light AUDI S6 2009 Manual Online

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Deactivating
- Press t he button again . T he ind icato r light on the butto n
goes out.
T he system works at speeds faster than 19 mph (30 km/h) .
& WARNING
• Improper reliance on the side assist system can cause colli­
sions and seriou s per sonal injury:
- Never rely only on side assist when changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make sure that it is safe to c hange lanes.
• Side assist cannot detect all vehicles under all conditions­
danger of accident!
• Side assist cannot detect vehicles in time to alert you when
they approach from behind at very high speed , or fall drop back
very quickly.
• The radar sensor's
vision can be reduced or entirely blocked by
rain , snow, and heavy spray . This can result in side assist not
adequately detecting veh icles or , in some cases, not detecting
them at all . Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling
and the relevant area around the vehicle.
• Please note that side assi st indicates there are approaching
vehicles, or vehicles in your bl ind spot , only after your vehicle has
reached a driving speed of at lea st 19 mph (30 km /h).
• S ide assist signal does not work around tight corners (turning
radiu s less than 328 feet, or 100 m l.
• Side assist is no replacement for the driver's full attention . The
d river alone is responsible for lane changes and similar driv ing
maneuvers. Always keep an eye on the d ire ction you are travel ing
and the relevant area around the vehicle .
Controls and equip ­
ment
0 Note
• To e nsu re t hat you do not adverse ly a ffect s ide assist, do not
b lock the area on the rear bumper where the radar sensors are
located w it h f oreign objects (s uch as st ickers or bicycle rac ks).
• M ake su re that the signal light on the o utside mi rror is not
b loc ked by st ic ke rs or ot her items.
[ i ] Tips
• Side ass ist automaticall y deact ivates i f it detects t hat t he ra dar
sensors are blocked=> page
153. The indicator light on the button
goes out.
• The area on the bumper whe re the rada r sen so rs a re loca ted
must cons iste ntly re mai n fr ee o f snow, ice, and heavy so iling so t hat
side assist can function properly. Follow the additiona l notes on
=> page
154.
• Additiona l tinting on the front side windows can make it ha rder
t o see and co rrect ly unde rsta nd the s ignal light o n the outs ide
mirror.
• For Declaratio n of Comp liance to Un ited Sta tes FCC a nd I ndus try
Canada regulations => page
375 . •
I • •

• .___A_ u_ d_ i_s_ i_ d _e_ a_ s_ s_i s_ t __________________________________________________ _
Applies to vehicles: with side ass ist
Sensor detection area
Fig. 149 Schem ati c
illu str ati on : Sens or
d etec tio n area
The detection ~ fig. 149 of the radar sensor detection area is made
up of:
• the approach area !light green area)
0, about 230 feet (70 ml
behind the veh icle, and
• the "blind spot" (dark green areal@.
The radar sensors cover the adjacent left and right lanes. Other
lanes are
not covered by the radar sensors .
[ i ] Tip s
Side assist does not measure actual lane width . The system
assumes a fixed lane width. Detection in the left and right lanes is based on this assumed lane width. When driving on narrow roads or
when driving to the left or right of the center of a travel lane, it is
possible that vehicles wi ll be detected that are
not in the lane next
to the lane you are using~
page 153 . •
Ap plies to vehicl es: with side assist
Operation
Side ass ist compares the distance and difference in speed of
detected vehicles with the speed of your vehicle. Whenever the
difference in speed and distance is registered as notab le if you were
to change lanes, a signal light appears on the respective mirror.
The signal can light up if you are passed by a vehic le or if you are
passing another vehicle.
If you pass another vehicle slowly (difference in speed less than 9 mph, or
15 km/h), the signal light will come on as soon as the other
vehicle is in your blind spot and is detected by side assist. When the
difference in speed is greater, the signa l light will not come on .•
Applies to vehic les : w ith side assist
Informational and alert stage signals
Side assist has two signal stages:
• the informational stage signal, and
• the alert stage signal.
Side assist helps you by using the appropriate signa l stage,
depend ing on whether or not you have act ivated the turn signal,
and thus have indicated that you are or are not changing lanes.
In fo rm ati onal stag e signal
As long as you have not activated the turn signa l, side assist informs
you of detected vehicles that are registered as being in a notable location if you were to change lanes. Whenever the detected
vehic le's difference in speed and distance is registered by side
assist as notable, the signa l light on the respective mirror produces
muted il luminatio n.
The brightness of the informationa l stage signal is designed not to
be as intense, so that it does not interfere with your view of the road
when you are driving and have no intention of changing lanes. .,,,

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When you look in the outside mirror, you can clea rly see the infor ­
mational s tage signal.
Ale rt sta ge signal
When you ac tivate the turn signal, and side assist has detected a
vehic le in a notab le location on that particu lar sid e, the signal light
on this side mirror flashes brightly. The repea ted brief and bright
flash ing of the aler t stage signa l reminds you to carefully check
t raffic to the rear in the outside mirror and over your shoulder, so
that you can safely complete the lane change=>
& in "Safety tips"
on
page 154.
[ i ] Tips
T he brightness of the signal light on the outside mirrors can be
adjusted with the
MMI => page 152 . •
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
A pp lies to veh ic les: with s ide ass ist
Driving situation : Fast approaching vehicles
Fig . 15 0 Side ass ist : Fas t app roac hing veh ic le s
G) Si gn al o n outs ide mirror doe s not li ght up
No vehicle was detected by the sensors. The signal on the outside
mirror does not light up=>
& in "Safety tips" on page 754.
0 Informa tion al st age s ignal ligh ts up
A fast approaching vehicle -in the left-hand lane for example -was
detected by the sensors. Although this vehicle is still far away, it
shou ld be taken into account if you were to change lanes , due to the
consid erable difference in speed. The informationa l stage s ignal on
the outside mirror lights up=>
page 148 .
© Alert stage signal fl ashe s
If you activate your turn signal in driving situation 0 , the signal
briefly flashes repeated ly . Side assist is aler ting you to a vehicle that
you may not have not iced . _,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

• ..__A_ u_ d_ i _s _i_d _e_ a_ s_ s _ is_ t __________________________________________________ _
[ i J Tips
• The faster a vehicle approaches from the rear, the sooner the
s ignal on the outside mirror lights up . Side assist will signal, at the
latest, when a detected vehicle enters your "blind spot".
• When vehicles approach very quickly, changing lanes can be
dangerous even if the signal on the outside mirror does not light
up. •
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
Driving situation : Slowly approaching
vehicles
Fig. 151 Side assist: Slowly approaching vehicles and vehicles in your blind
spot
G) Signal on outside mirror does not light up
A vehicle approaching slowly -in the left -hand lane for example -
was detected by the sensors. Because of the small difference in speed and the considerable distance from your vehicle, the signal
on
the outside mirror will not light up
~ & in "Safety tips" on
page 154.
© Informational stage signal lights up
The distance between your vehicle and that of the slowly
approaching vehicle has narrowed. The informational stage signal
on the outside mi rror lights up.
As soon as the difference in speed and distance is registered as notable if you were to change lanes, a signal on the mirror lights up .
Side assis t will signal a t the latest when a detected vehicle enters
your "blind spot".
© Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving situation©, the signal
light briefly flashes repeatedly . Side assist is alerting you of a
vehicle that you may not have noticed.
[ i J Tips
• The faster a vehicle approaches from the rear, the sooner the
signal on the outside mirror lights up . Side assist will signal , at the
latest, when a detected vehicle enters your "blind spot".
• When veh icles approach very quickly, changing lanes can be
dangerous even if the signal on the outside mirror does not light
up. •

Audi side assist -
-------------------'
Applies to vehicle s: with side assist
Driving situation : Vehicles dropping back
slowly
Fig. 152 Side assist: Vehicles dropping back slowly
G) Signal on outside mirror does not light up
The vehicle that you passed has not yet been detected by side assist.
The signal on the outside mirror does not light up=>
& in "Safety
tips" on
page 154.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A vehicle dropping back slowly on the right (difference in speed of
less than 9 mph, or 15 km/h) has been detected by side assist . The
informational stage signal on the outside mirror lights up.
G) Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving situation@, the signal
briefly flashes repeatedly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehicle that
you may not have noticed. •
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Ap plies to vehicles: with side assist
Driving situation : Vehicles dropping back
quickly
Fig . 153 Side assist: Vehicles dropping back quickly
G) Signal on outside mirror does not light up
The vehicle just passed has not yet been detected by side assist. The
signal on the outside mirror does not light up=>
& in "Safety tips"
on
page 154.
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light up
The vehicle dropping back quickly on the right ( difference in speed
of more than 9 mph, or 15 km/h) has been detected by side assist,
but is not considered notable in the event of a lane change, because
it is dropping back so quickly. The signal on the outside mirror does
not light up=>
& in "Safety tips" on page 154. tJ,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

1111 Audi side assist
--------------------
G) Sig nal o n outs ide mirr or does no t l ight up
If you activate your turn signal in driving situat ion @, the signal sti ll
does not light up on the outside mirror:::::,
& in "Safety tips" on
page 154. •
Applies to vehic les: with side assist
MMI settings
The basic brightness setting of the signal on the outside
mirror can be adjusted via the MM/.
- Press the I CAR I function button.
- Select
Syst ems * in t he CAR menu.
- Selec t
Audi side a ssis t.
Selec t Warning lam p: brightn ess.
Fig. 154 MMI Disp la y:
Adj ust ing s igna l
br ightn ess
Rotate the contro l knob to adjust the displayed bright­
ness of the signal light on the outside mirrors~ fig. 154.
The brightness of the signal light for both the informational and
a lert stages is automatica lly adjusted to ambient light cond itions . In
addition, you can adjust the
basic brightness separately, via the
brightness function :::::, fig. 154 . Whi
le making the adjustment, the new brightness setting is
displayed briefly. The brightness disp layed is that of the informa ­
tiona l stage signal. The alert stage signa l brightness is linked to the
informational stage signal brightness .
The informat iona l stage signal brightness shou ld be adjusted so
that you notice the signal illumination when you look in the outside
m irror, but not when you look forward through the windsh ield .
I n very dark or light surroundings, the automatic brightness setting
adjusts signal light brightness to maximum or minimum intensity,
as needed . In circumstances such as these, you may not notice any
change in the brightness on the outside mirror when adjusting the
basic brightness.
You may not notice the change until lighting conditions are normal
aga in.
[ i ] Tips
• Side assist is not active when the basic brightness is adjusted.
T he signal light comes on briefly to he lp you make the adjustment.
• Your settings are automatically stored and assigned to the
remote contro l key being used .•
Ap plies to vehic les: with side assist
General information
Side assist has lim its and cannot detect vehicles under a ll road and
weather conditions. Please remember system limitations and never
rely on the system, especia lly when:
• driving through curves:::::,
page 153,
• lanes are of different widths:::::, page 153. •

Audi sid e as sis t -
-------------------'
Applies to vehicle s: with side assist
When driving through curves
Side assist canno t detect veh ic les in curves with a turning radius of
less than 328 feet (100 m) .
When driving through a curve, it is possible that side assist may register a vehicle two lanes over, and the signal on the outside
mirror will light up .•
Appl ies t o vehicles: with side ass is t
lane width
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
•
-
-
Fi g. 155 lanes o f a
n ormal width are in
d etec tio n area
Fi g. 156 Nar row lane s:
Si de assis t may detec t
vehi cles tw o l ane s
away
Side assist's detection area is designed to cover lanes of standard
width to the left a nd r ight of your trave l lane, depending on whether
you drive in the center of your lane or c loser to the edge.
I f you drive in narrow lanes, side assist's detection area may also
inc lude other lanes - especially if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane=> fig. 156. Under these conditions, vehicles can a lso be
detected tha t are two lanes away, a nd s ide assist then could switch
between the informationa l and warning stage signa ls.
When driving in very wide lanes, vehicles in the adjacent lane may
not be detected because they are not inside the detection area .•
Notes
App lies to vehic les : with side assist
Messages in instrument cluster display
If side assist turns off automatically, the indicator light on the
b utton will go out and y ou wi ll see a message in the instrument
cluster disp lay:
Audi side a ssist not avail able : s en sors po ssibly blocked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear bumper on the left and
right (not visible on the outside) =>
page 146, fig. 146. To ensu re that
you do not adversely affect the way side assist functions, foreign
objects (such as stickers o r bicyc le racks) should not be attached to
the area on the rear bumper where the sensors are located . If side
assist functi ons are adversely affec ted, you w ill see this message in
the instrument cluster display. Remove anything that may be
b locking the sensors.
I f no vehic le is detected for a longer pe riod of time while driving ,
side assist will also switch off automatically .
Audi sid e ass is t currently not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the vehicle's ba ttery cha rge
being low) , side ass ist cannot be activated temporarily . .,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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R -Reverse
The transmission will automatically select the lowest gear ratio
when you shift into reverse .
Select
R only when the vehicle is at a full stop and the engine is
running at idle speed=>
& in "Driving the automatic transmission"
on
page 155 .
Before you move the selector lever to R, press both the button in the
handle of the selector leve r
and the brake pedal at the same time .
When the ignition is on , the backup lights illuminate when the
selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position . Shift to this position
for standing with the brakes applied=>
page 157.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake befor e and while moving the
lever out of
N.
D -Normal position for driving forward
Position Dis for normal city and highway driving. It ranges from zero
to top speed and all gears shift automatically , depending on engine
load , driving speed and automatically selected shift programs.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
D out of N.
In certain circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the manual shift program to manually select gear ratios to
match specific driving conditions=>
page 159.
S -Sport position
Select this position for sportier performance . In this position, the
transmission will not upshift as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the
increased power available at higher engine speeds to achieve live­
lier acceleration.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
S out of N.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS => & in "Driving the automatic
transmission" on
page 155.
0 Note
Coasting downhill with the transmission in N and the engine not
running will result in damage to the automatic transmission and
possibly the catalytic converter. •
Applies to vehi cle s: with 6 -speed automati c tra nsm is si on
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you against acciden ­
tally shifting into a forward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to move unintentionally.
Fig. 159 Shift gate:
selector lever lock
positions and interlock
button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
- Turn the ignition on.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

_L-_:..A.:.u:::..: t.:o :..m.:..:.; a:::..: t:.. ic:....: t:.:. r..:a :.. n...:..:: s.:.m _;_:.:, i..::s ..:s :.:.i..:o :..n_;_ _______________________________________________ _
-Step on the brake peda l. At the same time press and hold
the interl ock butto n on t he side of the gear selector kn ob
:::::, fig . 159 with you r thumb until you have moved the
se lector lever to the desired pos ition.
Automatic selec tor lever lo ck
The selector lever is locked in the P and N positions when the igni ­
tion is turned on. To move the leve r from these positions the driver
must depress the brake peda l. As a reminder to the dr iver , the
following warn ing app ears in the instrument c luster display when
t h e selector is in
P and N :
When station ary apply fo otbr ake while sele cting ge ar
A time de lay e lement prevents the se lector lever from lock ing when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to Dl. The locking
e lement will lock the selector lever if the l eve r is l eft in N (Neutral)
for more than approximately 1 second , without the brake pedal
being pressed.
At speeds above ab out 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is
automatically deac tivated in the
N position .
Interlo ck button
The lock bu tton on the s elector lever prev ents the lever from being
accidentally shifted into certain positions . Press ing this bu tton
deac tivates the selec tor lever lock . Depending on the dir ection of
t he shift, the se lector lever locks at diffe rent positions . The positions
are highlighted in the illustration~
page 157, fig. 159 .
Ignition key safet y interlock
The k ey cannot be remov ed from the igni tion un less the selector
lever is in the
P park p osition. When the ign ition key is removed, the
selector lever wil l be locked in the
P position. •
Applies to vehicles: w it h 6 -spee d au tomat ic tra nsm ission
Kick-down
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to generate
maximum acceler ation.
When you press the accelerator pedal beyond the resistance po int
that is reached at fu ll thrott le, the transmission will se lect a lower
gear rat io based on vehicle speed and engine RPM . The engine RPM
wi ll be contro lled to produce max imum vehicle acceleration as long
as you continue to press the accelerator pedal beyond this resis­
tance point .
& WARNING
Be careful when u sing the kick-down feature on slippery road s.
Rapid ac celerat ion may cause the veh icle to skid. •
Applies to veh icles : wit h 6-s p ee d au to m ati c tra nsmiss ion
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
The aut om atic tr a nsmission is electronically controlled.
T he transmission is self adapting and wi ll automati cally se lect the
b est shift program suited to the driving condi tions and drivi ng s tyle.
The transmission wil l se lect one of the
e conom y programs when
you drive at a steady speed or a gradually changing speed withou t
heavy acceleration . This achieves optimum fuel efficiency, with early
upshifting and delayed downshifting.
The trans mission wil l au tomat ical ly select the
sporty shift programs
when you drive at higher speeds, or with heavy acce leration and
frequently changing speeds . Upshifts ar e delayed to make full use
of engine power . Down shifting takes place at higher engine speeds
t han in the economy programs . _.,

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The selection of the most suitable shift program is a continuous,
automatic process. The driver can also make the transmission
switch to a sporty program by
q u ickly pressing down the gas pedal.
This causes the transmission to shift down to a lower gear to achieve rapid acceleration, e.g. for quickly passing another vehicle.
You do not need to press the gas pedal into the kick -down range .
After the transmission has upshifted, the orig inal program is
selected according to your driving style.
An additional shift program allows the automatic transmission to select the proper gear for uphill and downhill gradients .
This keeps the transmission from shifting up and down unneces ­
sarily on hills. The transmission will shift down to a lower gear when
the driver presses the brake pedal on a downhill gradient. This
makes use of the braking effect of the engine without the need to
shift down manually .•
Ap plies to ve hic les: wit h 6-spee d automat ic t ransm iss ion
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can manually select
gears .
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Fig . 160 Ce nter
co nso le: sh ifting the
ti ptro n ic® man ua lly F
ig . 161 Display:
m an ua l shift progr am,
selecte d gear
Swit ching to manu al s hift progr am
Push the selector lever to the r ight from D . As soon as the
transmission has switched over, the selected gear
appears in the display=> fig . 161.
To upshift Push the selector lever forward to the p lus posit ion
G)
=> fig. 160 .
To down shift
- P ush the lever to the min us positio n
Q.
When accelerating, the transmission will automatica lly shift into
gears 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 before the engine reaches its maximum RPM.
If you app ly a light throttle when accelerating, tiptronic ® will auto ­
matical ly shift from 1st to 2nd gear to save fuel. If you apply a heavy
throttle, the transmission w ill stay in 1st gear until near maximum
RPM is reached , or until the driver shifts into 2nd gear .
If you take your foot off the accelerator peda l when driving down a
steep inc line, tiptronic ® will downshi ft from the selected gear into
the next lower gear until it reaches 1st gear, based on road speed
and engine RPM. Automatic downshifting is interrupted as soon as
you apply the throttle again.
~
Vehicle care I I Technical data