items in the ve hicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the item . Veh icle speed is the most s ignificant factor .
For examp le, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces act ing o n a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 t imes the normal
weight of the item . Th is means that the weight
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs . (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
t ha t a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying free ly th rough
the passenger compartment could ca use in a co l­
lision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail d uring ha rd
brak ing or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury .
- Always use suitab le mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help p revent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles .
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suitab le mounting straps and
prope rly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartmen t to help p revent
items from flying forw ard as dangerous
missiles into the passenger compartment .
- Never a ttach a child safe ty se at tether strap
to a tie-down.
132
-
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you belie ve that your vehicle
ha s a defect whi ch could cau se a
c rash or could cau se injur y or
death, you should immedi atel y in­
form the N atio nal Highw ay Traffic
Sa fe ty Admini stration (NHTSA) in
a ddition to n otif yin g Audi of
Am eri ca , Inc.
If NHTS A re cei ves s imilar com­
pl aint s, it m ay o pe n an in vestiga­
tion , and if it find s that a saf ety
defe cts ex is ts in a group of
ve hicle s, it m ay ord er a re call and
remed y campaign. However,
NHTSA cann ot become in volved in
indi vidu al probl em s between you,
your dealer, or Audi of Am erica,
Inc.
To conta ct the NHT SA, you ma y
either call:
T el.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY :
1-800-424- 9153) or
1-800-424- 9393
or you may write to:

0
NHTSA
U .S. Department of Transporta­
tion 1200 New Jersey Ave., S .E.
West Building
Washington, DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor­ mation about motor vehicle safe­
ty from:
http:/ /www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
If you live in Canada and you be­
lieve that your vehicle has a de­
fect that could cause a crash, in­
jury or death, you should immedi­
ately inform Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls .
You should also notify Audi Cana­ da.
Canadian customers who wish to
report a safety-related defect to
Transport Canada, Defect Investi­
gations and Recalls, may either
call Transport Canada toll-free at:
Tel. : 1-800-333 -05 10 or
Tel.: 1-819-994-3328 (Ottawa re­
gion and from other countries)
TT Y for hearing impaired : Tel.:
1 -888-67 5-6863
~ or contact Transport Canada by ,....
8 mail at :
s ..
Driving saf ety
Transpo rt Canada
Motor Vehicle Safety Investiga­
tions Laboratory
80 Noel Street
Gatineau , QC
J8Z 0Al
For additional road safety infor­
mation, please visit the Road
Safety website at:
http:/ /www.tc.gc.ca/eng/
roadsafety/menu .htm
1 33

Safety belts
Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
.,. Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automob ile acc idents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be serious ly injured if th ey do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother
-throughout
the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­
ing position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
inju ry and death.
- Never strap more tha n one person, includ­
i ng small children, into any belt. It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on you r lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
134 -
Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
proper ly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger (on USA models only) to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 140 Safety belt warn ing lig ht in the instrument clus ­
ter
-enlarged
Before driving off , always:
.,. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly .
U) N
"' 9 N .,. Make sure that your passengers a lso buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts .
.,. Protect children with a ch ild restraint system
appropr iate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ign it ion is on as a reminder to
fasten the safety belts . In addition , you will hear
a war ning tone for a certain period of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
inj ury and death in automobile accidents.
Fo r your protection and that of your passen­
gers, a lways correct ly wear safety belts
when t he vehicle is moving .
- Fai lure to pay attention to the warning light
that come on, cou ld lead to personal injury.