light AUDI A6 2011 Manual Online

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The detection~ page 138, fig. 131 of the radar sensor detection
area is made up of :
• the approach area (light green area)
(D, about 230 feet (70 m)
behind the vehicle, and
• the "blind spot" (dark green area)@.
The radar sensors cover the adjacent left and right lanes. Other lanes are
not cove red by the radar sensors.
rn Tip s
Side assist does not measure act ual lane width. The system assumes
a fixed lane w idth. Detection in the left and right lanes is based on
this assumed lane w idth. 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 will be detected that are
not in the lane next to the lane
you are using~
page 143. •
Applie s to ve hicl es: w ith s id e a ssist
Operation
Side assist 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 signa l light appears on the respect ive m irror .
The signa l can light up if you are passed by a vehicle or if you are
passing another vehicle.
If you pass another vehicle slowly (d ifference in speed less than 9
mph, or 15 km/h) , the signa l light will come on as soon as the other
vehicle is in your blind spot and is detected by side ass ist . When the
difference in speed is greater, the signal light wi ll not come on. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
A
pp lies to ve hicles : w ith side assist
Informational and alert stage signals
S ide assis t has two signa l st ages:
• the informational stage signal, and
• t he ale rt stage signal.
S ide assist helps you by using the appropr iate s ignal stage,
depending on whether or not you have activated the turn signal, and
thus have indicated that you are or are not changing lanes .
Informat ional stage signal
As long as you have not activated the turn signal, side assist informs
you of detected vehicles that are registered as being in a notable loca­
tion if you were to change lanes . Wheneve r the detected vehicle 's
difference in speed and distance is registered by side assist as
notable, the signal l ight on the respective m irror produces muted
illumination .
Th e br ightness of the info rmationa l stage signal is designed no t to be
as intense, so that it does not interfere w ith your v iew of the road
when you are driving and have no in tention of chang ing lanes. When
you look in the outside mirror, you can clearly see the informat ional
stage signal.
Alert stage signal
Whe n you act ivate the tu rn s ignal, a nd side assist has de tected a
vehicle in a notable location on that particular side, the signal light on
this side mirro r flashes b rightly. The repeated brief and bright
flash ing of the alert stage signal reminds you to carefully check
traffic to the rear in the outside mirror and over your shoulder, so t hat
you can safely complete the lane change~
& in "Safety tips" on
page 144.
rn Tips
The brightness of the signa l light on the outside mirrors can be
adjusted with the MMI
~ page 142. •
Vehicle care Technical data

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Applie s to vehi cles : w ith si de assist
Driving situation: Fast approaching
vehicles
l!l
~----- "'
i
Fig. 132 Side assist: Fast approaching vehicles
(D Signal on outside mirror does not light up
No veh icle was detected by the sensors. The signal on the outside
mirror does not light up~
& in "Safety tips" on page 144.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A fast approaching vehicle· in the left-hand lane for example· was
detected by the sensors. A lthough this vehicle is stil l far away, it
should be taken into account if you were to change lanes, due to the
considerable difference in speed. The informational stage signal on
the outside m irror lights up~
page 139.
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving situation@, the signal
br iefly flashes repeatedly . Side assist is alerting you to a veh icle that
you may not have noticed.
[I] Tips
• The faster a vehicle approaches from the rear, the sooner the
signa l on the outs ide mirror lights up. S ide assist will signal, at the
latest, when a detected vehicle enters your "blind spot".
• When veh icles approach very qu ickly, chang ing lanes can be
dangerous even if the s ignal on the outside m irror does not light up. •
Applies to vehicles : w ith si de assist
Driving situation: Slowly approaching
vehicles
Fig. 133 Side assist: Slowly approach ing vehicles and vehicles in your blind
spo t ..

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CD S ignal on out sid e mirror do es n ot light up
A vehicle approach ing slow ly- in the left -hand lane for example -was
detected by the sensors . Because of the small difference in speed and
the conside rable d istance from your vehicle, the signal on the outside
mirror will not light up=>
& in "Safety tips" on page 144.
@ Informational stage signal light s up
The distance between your veh icle and that of the slowly approach ing
vehicle has narrowed. The informational stage signal on the outside
m irror lig hts up.
As soon as the difference in speed and distance is registered as
notable if you we re to change la nes, a sig nal on the m irror lights up.
Side ass ist wi ll signal at the latest when a detected vehicle enters
your "b lind spot" .
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signa l in drivi ng situa tion @, the signa l light
briefly flashes repeatedly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehicle t hat
you may not have no tic ed.
[ i ] Tips
• T he faste r a vehicle approaches from the rear, the soone r the
signal on the outs ide mirror lights up. Side assist will signal, at the
latest, when a detected vehicle enters your "blind spot".
• When veh icles approach very quickly, chang ing lanes can be
dangerous even if the s ignal on the outside mi rror does not light up. •
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to ve hicles : w ith side assist
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping back
slowly
Fi g. 13 4 Side as sis t : V ehi cle s dro ppi ng b ack slowly
CD S ignal on outside m irror does not light up
T he vehicle that you passed has not yet been detected by s ide assist .
T he signa l on the outside mirror does not light up=>
& in "Safety
tips" on
page 144.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A veh icle dropping back slow ly on the r ight (d if f erence in speed of
less than 9 mph, or 15 km/h) has been detected by side ass ist . The
informational stage signa l on the outside mirror lights up .
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you act ivate your turn signa l in dr iv ing si tua tion @, the signa l
briefly flashes repeatedly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehicle that
you may not have not iced .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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Applie s to vehi cles : w ith si de assist
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping back
quickly
Fig. 135 Side assist: Vehicles dropping back quickly
(D 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 144.
@ 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 144.
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light up
If you activate your turn signal in driving situation @, the signal still
does not light up on the outside mirror~ &, in "Safety tips" on
page 144. •
Applies to vehicles : w ith si de ass ist
Setting the signal brightness on the
outside mirror
The signal brightness can be set in the MMI.
-Select : Function button [CAR]> Systems* > Audi side
assist .
The brightness of the signal light for both the informational and alert
stages is automatically adjusted to ambient light conditions. In addi ­
tion , you can adjust the
basic brightness separately, via the bright­
ness function .
While making the adjustment, the new brightness setting is
displayed briefly . The brightness displayed is that of the informa­
tional stage signal. The alert stage signal brightness is linked to the
informational stage signal brightness.
The informational stage signal brightness should be adjusted so that
you notice the signal illumination when you look in the outside
mirror, but not when you look forward through the windshield .
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
again. .._

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(]] Tips
• Side assist is not active when the basic brightness is adjusted. The
signal light comes on br iefly to help you make the adjustment.
• Your settings are automat ically stored and assigned to the remote
control key being used .•
A ppli es to ve hicles : w it h s ide ass ist
General information
Side assist has limits and cannot detect vehicles under all road and
weather conditions . Please remember system limitations and n ever
re ly on the system, especially when :
• driving through curves=>
page 143,
• lanes are of different widths=> page 143. •
Ap plies to vehicles: w ith sid e assist
When driving through curves
Side assist cannot detect vehicles 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.•
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : with side assist
Lane width
Fig. 136 Lanes of a
n orma l width are in
detection area
Fig . 137 Narrow
lanes: Side assist may
detect vehicles two
lanes away
Side assist's detection area is designed to cover lanes of standard
w idth to the left and rig ht of your travel lane, depending on whether
you drive in the center of your lane or closer to the edge.
If you drive in narrow lanes, side assist's detection area may also
include other lanes -especially if you tend to drive on t he edge of your
lane => fig. 137. Under these conditions, vehicl es can also be
detected that are two lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informationa l and warning stage signals .
When driving in very wide lanes, vehicles in the adjacent lane may not
be detected because they are not inside the detection area .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

1111....__A_ u_ d_i_ s_id _e_ a_s _s_ i_ s _t _________________________________________________ _
Notes
Applies to v ehicl es : w it h sid e ass ist
Messages in instrument cluster display
I f si de ass ist tur ns off automatica lly, t he in dicator light on the butto n
w ill go out a nd you w ill s ee a m essag e in t he i nstrumen t cluste r
display:
Audi side assist not available: sensors blocked
Th e side ass is t se nsors ar e built i nto th e rear bump er on th e le ft and
r igh t (no t vis ib le o n the out sid e)=>
pag e 137, fig. 128 . To ensur e
that yo u do not a dve rsely affect t he way si de assist funct ions, foreign
obj ects (such as st ick ers or bicycle rac ks) should not b e atta ch ed t o
the area on t he rear bum per whe re t he sensors are located. If side
assi st funct ions a re adve rse ly aff ected, y ou wi ll see th is m essage in
the inst rument cl uster disp lay. R emove anyth ing that may b e
b locking t he sens ors .
If no ve hicl e is detect ed for a lo nger p eriod of t im e w hile driving , side
assist w ill also sw itc h
off automati ca lly .
Audi side ass ist currently not available
I f the re i s a t empora ry problem (s u ch as the vehicle 's battery char ge
b ein g low), s ide ass ist ca nnot b e act ivated t em porar ily .
Audi side assist: system fault
Have the system checked by an a utho riz ed Aud i dealer or qualified
wo rk shop. •
Applies to ve hicl es : w ith sid e ass is t
Safety tips
T he s ide assist detection may be limited w hen driving aro und narrow
str eet co rn ers, on hill y stree ts, and under p oor we ath er co nditions . It is possib
le that the radar senso rs may also detect other objects,
such a s high or st agg ere d gu ardr ails.
Side assis t does not measure ac tual lane wid th . T he sys tem assumes
a fixe d lane w idth . Detection in the le ft and rig ht lanes is based on
th is ass um ed lan e width . Wh en drivi ng on narrow ro ads or w hen
driv ing to t he left or r ight of t he cente r of a t ravel lane, it is possib le
that vehicles will be de te ct ed th at are
no t in th e lan e nex t to th e lane
you a re us ing.
& WARNING
• Improper reliance on the side assist system can cause collisions
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 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 vehicles 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 assist indicates there are approaching
vehicles, or vehicles in your blind spot , only after your vehicle has
reached a driving speed of at least 19 mph (30 km/h).
• Side assist 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.
~

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Automatic transmission
tiptronic® (6-speed automatic
transmission)
Ap plies to veh icle s: with 6-spe ed a uto mat ic trans missi on
General information
Your v ehicle is equipp ed with an ele ctronically con trolled automat ic
transmiss ion. Upshifti ng and downshifting takes place
automati­
c ally.
The transm ission is also equipped with tiptronic ®. It allows the driver
t o shift gears
manually if desired=> page 150 . •
App lies to vehicl es: w ith 6 -s pee d automat ic transmiss ion
Driving the automatic transmission
St arting the engine
- The selector lever must be in N or P.
Starting off
- Press and hold the brake pedal.
Fig . 138 Shift gate on
t he center conso le:
selec tor lever with
release button
- Press and hold the release button in the selector lever
handle and move the selector lever from
P or N to D and
release the button~ & .
- Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted (you will feel a slight movement).
- Remove your foot from the brake pedal and accelerate .
Rocking back and forth to become unstuc k
-Shift only between D and R when the vehicle is at a full
stop and the eng ine is running at idle speed.
Stopp ing
- Press and hold the brake pedal until the veh icle has come
to a complete stop .
- Keep the brake pedal depressed so that the vehicle cannot roll forward or backward while i t is idling ~ & -
- Once stopped,
do not depress the accelerator pedal to rev
up th e engine ~& .
Parking
- Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle has come
to a complete stop .
- Set the parking brake firmly~
page 114, "Parking" .
- Press and hold the release button in the selector lever handle, move the selector lever into
P and then let go of
the release button~ & - .,

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R -Rev e rse
T he transmission will automatically select the lowe st gea r ratio when
you sh ift into reverse .
Select
R only when the vehicle is at a full stop and the engine is
running at id le speed=>
& in "Driving the a utomatic tra nsmiss ion"
on
page 146 .
Before yo u move the selector lever to R, press both the button in the
handle of the selector lever
and the brake pedal at the same time.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illum inate when the
selector lever is moved into
R .
N -Neutral
The tra nsmission is in neutra l in t his position . Shift to this posit ion
for standing wit h the brakes applied~
page 148.
When the vehicle is s tationary or a t speeds be low 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and while mov ing the
lever ou t of
N .
D -Normal position for dri ving forward
Posit ion Dis fo r normal city and highway driv ing. I t ranges from ze ro
to top speed and all gears shift automatically, depending on eng ine
load, d riving speed and au tomatically selected s hift p rograms.
When the vehicle is stat ionary 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 certa in circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the m anu al sh ift prog ram to man ua lly se lect gea r ratios to
match specific driving conditions~
page 150.
S -Sport position
Select this position for sportier performance. In this position, the
t ransm iss ion will not upshif t as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the
increased power available at higher engine speeds to achieve livelier
a cceler ation. When the vehicle
is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always app ly the foot bra ke before and w hile movi ng the
lever to
S out of N.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS=> & in "Driving the automatic
transmi ssion " on
page 146 .
0 Note
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in N and t he e ng ine not
running will result in damage to the automatic t ransmiss ion and
possibly the catalytic converter .•
Ap plies to veh icles: w it h 6-speed automatic t ransmissio n
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automati c Shift Lo ck s afegu ards you ag ainst acci­
dentally shifting i nto a for ward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to m ove unintentionally .
Fig. 140 Shift gat e:
s e lect or le ve r lo ck posi­
t io ns a nd interl ock
butt on h ighlighted
The sele ct or lever lock is released as fo llows:
- Turn the ignition on.

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-Step on the brake pedal. At the same time press and hold
the interlock button on the side of the gear selector knob
=:> fig. 140 with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position.
Automatic selector lever lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N positions when the ignition
is turned on. To move the lever from these positions the driver must
depress the brake pedal. As a reminder to the driver, the following
warning appears in the instrument cluster display when the se lector
is in
P and N:
When stationary apply footbrake while selecting gear
A time delay element prevents the selector lever from locking when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to D). The locking
element will lock the selector lever if the lever is left in N (Neutra l) for
more than approximately 1 second, without the brake pedal being
pressed.
A t speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is
automatically deactivated in the
N position .
Interlock button
The lock button on the selector lever prevents the lever from being
accidentally shifted into certain posi tions . Pressing this button deac­
tivates the selector lever lock. Depending on the direction of the
shift, the selector lever locks at different positions. The positions are
highlighted in the illustration=>
page 148, fig. 140.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the selector lever
is in the
P pa rk position. When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever will be locked in the
P position. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
A
pp lies to vehicles : w ith 6-s p eed a utomati c transm ission
Kick-down
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to generate
maximum acceleration .
When you press the accelerator pedal beyond the resistance point
that is reached at full throttle, the transmission will select a lower
gear ratio based on vehicle speed and engine RPM. The engine RPM
will be controlled to produce maximum vehicle acceleration as long
as you continue to press the accelerator pedal beyond this resistance
point .
& WARNING
Be careful when using the kick-down feature on slippery roads.
Rapid acceleration may cause the vehicle to skid. •
Applies to v ehicles: with 6 -speed auto mat ic trans miss ion
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled.
The transmission is self adapting and will automatically select the
best sh ift p rogram suited to the driv in g conditions and driving style.
The transmission will select one of the
economy programs when you
drive at a steady speed or a gradually changing speed without heavy
acceleration . This ach ieves optimum fuel efficiency, with early
upshifting and de layed downshifting.
Th e transmission will automatically select the
sporty shift programs
when you dr ive at higher speeds, or w ith heavy acceleration and
frequently changing speeds . Upshifts are delayed to make full use of
engine power . Downsh ifting takes place at higher engine speeds than
in the economy programs . _.,
Vehicle care Technical data

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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
quickly pressing down the gas pedal.
This causes the transmission to shift down to a lower gear to achieve
rap id acceleration, e.g . for quic kly passing another vehicle. You do
not need to press the gas peda l into the kick-down range. After the
transmission has upshifted, the original program is selected
according to your driving style.
An additional shift program allows the automatic transmission to
select the proper gear for uph ill and downh ill gradients .
This keeps the transmission from shifting up and down unnecessarily
on hills . T he transmission will shift down to a lower gea r 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. •
App lies to ve hicles : with 6-s p eed automatic t ransm iss ion
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you con manually select
gears.
Fig . 141 Center
console: shifting the
tiptronic ® manually Fig
. 142 Display :
manual shift program,
selected gear
Switching to manual shift program
- Push the selector lever to the right from D. As soon as the
transmission has switched over, the selected gear appears
in the display => fig. 142.
To upshift
-Push the selector lever forward to the plus position 0
=> fig. 141.
To downshift
- Push the lever to the minus position Q.
When accelerating, the transmission will automatically shift into
gears 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 before the engine reaches its maximum RPM.
If you apply a light throttle when acce lerating, tiptronic ® wi ll auto­
matically shift from 1st to 2nd gear to save fuel. If you apply a heavy
throttle , the transmission will 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 pedal when driving down a
steep incline , tiptronic ® will downshift from the selected gear into
the next lower gear until it reaches 1st gear, based on road speed and
engine RPM. Automatic downshift ing is interrupted as soon as you
apply the throttle again . _.