width AUDI S6 2009 Owners Manual

• .___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. .,,,

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

• .___A_ u_ d_ i_s_ i_ d _e_ a_ s_ s_is _ t __________________________________________________ _
Audi side assist : system fault
Have t he syste m checked by an a uthorize d Aud i dea ler o r qua lified
workshop .•
App lies to veh ic les : wi th side ass is t
Safety tips
The side assis t detec tio n m ay be li mit ed whe n driv ing a round
narrow street corners, on hilly streets, and under poor weather
con ditio ns.
It is possible t hat t he radar sensors may also detect other ob jec ts,
such as high or staggered guardrails .
S id e ass ist does no t measure ac tual lane w idth. The sys te m
assumes a fixed lane width. Detection in the left and r ight lanes is
based on thi s ass umed lane wid th . When d riving on narro w roads or
when driving to the left or right of the center of a travel lan e, it is
possible that vehicles wi ll be detected that are not in the lane next
to th e la ne you are us ing.
& WARNING
• Improper rel iance on the side assist system can cause colli ­
sions and serious personal injury:
-Never rely only on side assist when changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make sure that it is safe to
change lane s.
• 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 ba ck
very quickly.
• The radar sensor 's
vision can be reduced or entirely bloc ked by
rain , snow , and heavy spray . This can result in side assist not
adequately dete cting vehi cles or , in some cases , not dete cting
& WARNING (continued)
them at all . Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling
and the relevant area around the vehicle .
• Please note that side assist ind icates there are approaching
vehicle s, or vehicles in you r blind spot, only after your vehicle has
reached a driving speed of at least 19 mph 130 km /h).
• Side as sist signal does not work around tight corners (turning
radius less than 328 feet , or 100 m) .
• Side assist is no replacement for the driver's full attention. The
driver alone is responsible for lane changes and similar driving
maneuvers . Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling
and the relevant area around the vehicle .
0 Note
To ensure that side assist is not adve rsely affected, you shou ld not
b loc k the area o n th e r ea r bu mpe r w her e th e radar senso rs a re
l ocated with foreign objects (such as with stickers or bicycle racks) .
[ i ] Tips
If the posit ions of the radar sensors have been changed as a result
o f a rear e nd-c ollision, for insta nce, have si de ass is t che cked by an
authorized Audi dea ler for safety reasons .•

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire . Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lftlll
•
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oad ra ting (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure. You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax im um l oad ra tin g
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissib le infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum l oaded v ehi cle weigh t
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehic le capacity weight, and
(ct) Production options weight
M ax im um (p er mi ssibl e) infl ati on pr essur e
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to wh ich a tire may be
inflated. Also ca lled "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occ upa nt wei ght
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to tal seating capacity of your vehicle.
O ccupant di stributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer di am eter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
O ve rall wi dth
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Pl y
means a layer of rubber -coated para lle l cords.
P rodu ction opt io ns wei ght
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
i t ems wh ich they replace, not previously considered in curb weigh t
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radi al p ly tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Reco mm ended infl ati on pr essu re
see => page 318, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Rein force d tir e
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
R im
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter .
Rim siz e de sig nation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim wid th
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Vehicle care I t •

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _ ____. 11111
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 251 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
G)
@
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
0
©
U.S. DOT tire identificat ion number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow condit ions
Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design . The
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char ­
acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handling when in good condition and prop ­
erly inflated
=> & .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech­
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni ­
toring system
=> page 336.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifica­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
=> page 327. ~
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road­
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
( =>
page 321) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side 8 -pillar (=>
page 321,
fig. 248) lists the specifications of the original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federa l law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor ­
mation on the sidewall of al l tires=>
page 329, fig. 251. This informa­
tion identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a t ire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for example:
P245 / 45 R 17 99 H XL
This contains the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
99 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the tire is a"Rein ­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S"l Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 317. Tire
manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DO T ... 2208 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2008.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 333.
P up to 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km/hl
S upto110mph(180km/hl
T upto118mph(190km/hl
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)31
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)31
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)31
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed limiter:::>
page 27will normal ly
prevent your vehic le from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac-
~
31 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
manufac turers sometimes use the letters "ZR."

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires. Incorrect use of run flat tires can lead to vehicle
damage or accidents. Check with an authorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist to see if your vehicle can be equipped with run flat tires.
If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four wheels.
Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For technical reasons , it is not generally possible to use the
wheel rims from other vehicles. This can hold true for wheels of the
same vehicle type .
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Replace the flat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the local requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width~
page 329,
fig. 251 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require ­
ments in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example , a ti re graded 150 wou Id wear one and one half (1 1 /2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance
~ & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure~& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law. .,_

Tires and wheels -_______________________ ..::...:..:..-=::.......:.:..;::..:....____;___
•
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the correct
torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
different rims are fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. This ensures that
wheels are fitted securely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use wheel bolts from a
different vehicle - even if it is the same model~
page 374.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss.
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose.
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diagonally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench
-preferably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
have been thoroughly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel and handling under
a variety of driving conditions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of 55 or
less in the tire's size designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width expressed
in percentage. Conventional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 323, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easily by impact with
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire
is underinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the following
precautions:
• Always maintain recommended inflation pressures . Check your
tire pressure every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
• Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges.
The impact from driving through or over such obstacles can
damage your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
your tires. ..,
Vehicle care
I t •