2021 AUDI A6 light

Sitting correctly and safely


— In an emergency, the recall process can be
canceled by pressing the seat adjustment
button on that seat.

Airbag system
Z\ WARNING
— If you have not fastened your safety belt,
you are in an incorrect seating position, or
you are too close to the airbag system, the
airbag system will not be able to protect
you. This increases the risk of serious or fa-
tal
injuries. Make sure that every vehicle
passenger has their safety belt correctly fas-
tened and is sitting in a correct seating posi-
tion > page 65. This is necessary regardless
of whether the seat is equipped with an air-
bag or not.
— Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, out of the window, or on the seat sur-
faces. To help ensure that the airbag system
can deploy correctly, never bend forward or
lean on the door or the side window. Other-
wise, serious and possibly fatal injuries can
occur if the airbags deploy.

— People, animals, or objects between the
passengers and the airbag system can inter-
fere with the correct deployment of the air-
bag or can be thrown through the vehicle in-
terior, increasing the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Make sure that nothing is located
between the vehicle occupants and the air-
bag system. Do not secure or transport any
objects within the deployment zone of the
airbag systems, especially on the steering
wheel, on the instrument panel, on the
doors, on the windows, or in the footwell.
— Never put stickers on the airbag system cov-
ers or cover them with any objects.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.

74
— You must not use seat or protective covers
that are not specifically approved for use on
Audi seats with side airbags. Since the side
airbags deploy from the seat backrest, such
covers could impair the protective function
of the side airbags.
— Damage to the original seat covers in the
side airbag deployment area must always be
repaired by an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
— Airbag system components are installed at
various locations in your vehicle. Incorrect
work or repairs on the vehicle could damage
the airbag system components or impair
their functionality. This may prevent the air-
bags from deploying or cause them to de-
ploy incorrectly in the event of an accident,
which increases the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Only have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility make re-
pairs or modifications to a vehicle.
— The airbag system can only provide protec-
tion during one collision. If there is another
collision, the airbag system will not deploy
again. If the airbag system has deployed,
have it replaced immediately by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
— Fine dust may appear if the airbags deploy.
This is completely normal and does not indi-
cate a fire in the vehicle. The fine dust can ir-
ritate the skin and mucous membranes in
the eyes and can cause difficulty breathing,
particularly for individuals who have or have
had asthma or other health issues that af-
fect breathing. Exit the vehicle or open the


windows or doors to get access to fresh air.
@ Tips
If you are transporting children in the vehicle,
read the information and follow the safety
precautions > page 78.
Safety systems monitoring
The Ea indicator light in the instrument cluster
monitors the safety systems such as the airbags
(including the control modules, sensor, and

>

4K0012721BE
Sitting correctly and safely

wiring) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when
you switch the ignition on and turns off after sev-
eral seconds.
If the indicator light does not turn on when the
ignition is switched on, does not turn off after
several seconds, or turns on or flashes while driv-
ing, there may be a malfunction in one of the
safety systems. Drive to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
Descript

Z\ WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems in-
spected immediately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
an accident, which increases the risk of seri-
ous or fatal injury.





RAZ.0239)



The locations of the airbags are labeled with
“AIRBAG”. The following airbags are installed in
your vehicle:
©@ Driver's airbag
@ Front passenger's airbag
@® Front and rear side airbags, if applicable
@ Head curtain airbag with ejection mitigation
© Knee airbags
Airbags offer the best possible protection in your
vehicle during an accident when they are used to-
Fig. 62 Airbag overview image (enlarged section: deployed airbags)
gether with safety belts that are fastened cor-
rectly, and when passengers are sitting in the cor-
rect seating position. Airbags are a supplementa-
ry restraint system and do not replace safety
belts.
Airbags may deploy during front-impact, side-im-
pact, or rollover accidents.
The deployment area for the airbag system can-
not be defined for every situation, since the cir-
cumstances surrounding accidents can vary wide-
ly. Factors that play an important role include the >
75

Sitting correctly and safely

condition of the object that the vehicle hits (hard
or soft), the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.
The deciding factor for the deployment of the air-
bag system is the deceleration that occurs during
an accident. Sensors in the vehicle are designed
to detect the severity of an accident in conjunc-
tion with the control module, and to provide a
targeted and timely deployment of the restraint
system. If the vehicle deceleration that is meas-
ured during an accident is below the specified
reference values in the control module, then the
airbags will not deploy, even though the vehicle
may be severely damaged from the accident. In
these cases, the vehicle occupants will be pro-
tected by the safety belts if they are fastened and
worn correctly.
The deployment of the front passenger's airbag
will depend on the occupancy of the seat
=> page 76.
Each deployed airbag is filled with gas. When this
occurs, the airbag covers open and the airbags
unfold with great force into the deployment zone
within milliseconds. Inflated airbags reduce the
movement of passengers wearing safety belts in
the direction of the impact and thus help to re-
duce the risk of injury. They can help to protect
the head, upper body, and lap, for example. How-
ever, there is the possibility that airbag deploy-
ment can cause injuries.
The airbag system only works when the ignition
is turned on.
If you or other vehicle passengers have physical
limitations that prevent sitting in a correct posi-
tion, modifications to the vehicle may be neces-
sary. For more information, contact an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty, or call Audi customer support at
1-800-822-2834.
G) Tips
The side curtain airbags in your vehicle have
ejection mitigation functions. This reduces
the risk of being ejected from the vehicle inte-
rior during an accident, especially in the event
of a vehicle rollover.
76
Advanced airbag system

Fig. 63 Headliner: indicator light to display the status of
the front passenger's airbag
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has
been certified to comply with the requirements
of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applica-
ble at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
According to these requirements, the front Ad-
vanced Airbag System on the passenger’s side
has been certified for “suppression” for infants
approximately 12 months old and younger, and
for “low risk deployment” for children aged 3 to
6 years old (as defined in the standard).
The advanced airbag system will activate or deac-
tivate the front passenger's airbag based on the
occupancy of the seat. If a front airbag deploys
during an accident, the deployment force will
adapt to the passenger.
Components
The advanced airbag system consists of the fol-
lowing components:
— Front airbags in the steering wheel and in the
instrument panel on the front passenger's side:
these can protect the front passengers during
an accident
— Passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat: this detects if the front
passenger's seat is occupied (for example, by a
person or a small child in a child safety seat)
— Seat position sensors on the front seats: these
determine the distance between the seat and
the steering wheel or instrument panel
— Sensors in the front seat belt latch: these de-
tect if the safety belts are fastened

4K0012721BE
Sitting correctly and safely

— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; ON ® indi-
cator light in the headliner:this indicates if the
front passenger's airbag is activated or deacti-
vated
- indicator light in the instrument cluster:
this monitors the function of the Advanced Air-
bag System components to ensure they are
functioning correctly
How the components function together
The passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat detects if the front pas-
senger's seat is occupied. The passenger occu-
pant detection sensor measures the electrical ca-
pacity on the front passenger’s seat. The pas-
senger's airbag is activated or deactivated de-
pending on the electrical capacity that is meas-
ured.
The passenger's airbag is activated if:
— The electrical capacity is higher than the
threshold stored in the control module
— The electrical capacity is the same as or greater
than the electrical capacity of a typical adult
The passenger's airbag is deactivated if:
— The electrical capacity is lower than the thresh-
old stored in the control module
— The electrical capacity is the same as or less
than the electrical capacity of a typical one-
year-old child in a child safety seat that has
been used for certification in accordance with
FMVSS 208
If the front passenger's airbag is activated, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ indicator light
will turn on. If the front passenger's airbag is de-
activated, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #;
indicator light will turn on.
The deployment force of the front airbags adapts
based on whether or not the safety belt is used
and the distance between the seat and the steer-
ing wheel/instrument panel. For example, if a
person is too close to the front airbag, the front
airbag will deploy with less force to help reduce
the risk of injury.
Meaning of PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%, ON
® indicator light
When the ignition is switched on, the system de-
tects whether the front passenger's seat is occu-
pied. PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #;, ON @
will turn on for several seconds during this proc-
ess. Then it will indicate whether the front pas-
senger's airbag is activated or deactivated.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #%;: the front
passenger's airbag is deactivated and will not
deploy in the event of an accident.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ®: the front pas-
senger's airbag is activated and could deploy in
the event of an accident.
If a change to the occupancy status of the front
passenger's seat is detected
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; ON @ will
flash for several seconds and will then display the
status of the front passenger's airbag.
Always make sure the indicator light corresponds
to the occupancy of the front passenger's seat.
— An adult or individual of similar size in the
front passenger's seat: the front passenger's
airbag must be activated, therefore
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ® must remain
turned on.
— An individual of smaller size (for example, an
adolescent or small adult) in the front pas-
senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag
must be activated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ® must stay on.
— Child in a child safety seat on the front pas-
senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag
must be deactivated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; must stay on.
— Front passenger's seat not occupied: the front
passenger's airbag must be deactivated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; must stay on.

ZA\ WARNING
— An adult or a person with a small stature
(such as a young person or small adult) seat-
ed on the front passenger's seat will not be
protected by the passenger's airbag in the
event of a collision if the passenger's airbag

77

4K0012721BE
Storage and convenience


ZA WARNING
— Do not put any hot beverages in the cup
holder while the vehicle is moving. Hot bev-
erages could spill, which increases the risk
of injury.
— Do not use any breakable beverage contain-
ers (for example, made out of glass or por-
celain). You could be injured by them in the

event of an accident.

@) Note
Beverage containers in the cup holders should
always
have a lid. Otherwise, the liquid inside
could spill and cause damage to vehicle
equipment.
Storage and
compartments
Storage area behind the rear head
rite Ta
Applies to: vehicles with storage area behind the rear head re-
straints
The storage area can be used to carry light pieces
of clothing.

ZA WARNING
The storage compartment must not be used
to transport heavy objects, hard objects, or
animals. Such objects endanger vehicle occu-
pants and increase the risk of injury during
sudden driving or braking maneuvers or in an
accident.

@) Note
Make sure that the heating grid strips for the
rear window defogger are not damaged by
abrasive objects.
@ Tips
To ensure the ventilation functions correctly,
the ventilation slots between the rear window
and the storage area must not be covered.
Additional storage
Depending on vehicle equipment, there are a va-
riety of storage areas, compartments, and retain-
ers, such as the glove compartment, for safely
storing and securing objects.

ZA WARNING
—To reduce the risk of injury, make sure all
storage compartments are always closed
while driving.
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Store objects securely while
driving.
— Only use the storage compartments in the
door trim panels to store small objects that
will not stick out of the compartment and
impair the function of the side airbags.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.
— Make sure your view toward the rear is not
blocked, for example by hanging clothing or
objects in the vehicle.

Luggage compartment
General information
All pieces of luggage or objects must be securely
fastened in the luggage compartment. Note the
following to maintain good vehicle handling:
> Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com-
partment.
> Stow heavy luggage as far forward in the lug-
gage compartment as possible.
> Use non-elastic cords attached to the tie-downs
to secure objects.

Z\ WARNING
— Applies to: vehicles with luggage compart-
ment cover: The luggage compartment >

8s

Storage and convenience


cover is not a surface for storing objects. Ob-
jects placed on the cover increase the risk of
injury to all vehicle occupants during sudden
driving or braking maneuvers or in the event
of an accident.
— Applies to: vehicles with luggage compart-
ment cover: The luggage compartment cov-
er must always be securely fastened when in
use to reduce the risk of an accident.
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Always stow objects securely in
the luggage compartment and secure them
at the tie-downs. Use straps suitable for
heavy objects.
— If pieces of luggage or objects are secured
to the tie-downs with unsuitable or dam-
aged straps, this can increase the risk of in-
jury during braking maneuvers or accidents.
— When transporting heavy objects, the vehi-
cle characteristics will change due to the
shift in the center of gravity, which increases
the risk of an accident. You may need to
adapt your driving style and speed to the
current conditions.
— The cargo net* is only strong enough to se-
cure light objects. Heavy objects are not ade-
quately secured. Attempting to secure heavy
objects increases the risk of injury.
— Never exceed the permitted axle and load
and vehicle weight > page 314.
— Never secure a child safety seat to the tie-
downs.
— Never leave your vehicle unattended, espe-
cially if the luggage compartment lid is
open. Children could enter the luggage com-
partment and close the luggage compart-
ment lid from the inside. This creates the
risk of fatal injury, since the children would
be locked in and may not be able to escape
by themselves.
— Do not allow children to play in or on the ve-
hicle. Close and lock the luggage compart-
ment lid as well as all other doors when you
leave
the vehicle.
— Never transport passengers in the luggage
compartment. Every passenger must be cor-


rectly secured with the safety belts in the
vehicle > page 70.
— Be careful when releasing the backrest and
folding
it forward. To reduce the risk of be-
ing pinched, pay attention and check when
folding backrests forward.
— The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide forward out of the lug-
gage compartment during sudden braking.
— The backrest must be latched securely to en-
sure that the safety belt is protecting the
center seating position.
— Always pull forward on the backrest to make
sure it is check if it is correctly locked in
place.


86
@) Note
—To reduce the risk of damage, move the rear
head restraints down > page 69 before fold-
ing the rear backrests forward.
— When folding the backrest forward, make
sure the outer safety belts are in the belt
guide recess so that they do not get pinched
in the backrest lock and damaged. Other ob-
jects should be removed from the rear
bench seat to protect the backrest from
damage.
— If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
could damage the head restraints on the
rear seat.
— Make sure that the heating grid strips for
the rear window defogger are not damaged
by abrasive objects.
— Applies to: vehicles with manual luggage
compartment cover: Let the luggage com-
partment cover roll up slowly to reduce the
risk of damage.
— Applies to: vehicles with partition net: Let
the partition net roll up slowly to reduce the
risk of damage.
@) Tips
— The tire pressure must be adapted to the
load > page 266.
— You can purchase straps at specialty stores.

4K0012721BE
Storage and convenience

Tie-downs
There are tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to secure pieces of luggage and objects.
> Use the tie-downs to secure the cargo.
Movable tie-downs
Applies to: vehicles with movable tie-downs
> To install the tie-down, press both buttons at
the sides @, insert the tie-down in the rail, and
lock it in place.
> To slide the tie-down, press both of the side
buttons @) and slide the tie-downs to the de-
sired position. The tie-downs must lock in
place.
> To remove the tie-down, press both buttons @)
at the sides and remove the tie-down from the
rail.
Cargo net
Applies to: vehicles with cargo net
Use the cargo net (2) to secure lighter objects in
the luggage compartment
> Fold the clip for the tie-downs upward.
> Attach the hooks for the cargo net to the tie-
downs.
Applies to: vehicles with a fixture set

Fig. 79 Luggage compartment: securing attachments
The telescoping rod @ and the securing strap 2)
help to prevent objects from sliding around in the
luggage compartment.
Observe the safety precautions > page 85.
The fixture set is located in the openings under
the cargo floor.

> Insert the movable tie-downs > page 89.
> Press the button @) on the retainers and place
them on the tie-downs. Make sure the brackets
are locked into place.
> Slide the tie-downs into the desired position.
> Press the button @) to tighten the securing
Store the movable tie-downs and the fixture
set in the openings under the cargo floor, if
necessary.
uble cargo floor
Applies to: vehicles with double cargo floor

Fig. 80 Luggage compartment: cargo floor set up
You can store dirty or wet objects under the cargo
floor on the middle floor panel.
Observe the safety precautions > page 85.
> To set up the cargo floor, lift it by the handle @
and insert the edge of the cargo floor into the
openings @).
> To remove the cargo floor, pull the entire cargo
floor out of the guides toward the rear of the
vehicle.
> To install the cargo floor, first insert it into the
guides and then slide it all the way in toward
the backrest.

ZX WARNING
Objects only up to a maximum of about 16.5
lbs (7.5 kg) may be transported on the middle
floor panel. The objects may only have a maxi-
mum height of 2/3 the height of the extend-
ed cargo floor. Objects must be secured ade-
quately.

89

Warm and cold

Control panel in rear
You can operate certain climate control functions
in the rear using the control panel.
Customizing
A climate control function from the upper display
can be assigned to each button to the left and
right of +++ in area @).
> Press and hold the symbol for the desired func-
tion on the upper display for at least three sec-
onds. A menu that consists of two sections ap-
pears.
> If you pull the symbol toward the left section,
the button to the left of «++ will be assigned.
> If you pull the symbol toward the right section,
the button to the right of ++ will be assigned.
Press the buttons to turn the functions on or off.
One bar in the button or the LED in the button
will light up when the function is switched on.
Some buttons can have several functions as-
signed to them. The various functions can be ac-
tivated by pressing the button multiple times.
AUTO Automatic mode
The automatic mode regulates the amount of air
and air distribution automatically, so that the set
temperature is reached is quickly as possible.
REAR Rear climate control system
To enable operation of the climate control sys-
tem from the rear of the vehicle, press REAR.
To exit this mode again, press REAR or
REAR MODE EXIT.
SYNC Synchronization
When synchronization is switched on, the tem-
perature, air distribution, and blower strength on
the driver's side is applied to all seat positions.
You can also control the synchronization directly
using a gesture. Pull two fingers together on the
lower display > page 18.
92
OFF Switching off
The climate control system is switched off. Air
supply from the outside is blocked. If you press
OFF in the front, the front and rear climate con-
trol system will switch off. If you press OFF in the
rear, the rear climate control system will switch
off. To switch the climate control system back on,
press on any button in the respective display.
A/C / ME Cooling mode
The cooling mode only functions with the blower
turned on. The air is not cooled and humidity is
not reduced when cooling mode is switched off.
This can cause fog on the windows. The cooling
mode switches off automatically at low outside
temperatures.
If you activate the A/C, the cooling mode will be
automatically regulated.
If you activate 4/6, the cooling mode will run with
maximum cooling output and maximum blower
speed. To reduce unnecessary energy usage, only
use this function briefly.
+ /- Temperature
Temperatures between 60 °F (+16 °C) and 84 °F
(+28 °C) can be set. If outside of this range,
LOW / LO or HIGH / HI will appear in the display.
In both settings, the climate control runs con-
stantly at the maximum cooling or heating level.
The temperature is not regulated.
§8 Blower
With  / A, you can manually adjust the vol-
ume of air generated by the blower to your pref-
erences. The blower should always run at a low
setting to prevent the windows from fogging and
to ensure a continuous exchange of air inside the
vehicle. To have the blower regulated automati-
cally, press AUTO.
2 Air distribution
With °@/<>/%, you can select the vents from
which the air will flow. To have the air distribu-
tion controlled automatically, press the AUTO
button or deactivate all three arrows. With “2,
the air will be directed toward the windshield. >