towing AUDI A6 2011 User Guide

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not dr ive at the max imum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icu larly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the tra iler shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lower than for regu lar vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driv ing dow nhill, shift in to a lower
gear to use the eng ine braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
Th e coolant temperature gauge~ page 8 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
_f_ , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi.•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor- mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopp ing and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer comb i­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action oppos ite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trai ler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load . Make sure you have
enoug h room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky sta rts, sharp tur ns or rapid lane changes.
W Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in per iod of your veh icle.
• If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load
~ page 346. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels . ._

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label) =>
page 299,
fig. 216.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =>
page 299, fig. 216.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs . passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
Safety first
Tires and wheels -
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer ,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall(=>
page 307,
fig. 220) to determine the designated load rating for a specific tire . •
Vehicle care Technical data

What do I do now? -______________________________ ____::..:..:..:..::..::....::..::.....::.....:::...::,_ __ __,J
& WARNING (continued)
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack.
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the screw­
driver to loosen or tighten the wheel bolts.
• Always make sure the spare tire and even a flat tire are secured
in place and not loose, otherwise they could fly forward, causing
personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an accident or
sudden maneuver. •
Tools
The vehicle tools are stored in the luggage compartment
behind the right-side trim panel.
-
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers*
• Wheel bolt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdrive r with reve rsible blade
Fig. 225 Luggage
compartment: vehicle
tool kit
Vehicle OP-eration
• Towing eye
[ i] Tips
Some of the onboard items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras. •
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 226 Luggage
compartment spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is held
in place by plastic retaining knurled screw .
Taking out the spare wheel
- Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
=> fig. 226. Turn it counter-clockwise.
- Take out the spare wheel.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

lffl!I.___W __ h_a_ t_ d_ o_ I_ d_ o_ n_ o_w_ ? _____________________________________________ _
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
Storing the replaced wheel
-Place the replaced wheel inside the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment.
Tighten the knurled retaining screw clockwise to secure
the wheel in place.
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
& WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
personal injury during hard braking or in an accident.
• Never store the spare wheel or jack and tools in the passenger
compartment.
• Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the spare wheel
in the luggage compartment.
• Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the spare wheel
securely.
[ i] Tips
Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use.•
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
- After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you stop :::> & .
- All passengers should
leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the guardrail) :::>& .
- Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling unintentionally:::> &.
- Move
selector lever to position P :::> & .
- If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the luggage
compartment:::>
page 318.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn
off the engine, turn the emergency flashers on and use other
warning devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the road and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed. When
one front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the Automatic
~

-Emergency situations Pf":11..--=---=;..._-------------
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for t rained emergency crew s and working
pe rsonnel who have the necessary tool s and equipment to perform
the se operation s. •
Starting by pushing or towing
0 Note
Yo ur vehicle is equipped with an automatic t ransmission . Conse­
quently, the engine ca nnot be started by push ing or tow ing .•
Starting with jumper cables
I f necessary, the engine can be started by connectin g it to
the bat tery of another vehicle.
If the eng ine shou ld fa il to start because of a discharged or weak
battery, the battery can be connected to t he battery of
another
veh icle, us ing a pair of jumper cables to start the engine .
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of suffic iently large cross section to carry the
sta rter cur rent s afely . Refer to the m an ufa ct ur er's specificat ions.
Use only j umpe r cab les with
insulated te rm inal clamps wh ich are
distinct ly marked :
plu s(+) cable i n most cases colored red
minus (-) cable i n most cases colored black .
& WARNING
Batterie s contain el ectricity, acid, and gas . Any of the se can cause
very serious or fatal injury. Follow the inst ructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle 's battery.
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery
whenev er po ssible .
• A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures just below
32 °F (0 °C ). Before connecting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
frozen battery completely, otherwise it could explode.
• Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or sk in . Flush any
contacted area with water immedi ately .
• Improper use of a booste r battery to start a vehicle may cause
an explosion .
• Vehicle batteries generate e xplosive gases. Keep sparks, flame
and lighted cigarettes away from batterie s.
• Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low acid level in the
battery.
• The voltage of the booster battery must also have a 12-Volt
rating. The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery . Use of batteries of
different voltage or substantially different "Ah " rating may cau se
an e xplosion and personal injury.
• Never charge a frozen battery . Gas trapped in the ice may cause
an explosion.
• Never charge or use a battery that has been frozen. The battery
case may have be weakened .
• Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
capacity (Ah) rating may cause an explosion and injury . The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the discharged battery. .,_

Emergency situations --------------=---:.--___.VPII
Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
The following information is to be used by commercial tow truck
operators who know how to operate their equipment safely.
• Never tow your Audi, towing will cause damage to the engine
and transmission.
• Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables around the brake
lines.
• To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi must be transported
with a flat bed truck.
• To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use the towing loop found
in the vehicle tools and attach to the front or rear anchorage
=> page 335 and=> page 336 .
& WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passengers. Never allow
anyone to ride in a vehicle being towed, for any reason. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is needed.
Fig. 239 Front
bumper: removing the
cover cap
Fig. 240 Front
bumper: screwing in
the towing loop
The towing loop fits into the threaded hole located on the
right side of the front bumper and covered by a small cover
when not in use.
- Remove the towing loop from the vehicle toolkit
=> page 318.
- Press the cover in by applying short sharp pressure to the
bottom part to release it from the bumper=> fig. 239.
- Screw the towing loop tightly into the threaded hole as far
as it will
go => fig. 240. ~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

lffll.,___E_ m_ e_r -=g :.. e_ n_c -=y '-- s_i_t _u _a _ t_ i_ o _ n_ s ____________________________________________ _
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the towing loop and put it back
into the vehicle toolkit. Be sure to have the towing loop stored in the
vehicle at all times.
& WARNING
If the towing loop is not screwed in as far as it will go, the thread
can pull out when the vehicle is towed· potential risk of an
accident. •
Rear towing loop
Do not install the rear towing loop until it is needed.
Fig. 241 Rear
bumper: screwing in
the towing loop
On the right side under the rear bumper there is a threaded
hole for the towing loop. The threaded hole is protected by a
cover.
- Remove the towing loop from the vehicle toolkit
=> page 318.
-Pull the protective cover out of the threaded hole
=> fig. 241 .
-Screw the towing loop tightly into the threaded hole as far
as it will go.
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the towing loop and put it back
into the vehicle toolkit. Be sure to have the towing loop stored in the
vehicle at all times.
& WARNING
If the towing loop is not screwed in as far as it will go, the thread
can pull out when the vehicle is towed · potential risk of an
accident. •
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Front hook up
Fig. 242 Vehicle on
flat bed truck
- Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp.
- Attach the winch hook to the front towline eye previously
installed .
Rear hook up
-Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp.

___ C_ o_n_ s _ u_m_ e_ r_ I_ n_ f_o _r_ m_ a_ t_io _ n _____________________________________________ _
Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is cov ered by the following warrantie s:
• Limited New Vehicle Warranty
• Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perforation
• Emissions Control System Warranty
• Emissions Performance Warranty
• California Emissions Control Warranty (USA vehicles only)
• California Emissions Performance Warranty (USA vehicles only)
Detailed informa tion regarding your warran ties can be fo und in your
Warranty & Maintenance boo klet .•
Operating your vehicle outside the
U.S.A. or Canada
Government regulat ions in the United States and Canada req uire t hat
au tomobiles meet spe cific emi ss ion regula tions and safe ty s tan­
dards . There fore, ve hicles bui lt for the U.S.A . and Canada differ from
vehicles so ld in othe r countries.
If you plan to take your vehicle ou tside the continental lim its of the
United States or Canada, the re is the possibility that
• unle aded fue ls for vehicle s w ith c ataly tic converte r may n ot be
available;
• fue l may have a conside rably lower octa ne rat ing . Imp roper f ue l
may cause engine damage;
• serv ice may be inadequate due to lack of proper serv ice fac ilities,
too ls or testing eq uipment;
• replacement parts may not be read ily avai lab le . • N
avigation syst ems for veh icles built fo r th e U.S.A. and Canada
w ill not necessar ily work in Europe, and may not wo rk in other coun­
tries outside of North Ame ric a.
0 Note
Audi canno t be responsib le for mech anical dam age th at could res ult
from inadeq uate fue l, se rvice o r parts ava ilability. •
Audi Service Repair Manuals and
Literature
Audi Off ic ia l Factory Service Manuals and Lite rature are published as
so on as p ossible a fter mode l int rodu ct ion. Service manu als and liter­
ature are avai lab le to order from t he Aud i Tec hnical Lite rature
O rder ing Cente r at:
www.audi .techliterature .com •
Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been des igned t o help keep m ainten ance re quire­
ments to a min imum. However, a certain amount of regular ma inte­
n an ce i s still ne cessary to assure your ve hicle's sa fe ty, ec onomy and
re liability . For deta iled veh icle maintena nce consult your Warranty
&
Maint enance bookle t.
Under difficult operating conditions, for example at extreme ly low
outs ide temperatures, in very dusty regions , when towing a trai ler
very frequent ly, etc., some se rv ic e w ork s hou ld be perfo rmed
between t he intervals specif ied. This app lies part icularly to: .,_

___ A_l_,_ p _ h_ a _ b_e _ t_ i_c __ a _l _i_n :...::d __ e::..: x:...::...,_ _________________________________________ _
A Temporarily turning off .......... . 124
warning/indicator lights .... ...... . 127
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on the
front passenge r seat ............
199
Accessories ..... ................... 348 Adaptive Light ......... ....... .. .. .. 61 Disposal .................. .. .... 211
Adapter for cupholder ................ 89 defective ........................ 32 Front airbags ......... ... .... 201, 202
Adaptive Air Suspension ............. 168
Automatic mode .. .. ... .... ...... 169
Comfort mode ................... 169
Description ..................... 168
Dynamic mode ... .. ... ...... .... 169
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire ...
170
Lift mode ....................... 169
Setting the driving modes ......... 169
Trailer towing mode .............. 170
Warning/indicator lights .... ....... 16
Adaptive Cruise Control ......... ... .. 119
Changing speed ....... ........... 123
Driver information .............. .
Driver intervention prompt ...... . . Adding
Engine coolant ........... ...... .
287
Engine oil ............ ...... ..... 284
Windshield washer fluid ........... 294
Additional accessories ............... 348
Additives
Engine oil ............ .. .........
284
Adjusting
Instrument cluster illum ination .....
11
Steering column electrically ........ 107
Steering column manually .. .. .. .. . 106
Adjus ting front seats ................. 75
Air conditioning
See Climate controls ...............
96
Air distribution How do the front airbags work?
.....
206
How many airbags does my vehicle have? .
204
How the Advanced Airbag System compo-
nents work together ............
205
Important things to know ... .. .. .. 197
Indicator light ................... 208
Monitoring ... .................. 208
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... 209
Repairs ............ .. .. .. ...... 211
Safety instructions ............... 210
Side airbags .... .... ............. 213
Side curtain airbags .............. 216
Weight-sensing mat ..............
220
When must the system be inspected? 208
All Wheel Drive ... ... ............... 248 Dr iv ing in traffic ................ .
Driving program .. ...... ........ .
127
130
120
131
Climate controls 100 Alloy wheels ................. .... .. 265
Error messages . .. .. .... ........ .
Open road ... .. .. .. .. ....... ... . 129 Air pollutants filter
120 Climate controls .................. 96
All-wheel drive
Winter tire s .....................
311
Override ...................... .. 120 Airbag
Alternator
Request for driver to assume control
120 Warning/indicator lights ..... ...... 14 Malfunction ........ .............. 26
Save speed . ...... .. .. ........... 122 Airbag system .................. 197,214 Ambience lighting
Setting distance .. ...... ...... .. .
125 Advanced Airbag System .......... 201 Lighting profiles .. .. .............. 64
Setting time interval .............. 125 Advanced Airbag System components 204 Anti-freeze
Settings ...................... ..
131 Care ... .. .......... ....... .. .. . 211 See Engine coolant system ......... 286
Special driving situations .......... 131
Status messages ................. 129
Switching on and off .............. 122
System limits ................... 131
Child restraints .................. 221
Children ........................ 220
Components (front airbags) ... ..... 204
Anti-glare inside day-night mirror .... 69, 70
Anti-lock brake system
How the ABS system works ...... ..
246
Warning/indicator lights ........... 17

ffl Alphabetical index ------',.__ ___________________________________ _
Driv ing messages ...... ...... .. .. .. .. 24
Dr iv ing safely ..... .. .. .. .. ...... ... 176
Dr iving through water ... ... ... .. .. .. 252
Dr iv ing time .. ............ .......... 34
Duplica te key . .... .... .. .. .. ........ 3 7
Dust fi lter
Climate controls .. .. .. .... .. .. . ...
96
DVD player for navigation system . .. . .. . 86
Dynam ic shift program ............ .. 1 56
E
Easy entry feature . .. .. .. .. .... ..... 1 08
Electric seat adjustment
See Power seat ................... 76
Electromechanical parking brake
Emergency braking . ... .. .. .... .. .
11 5
Ma lf u nct ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Park ing .................... .. .. 114
Releasing and app ly ing ... .. ... .. .. 113
Starting off w ith a t railer ......... . 115
Warning/ind icator lights . .......... 17
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
How the system works ... .........
243
Warning/ind icator lights . .......... 17
Electroni c immobili ze r ... .... .. .. .. .. . 4 0
Electronic powe r control
(EPC) war ning/ indicato r light .. .. ... .
14
Electronic speed limiter ........ .... .. . 23
Ele ctro nic s tabiliza tion p rogram ( ESP)
How t he system wor ks ... .........
2 4 2
W arning/ind icator lights . .......... 14
Emergency braking ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. 115
Emergency closing
Power su nroof ... ... .. .. . ... ...
55, 56
Eme rgency flasher ................ ... 61
Wa rning/ind icator l ights . .. .. .. .. .. 15
Emergency locking of doors . .. .. .. .. .. 45
E mergency sta rt ing .... ..... ... .. .. . 332
Emergency towing .................. 335
Energy management ................ 249
Battery power .. .. .. .. .. .... ..... 250
Dr iver not ification ............... . 250
Engine
Compartment . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ...
280
Coolant .. ... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. . 286
Hood . ... .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .. . 278
Starting ....... .. .. ........ . 108, 109
Starting with jumpe r cab les . .. .... . 332
Stopping ...... .............. ...
110
Engine compa rtment
Sa fety instructions . .... ... .. .. .. .
2 79
Working the eng ine compartment .. 2 79
En gine coolant system ........ .. .. .. . 286
Add ing coolant ................. . 287
Checking coo la nt level . ..... .. .. .. 286
Checking the engine coo lant level . .. 286
Ma lfu nction ... .. ..... ..... .... .. . 27
Radiator fan ....... .. ... . .. .. ... 288
E ngine coo lant tempe rature
T emperat ure gauge ............. .. . 8
Engine data ....... ...... .... .. .....
343
Engine hood
Closing .... ..... ..... .... .. .. .. .
2 79
How to re lease the hood ..... .. ... . 278
Engine oil .. ... .... ... .. . ... ... .. .. 281
Add ing .............. .... ... .. .. 284
Add itives .................. .... . 284
Changing .. ..... .......... .. .. .. 285
Checking the engine oil leve l ..... .. 2 83
Indi cat io ns and conditions requiring extr a
check ing . .. .. .. .. .............
283
Oil consumption .... ............. 282
Oil grades . .. .. .... ..... ....... . 281
Recommended oil check intervals ... 283
Specification and viscosity ..... .. .. 28 1
Engine oil leve l .... .. .. ............. . 31
Engine oil p ress ure
Mal fu nct ion .. .. .. .. .... ..........
28
Engine oil sensor defect ive . ...... ... .. 31
Engine speed limitation ....... ... .. .. . 32
Environmen t
Bre ak-in per iod ...... ...... .. .. ..
2 51
Ca taly tic converte r .. .... ......... 2 52
Disposing o f you r vehi cle bat tery .... 29 4
Driving at hig h speeds ..... ... . ... 254
Driving to minimize poll ution and noise . .
253
Fuel .. .. .... ....... ...... .... .. 27 5
Fue l economy .. .. .. ....... .. .. .. 2 53
Leaks unde r yo ur vehicle ... .. .. .. . 2 79
Lett ing the vehicle stand and warm up .. .
254
Proper disposa l of dra ined brake fluid 289
Prope r disposal of dra ined engine coo la nt
287
Proper disposal of drained engine oil 284,
285
Recy cling used e ng ine o il .......... 2 8 4