steering AUDI A6 2012 Owner's Manual

96 Audi drive select
Individual -¢ page 96.
Adjusting the Individual mode
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating Au­
d i drive select to prevent potential risk of
an accident.
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
.. Se lect : I CARI function button > Set individ­
ual
control button. You can now adjust the
individual systems.
The
Individual driving mode will automatica l­
ly be activated when you have finished config­
uring the settings.
I
Systems
Engine /Transmission
Steering Cornering light*
Belt tensioner*
{1) Tips Comfort
balanced
comfortable
comfortable
-Standard
Your
Individual mode settings are auto­
mat ically stored and assigned to the re­
mote control key being used. The
equipment in your vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust. The following
table provides an overview of the characteris­
tics of each driving mode.
Auto
ba lanced
balanced
ba lanced
Standard
---~·
---~,
Dynamic
sporty
sporty
sporty
Deployment time
adapted
-

Night vision assistant
Night vision assistant
with detected pedestrian marking
Description
App lies to vehicles: with night v isio n assistant
Fig . 97 D isplay: n ight vision ass istant
"Night v is ion assistant with pedestrian detec­
tion" uses an infrared camera to monitor the
area in front of your vehicle at night. Within
the limits of the system, it can display objects
up to about 1000 feet (300 meters) away. The
heat image of a pedestrian detected by the
camera is shown in the instrument cluster dis­
play
Q fig . 97 . Warm areas appear lighter and
cold areas appear darker .
Pedestrian detection
Applies to vehicles: with n ig ht v ision ass istant
F ig. 98 Display : yellow pedest rian mark in g
Night vision assistant 97
Fig. 99 Display: symbol when infrared image is not
visible
Night vision assistant can detect pedestrians
that are between about 50 and 300 feet (15
and 90 meters) in front of the vehicle, under
ideal conditions . If a pedestrian is detected
when it is dark outside and the vehicle head­
lights are switched on, the pedestrian is high­
l ighted in yellow
Q fig . 98, Q page 98, Gen­
eral information .
If another display such as
navigation replaces the image from the night
vision assistant , the symbo l~,, appears in a
tab
r::',> fig . 99.
(D Tips
If the night vision assistant image does
not appear when the system is switched
on, you can access it with the buttons on
the m ultifunction steering wheel
¢pa ge 24.

Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears .
Fig. 108 Center console: shi ftin g th e tip tronic ma nua l·
l y
Fig. 109 Display: man ual sh ift program, selected gea r
highl ighted
Switching to manual shift program
• Push the selector lever to the right from 0/
5 . As soon as the transmission has switched
over, the selected gear appears in the dis­
play.
To upshift
• Push the selector lever forward to the plus
pos ition
0 ~ fig . 108 .
To downshift
• Push the leve r to the minus position 0 -
When accelerating , the transmission will au­
tomatically shift into the next gear before the
engine reaches its maximum RPM .
If you apply a light throttle when accelerat­
ing, tiptron ic will automatically shift from 1st
to 2nd gear to save fuel. If you apply a heavy
thrott le, the transmission will stay in 1st gear
Automatic Transmission 105
until near maximum RPM is reached, or until
the driver shifts into 2nd gear.
If you take your foot off the accelerator pedal
when d riving 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. Auto­
matic downshifting is interrupted as soon as
you apply the throttle again.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear,
the transmission will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev­
ving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transm ission w ill shift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds .
- tiptronic is inoperative when the trans­
mission is in the fai l-safe mode.
Steer ing wheel with tiptronic
Applies to vehicles: with tiptronic steering wheel
The shi~ buttons on the steering wheel allow
the driver to shift gears manually.
Fig. 1 10 Steer ing w hee l: S hift bu ttons
• To downshift, touch the button on the left
0 -
• To upshift, touch the button on the right
0.
The shift buttons are activated when these­
lector lever is in
D/S or in the manual shift
program (tiptronic) .

until near maximum RPM is reached, or until
the driver shifts into 2nd gear.
I f yo u take your foot off the accelerator pedal
when dr iving 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. Auto ­
matic downshifting is interrupted as soon as
you apply the throttle again.
@ Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear,
the transmission will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev­
v ing the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transmission will shift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds.
- tiptron ic is inoperative when the trans­
mission is in the fail-safe mode .
Steering wheel with tiptronic
Applies to vehicles: with tiptro nic steer ing wheel
The shift buttons on the steering wheel allow
the driver to shift gears manually.
Fig. 117 Steering wheel: Sh ift buttons
• To downshift, touch the button on the left
0-
• To upsh ift, touch the button on the right
0-
The shift buttons are activated when the se­
lector lever is in
D/S or in the manual shift
program (tiptronic).
Automatic Transmission 111
Of course, you can continue to use the manual
shift program with the selector lever on the
center console.
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles : wit h tipt ro ni c
[O] Transmission : please press the brake ped ­
al and select the position again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
selector lever position again. You can then
continue driving.
[O] Transmis sion hot: please modify driving
style
T he tran smission temperature has increased
s ig nificantly due to the sporty driving manner .
Dr ive in a less sporty manner until the tem ­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con­
tinue driving
T here is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. You may cont inue driving. Drive to your
a uthor ized Audi dea le r or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: Limited driv­
ing functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s ion. The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. This mode on ly shifts into cer­
tain gears or will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
[O] Transmission malfunction: Stop and shift
to P
Do not continue dr iving. Select the P selector
lever position and see your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you should take the vehicle to an
IJll>

Reverse Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with rear
view camera
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 125 MMI display: a iming at a park ing spot
Fig. 126 MMI display: aligning the vehicle
• Switch the MMI on and select reverse gear.
• Turn the steering wheel until the orange
orientation lines
(D appear in the parking
spot¢
fig. 125. Use the markings @to help
you estimate the distance from an obstacle .
Each marking represents 3
ft (1 meter). The
blue area represents an extension of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16
ft (5 me­
ters) to the rear.
• While driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking space
with the aid of the orange orientation lines ¢ (D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle when the red orientation line© bor­
ders an object¢ £!
A WARNING
-The rear view camera does not show the
entire area beh ind the veh icle
¢p age 115, fig. 123. Watch out espe­
cially for smal l children and animals. The
Parking system 117
rear view camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rear ofa truck). In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with parking, which poses danger of an accident!
(D Note
In the MMI d isplay, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
ing on the steering wheel angle. The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
r ear. Maintain plenty of distance so that
your outside mirror or a corner o f your ve­
hicle does not collide with any obstacles.
This can damage to your vehicle.
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with rear
view camera
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a street.
Fig. 127 MMI display: blue surface in the park ing spot
Fi g. 128 MMI display: Blue curve on the curb

118 Parking system
The following steps app ly only when there is
no obstacle such as a wall near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the informat ion
prov ided in the "Parking Next to Obstacles"
section <=>
page 118.
.. Activate the turn signal.
.. Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3 ft (1 meter)
from a parked vehicle.
.. Switch the MM I on and se lect reverse gear .
The parking aid turns on and parking mode
1 appears on the display .
.. Press the cont ro l button @<=>
fig. 12 7 on
t h e M MI con trol conso le. Par kin g mode 2
appears .
.. Back up and align yo ur vehicle so the b lue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi­
cle or on the parking spot line. The bl ue area
represents an extension of the veh icle's out­
li ne by approximate ly 16 ft (5 meters) to the
rear . The long side of the blue area should
be o n the cu rb. The entire blue area must fit
into the parking spot .
.. Wi th the veh icle stopped, turn the s teer ing
wheel to the right as far as it w ill go.
.. Back into the park ing spot until the blue
c ur ve to uches the curb<=>
fig. 128. Stop the
vehicle.
.. With the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
wheel to the left as far as it will go.
.. Co nti nue to back in to the parking spot until
the veh icle is parked para llel to the curb .@
marks the rear bumper . Stop the vehicle
when the red orientation line@ borders an
obje ct ¢
& -Keep an eye on the front of
yo ur vehicle while doing this ¢0 .
Parking n ext to obstacles
When t here is an obstacle (such as a wall)
next to the pa rk ing spot, choose a spot w ith
mo re space on t he sides. Pos ition the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficie nt
sp ace from the curb. The area m ust no t be on
the c urb. Yo u will also need to start turning
the steering wheel much earlier. There should
be a suffic ient amo unt of space between the
curb and the b lue curve, and the blue c urve
c;> fig. 128 mus t not touch the curb.
A WARNING
- The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
c::;, page 115, fig . 123 . Watch out espe­
cially fo r small ch ildren and anima ls . T he
rea r view came ra ca nnot always de te ct
them, posing ris k of an acciden t!
- P lease note that objects not touching the
g round can appear to be further away
t han they really are (for examp le, the
bumper of a par ked vehicle, a trai ler
hitch, or the rea r of a truck) . In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with parking, wh ic h poses danger of an
accident!
(D Note
In the MMI display, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
i ng on the steering wheel angle . The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle rear . Maintain plenty of dista nce so that
your outside mi rror or a corner of you r ve ­
hicle does not col lide with any obstacles.
This can damage to your ve hicle .
(D Tips
The left o r right orie ntation lines and su r­
faces will be disp layed, depending on t he
tu rn s ignal being used .
Adjusting the display
and warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus or parking
system plus with rear view camera
The display and warning tones can be adjust ­
ed in the MMI.
.. Select: !CAR ! function b utton> Car sy stems
cont ro l but to n > Driver a ssi st > Parking aid
> Setting s control b utton .
Display
On* -turns on the visual d isplay for pa rking
system p lus and shows the rearview came ra
i mage fo r the park ing system p lus w ith rea r
view camera*. ..,_

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others. We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 123
accident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for the front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
Fo r your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly.
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside.
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
I::!) page 59, I::!) page 56.
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir­
rors correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to the ir height. .,.. •
•

124 Driving Safel y
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children¢
page 168,
Child Safety.
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 50,
General recommendations.
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts proper ly
r:::;, page 133 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants.
If you r ability
to drive is impa ired, safety r isks for everybody
i n the vehicle increase and yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
r:::;, .&_ .
Therefore:
• Do not let you rself be di stracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when yo ur driving ability is im ­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws, ru les of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
dr ive for more than two hours at a stretch.
• Do NOT drive whe n you are ti red, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
_8. WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 131 Correct seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
following position:
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
r:::;, A.
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adjust the steering whee l so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone r:::;,
fig. 131. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive equipment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possib le.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
r::::>page 136.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:> page 51.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect-
Driving Safely 125
ed ly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c:> page 168 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c:> page 142.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
~ Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
<=:>page 127.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=:>page 136.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:> page 50 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
•
•

occupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or what­
ever else is in the way
c::> fig. 136. This impact
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection. Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed. Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
selves but also the driver and other passen­
gers
c::> fig. 137. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat pas­
senger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It's simply
not true!
Fig. 138 Driver is correctly restra ined in a sudden brak­
ing maneuver
Safety belts 135
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle
up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!