2018 AUDI A6 hill assist

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' If the ABS indicator light fJ] (USA mode ls) /
ii] (Canada mode ls), th e ESC indicator light DI .
and the brake system ind icator light 1111 (USA
models)
/ . (Canada mode ls) all turn on and
this message appears, then the ABS, ESC and braking distribution are
malfunctioning ¢&. .
Do not cont inue driving . See an authorized Aud i
dealer or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Facili ty for as­
sistance ¢
&..
1111 (USA model s) /. (Canada models ) Pa rk­
ing brake: S ystem fault! See owner 's manual.
- If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicl e is stati onar y or afte r switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking brake. If you cannot re lease the park ­
ing brake, see an authori zed Aud i dealer or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility. If you can rele ase
the parking brake and the message still ap ­
pears, see an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
i zed Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
- If the indicato r light and message appear
while
d riving,
the h ill stQrt Qssist or emergency b r9k­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be poss ib le to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Do not park your ve hicle
on hi lls. See an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
Applies to: USA models
If the 1111 and EiJ t u rn on at the same t ime, the
brake pads are worn out ¢
page 16.
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warnings in
¢ page 189, Working in the engine com­
portment
before open ing the hood and
check ing the brake fluid level.
- If the brake system ind icator light does not
turn off or it turns on while dr iv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident.
Stop the vehicle and do not continue dr iv­
ing. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
tho rize d Aud i Serv ice F acility for ass istance.
- If the brake system ind icator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC ind icator
In strum ents and ind icator ligh ts
lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating function may
be malfunct ion ing . Funct ions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide. Do not cont inue driving. See an autho rized
Aud i deale r or a utho rized Aud i Serv ice Facili­
ty fo r ass istance.
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
indicator ligh t turns on, the parking brake was
set .
-(USA model s) /. (Can ad a model s) Cau ­
t ion : V ehicle parked too steep
If the indicato r light bl inks and the message ap­
pears, there is not enoug h braking powe r to se­
c ur e the veh icle. The b rakes have ove rheated. The
vehicle could roll away even o n a sm all incline .
-(USA model s) /. (Can ad a model s) Pre ss
brak e pedal to r elease parkin g brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press
the ~ button at the same time
or start driving w ith hill start
assist ~ page 74 .
&,I Parking brake!
T here is a ma lfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or authori zed Audi
Service Facility immediate ly to have the ma lfunc­
t ion cor rected.
(D Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake, see ¢
page 72.
_L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and check coolant le vel
T he coo lant level is too low.
Do not continue dr iv ing and switch t he e ngine
off. Chec k the coolan t level ¢
page 196 .
- If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
~ page 196 . Only continue dr iving once the in-
d icator light turns off.
.,.
13

Lights and Vision
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Headlight a ssis t: System fault
D rive to an authorized Aud i dealer or a uthorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corre cted. You can still switch the
h igh beams on or off manually.
Headlight as sist: Unavailable No camera view
The camera view is blocked, for example by a
sticker or debris.
The senso r is located between the interior rear­
view mirror and the windshield. Do not place any stickers in th is area on the windshield.
A WARNING
H igh beam assistant is only i ntended to assist
the driver . The dr iver is still responsible for
cont ro ll ing the head ligh ts a nd switch ing
t hem manually depend ing o n light and v isibil­
i t y condition s.
It may be necessary to operate
th em ma nually i n sit uations such as:
- In adve rse weathe r condit ions such as fog,
heavy ra in, b low ing snow or sp raying wate r.
- On roads whe re oncoming traffi c may be
pa rtiall y o bscu red, s uch as ex pressways.
- W hen there are road users t hat do not have
s ufficient ligh ting, s uch as bicy clers o r
vehicles wi th dirty ta il la mps.
- In tight cu rves and o n steep hills.
- In poorly lit areas .
- With stro ng reflectors, such as signs.
- If the area of the windshield near the senso r
is fogged over, dirty, icy or covered with a
sticker.
Adjusting the exterior lighting
The functions are adjusted in the Infotainment
sys tem.
~ Se lect : I CAR I functio n button> (Car)* Systems
contro l button > Vehicle settings > Exterior
light ing .
Automatic headlights
You can adju st the fo ll ow ing settings in the Au­
tomatic headlights
menu:
40
Headlights activation time -you can adjust if the
headlights switch on
Early , Medium or Late ac­
cording to the sensit ivity of the light sensor.
Auto-dimming high beams * -yo u can switch t he
high beam assistant *
On and Off .
Daytime running lights*
USA models :
the daytime running lights can be
swi tched on/off. Sele ct
On or Off .
Canada models:
this function cannot be sw itched
off . They act ivate automatically each time the ig­
nit ion is switched on .
Coming home, Leaving home
The coming home function illuminates the area
outside the vehicle when you turn the ig nit ion off
and open the d river's doo r. To turn the function
o n, select
Light s when leaving car > On .
The leaving home illum inates the area outside
the vehicle when you unlock the vehicle . To turn
t h e f unction on, se lect
Lights when unlocking
car > On .
The coming home and leav ing home functions
on ly operate when it is dark and the l ight switch
i s in the
AUTO pos ition .
Emergency flashers
------
Fig. 3 8 Cente r conso le : emergency f las her bu tton
The eme rgency flashe rs makes other d rivers
aware of your veh icle in dangerous situations.
~ Press the ~ button to switch the emergency
flashers on or of f.
You can indicate a lane cha nge or a turn w hen the
eme rgency flashers are switched o n by using the
..,.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Releasing the parking brake automatically
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed,
the driver's safety belt must be latched and the
parking brake must be set.
.,. To start driving and release the parking brake
automatically, press the accelerator pedal as
usual.
In addition to releasing the parking brake auto­
matically, other convenience and safety functions
are available when you start driving
¢page 74,
Starting to drive.
Preventing the automatic parking brake
release
The vehicle could begin rolling unintentionally,
depending on the hill or if towing a trailer.
.,. To prevent the parking brake from releasing au­
tomatically, pull and hold
the(®) switch and
press the accelerator pedal. The parking brake
remains set and prevents the vehicle from roll­
ing backward.
.,. You can release the C®l switch again once you
are sure that you are giving enough driving
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator pedal.
Emergency braking function
You can use the emergency braking function in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled.
.,. Pull and hold the®) switch.
.,. As soon as you release the (®) switch or acceler-
ate, the braking stops.
Pulling and holding the
C®) switch while driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func­
tion. The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by
activating the hydraulic brake system. The brak­ ing effect is similar to heavy
braking¢&_ .
To reduce the risk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warning tone (buzzer)
sounds when
the®> switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as
the®) switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
Parking
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
Driving
.,. Pull the®> switch to set the parking brake .
.,. Place the selector lever in the P position.
.,. Turn the engine off¢&_ .
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in­
clines so that the wheels will roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving.
A WARNING
-
- Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tently if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running. Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
diately and this could result in an accident.
- Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake pedal
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
During emergency braking, your vehicle will
brake similar to heavy braking. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics . In cor­
ners and when road or weather conditions
are bad, a full brake application can cause
the vehicle to skid or the rear end to swerve,
which
increases the risk of an accident.
- If the power supply fails , you cannot set the
parking brake if it is released . In this case,
park the vehicle on level ground and secure
it by placing the selector lever in the P posi­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- If you leave the vehicle, switch the ignition
off and take the vehicle key with you. This
applies particularly when children remain in
the vehicle. Otherwise children could start
the engine, release the parking brake or op­
erate electrical equipment such as power
windows, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- No one should remain in the vehicle when it
is locked - especially children . Locked doors
make it more difficult for emergency work­
ers to get into the vehicle, which puts lives
at risk.
(D Tips
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping
in city traffic, you can set the parking brake
manually . The vehicle does not have to be
73

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 .
74
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 ' Stopping/parking
If t he se lecto r lever is not in t he P posi tion when
you open the driver 's door, the vehicle could rol l.
The message
V ehicle ma y roll! Selector le ver not
in P
appears . A warning tone will a lso sound .
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal¢.&_ .
.,. Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the P selector lever position.
Unde r ce rtain c ircumstances, s uch as dr iv ing in
the mountains, i t may be useful to switch tempo­
rari ly to the manua l shift program in order to
manually adjust the gears to the driving condi­
tions
¢ page 78.
On inclines, activate the park ing brake fi rst and
then move the selector lever to the P position
¢ page 72 . Th is prevents the locking mechanism
from being loaded too heavi ly and wi ll make it
eas ier to move the se lector lever out of the P po­
sition .
A WARNING
-The veh icle can roll even if the ignition is
switched off .
-Never leave your vehicle with the engine
runn ing wh ile in gear .
-Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever pos ition wh ile
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
ru nning .
-
-Please note that a sma ll amount of power is
t ransmitted if the vehicle is stopped tempo­
ra rily while in t he D/S or R selector lever po ­
s iti on. To redu ce the r isk of an accident, yo u
mus t continue press ing firmly on the brake
peda l w hil e the vehicle is stopped so that it
does not roll.
-Never engage the R o r P se lec to r level posi­
tions while driving .
It could cause a crash.
-Be fore dr iv ing dow n a steep s lope, red uce
yo ur speed and shift in to a lower gear with
"ti ptro n i c" .
-Do not ride the brakes o r press the brake
peda l too often or too long w hen driving
down hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak-
Driving
ing distance or causes comp lete fai lure of
the brake system.
-If you m ust stop on an incline, a lways ho ld
the vehicle in place wit h the foot brake or
parking brake to prevent it from rolling
back .
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipp ing clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload .
The@] indicator light turns on
a nd a message
appears~ page 79 when
the clutch is overloaded .
@ Note
-When stopping on an incl ine, do not try to
hold the ve hicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator peda l wh ile a d riving gear is se­
lected. This ca n cause t he transmission to
over heat a nd can damage it. Se t the park ing
bra ke or p ress the brake pedal to p revent
t he vehicle from rolling.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when t he engine
is stopped will damage the transmission be ­
cause it is not lubricated.
(D Tips
Fo r sa fety reasons, the park ing bra ke is re ­
l eased a utomatica lly on ly when t he driver 's
safety be lt is fastened.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control is act ivated when the selec­
tor leve r is in the D or S position and yo u press
the brake peda l. The transmission a utomatica lly
selects a gear that is suitable for the hi ll. Hill de ­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, w ith in physical and
technical lim itations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed w ith the brake pedal.
Hi ll descent control switches off once the hill lev-
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
.,..
77

Trail er to wing
must attach additiona l exterior mirrors . Adjust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you .
Exterior lighting
Follow the lega l regulat ions regard ing the light ­
ing eq uipment on your trailer . Conta ct an author ­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before start ing to drive, check a ll l ight ing equip­
men t on the hitc hed trailer.
The headlig ht range contro l adjusts automatical­
ly to the light range of the headl ights.
Safe ty chain s
Make su re the safety chains are correctly applied
when pulling a trailer . The chains should hang
enough so t hat the trailer can dr ive around
curves. However, they must not touch the
g round .
Air su spension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
The air suspension must be at the standard vehi­
cle height before you set the tongue weight on
the trailer a nd h itch the trailer ¢@ ,
¢page 106,
Raising/lowering the vehicle .
For ve hicles w ith a factory-installed tra iler hitch,
the air suspension trailer mode will automat ically
sw itch on if you connect the trailer cable to the
socket.
F or ve hicles w ith a retro fitted trailer hitch, you
must switch on the air suspension trailer mode
manually . Select in the Infota inment system:
ICARI function button > ( Car )* s yste m s contro l
button
> V ehicle setting s > Air su spen sion : trail ­
e r > On .
Switch it off again after tow ing a tra ile r.
You can also switch off tra iler mode ma nually
while driving , for example, when using a bicycle
rac k system .
If you have to drive through difficult road condi­
tions , you can raise the vehicle aga in after hitch­
ing the t rai ler or after adjust ing the tongue
weight .
82
@ Note
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
-Changes i n temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle .
- Set the air suspension to the standard veh i­
cle he ight, otherwise the applicable tongue
we ight no longer appl ies to your veh icle .
(D Tips
-Use chocks when park ing on inclines if the
trai ler is loaded.
- We recommend also hav ing the vehicle in­
spected between the inspection intervals if
you are towing a trailer frequently .
- Avoid driv ing with a trai ler dur ing the veh i­
cle break-in per iod.
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Sp eed
Adhere to t he lega l speed lim its . Fo llow the legal
regu lat ions
sp ecific to the country.
As the speed increases, the dr iv ing stab il ity of
t h e tra ile r decreases. Therefore you should not
exceed the max imum lega l speed lim it w hen
t h ere are unfavorab le road, weather and/or wind
conditions. This especia lly applies when driving
downh ill.
Yo u m ust always red uce your speed as soon as
you notice even the slightest swinging motion o f
the trai ler . Never try to "straight en out" the trai l­
er by acce lerating.
The we ight d istr ibution is very poor if the vehicle
is empty and the trai ler is loaded. However if you
must drive under these circumstances, then drive
especially slowly .
Brakes
B rake in a time ly manner. Downs hift befo re dr iv ­
i ng down hill so that the engine can assist with
braking ¢&. .
When using a trailer w it h over run bra kes, fi rst
bra ke gently t hen q uick ly. This red uces the r isk of
j erking while braking if the trailer wheels lock up .
IIJJ,,

a co .... N
" 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

Emergency assistance
Emergency assistance
General information
.,. Park the vehicle as far as possible from moving
traffic in the event of a breakdown. In the event
of a flat tire, park the vehicle on a level surface .
It you are on a steep hill, be especially careful.
.,. Set the parking brake .
.,. Switch the emergency flashers on .
.,. Set up the warning triangle r=;,page 226 .
.,. Have the passengers exit the vehicle . They
should move to a safe place, for example be­
hind a guard rail.
A WARNING
Follow the steps given above. This is for your
protection and the for the safety of other driv­
ers.
Equipment
Warning triangle
A pplies to: ve hicles w ith warning triangle
Fig. 190 Luggage compa rtment lid : wa rnin g triangle
The warning triangle placed in the vehicle at the
factory is located in the luggage compartment.
.,. To remove the warning triangle, press the re-
tainer in the direction of the arrow
r:;, fig . 190
and fold the holder down.
The luggage compartment lid is only designed to
hold the warning triangle offered by the Audi
Genuine Accessories program.
226
Vehicle tool kit
Fig. 191 Luggage compartment: vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tools and vehicle jack* are stored in
the luggage compartment under the floor cover.
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
.,. Turn the handle counter-clockwise and remove
the cover or the spare tire* .
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before clos ing the lug­
gage compartment lid.
A WARNING
I mproper use of the veh icle jack can cause se­
rious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessary tightening torque if yo u
use the hex head, potentially causing an ac­
cident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended only
for your vehicle model. Under no circum­
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; you risk injuring
yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident .
- Support the vehicle securely with appropri­ ate stands if work is to be performed under­
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po­
tential risk for injury .
- Never use the jack supplied with your Audi
on another vehicle, particularly on a heavier
one. The jack is only suitable for use on the
vehicle it came with.