ECU AUDI A6 2013 Owner's Guide

188 Child Safet y
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 175 Tethe r ancho rs: recess flaps be hin d the rear
sea tbacks
The tethe r anchors for the rear sea ting posi­
tions are located in recesses i n the rear win­
dow shelf ~ fig.
175
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
specia l anchorage points in the veh icle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for·
ward movement of the ch ild restra int in a
crash, in order to help reduce the r isk of head
in ju ry that could be ca used by s tri king the ve­
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restra ints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, a re required by U .S .
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requ irements make a
tether necessary on most new chi ld safety
seats.
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of chi ld restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re­
stra int you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of c hild restra int anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in ·
jury in a co llision. Th e anchors are de·
sign ed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by cor rect ly fi tted ch ild restraints.
- Never mou nt two chi ld restraint systems
on one LA TCH lower anchor po int. -
Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage .
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds o f occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attac h any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If you must install a rearwa rd facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional c ircumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat i n a rea r seating position and
h ave the airbag system ins pe cted by your
Aud i dea le r.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig . 1 7 6 Tet her st ra p : prope r rou ting and mou nting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child res traint accord ing to t he child re­
s traint manufacturer's instructions.
.,. Guide the upper te t her s trap
under the rear
head restra int ~ fig.
176 (ra ise the head re­
stra int if necessary) .
.,. Tilt the recess flap up to expose the ancho r
bracket.
.,. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of t he tether anchorage .
.,. Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
liJJ,

204 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 204, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage should your veh i­
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your Audi dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is important
that you
always have clear v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle . In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shift ing forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c:::> A in Driving instructions on page 206 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load.

226 Check ing and filling
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames . Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and persona l in ­
jury while the engine is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fi rst, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lec to r lever to P (Pa rk) .
- Always use extreme caution to preven t
clot hing, jewe lry, or long h air from ge t­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V -belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
start ing, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or droop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
chemica l hazards¢ ,&..
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in veh icle components conta in
or emit chemicals known to the State of
Califor nia to cause cancer and b irth de­
fec ts a nd reproduct ive ha rm. In addition,
certain fluids conta ined in vehicles and
certa in prod ucts of co mponent wear co n­
ta in o r emi t chemicals known to the
State o f Ca lifornia to cause can cer and
birth defects or ot her reproductive harm. -
Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cance r and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other ve hicle flu­
i ds, have yo ur vehicle inspected by a n au­
thori zed Audi dea le r.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he struts is reduced.
.,. Let the hood drop down and latch in p lace .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ¢&_ .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper­
ly engaged. The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrou nding vehicle body pa rts.
- If you notice while driv ing t hat the hood
is not s ecured prope rly, stop at onc e and
close it.

248 Tire s and whee ls
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring* system can work cor­ rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the funct ion of the tire pressure mon itor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated ti res bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden ti re fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden ti re fail ure
and loss of control.
- If the tire press ure is too low or too high,
the tires wi ll wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase the
fuel consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any veh icle and any t ire ca n carry.
A veh icle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Over load ing
can not on ly lead to loss of veh icle contro l, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire fai lure, in­
clud ing a b lowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
G ro ss Vehicl e We ight R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to car ry ("seat ing capac ity") with an
ass umed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenge r at a designated seating position
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve ­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
G ro ss Axle We ight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar . Your Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating posi­
t ion has a safety belt
Q page 136, Safety
belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
t ra ile r hi tch and the tongue weigh t of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug-
gage.
~

@ Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all-wheel dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled rims . If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are f itted
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 287.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can becom e loose caus ing loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
Jury .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
w heel bolts can t urn easily and be prop ­
erly t ightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while d riving if greased or
oi led, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use whee l bolts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the co rrect tighten ing
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
Tire s an d wheel s 257
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm) . Torq ue whee l bolts diago­
nally. After changing a whee l, the torq ue
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
i zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
You r Aud i is facto ry-equ ipped w it h low aspect
ra tio tires. These tires have been tho ro ughly
tested and been se lec ted spe cifically for you r
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or le ss in the tire's s ize
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more .
The performance of low-aspect -ra tio tire s is
particularly sens it iv e to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio t ires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressur e is
regularly che cked and maintain ed. Tire pre s­
s ures should be checked at least on ce a
m onth and alwa ys before a long trip
¢ page 246, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damage d mo re
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, g ull ies
or ridges on t he road, partic ularly if the tire is
u nderinflated.
Ill>-
•
•

262 What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover .
Fig. 200 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spare t ire
Fig . 201 Trunk lid: Vehicle tool kit
• Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:>fig. 200.
• Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
• Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
c:> fig. 200 and remove the spare tire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
• Unhook the cargo floor before closing the
rear lid.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment p in for changing wheels
- Screwdr iver w ith reve rsible blade
- T owing loop
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING ,-
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no c ir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy vehicles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particu larly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional extras .
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c::> page 266.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for short-term use only.
Taking out the spare tire
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
c::>fig. 200.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
.,. Turn the large screw
c:> fig. 200 counte r­
clockw ise.
.,. Take out the spare tire .

-On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubbe r mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping .
- To he lp prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until yo u are
sure the jack is secu rely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve­
h icle when it is jac ked up.
- Make sure that passengers wa it in a
safe p lace away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and t raffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct , ad­
just as necessary and then continue to
r ai se the jack.
- Changes in temperatur e or load can af­
fect the height of the ve hicl e.
(D Note
Do not lift the ve hicle by the s ill. Position
the vehicle jack only at the des ignated
lift­
ing points on the sill. Othe rwis e, your vehi­
cle will be damaged.
(D Tips
The vehicle jack mode* switches off auto­
mat ica lly at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/
h).
Removing and installing the sill cover
Applies to vehicles : wit h sill
Fig. 207 Sill: remov ing t he cover
.,. Pull the cover down to remove it c::> fig . 207.
.,. To install the cover again, inse rt it into the
retainers and then sw ing it upward unt il it
cl icks into place . T he cover m ust be flush
with the sill.
What do I d o now ? 267
@ Tips
Some models may also have a cover for the
rear vehicle lift po int.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing th e wheel.
Fi g. 208 Cha ngi ng a w heel: us ing th e screwd rive r ha n­
d le (w it h th e blade re m oved) to turn the bo lts
F ig . 209 Chang ing a whee l: a lig nment p in in sid e the
top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bo lts and
raised the vehicle
off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows :
Removing th e wheel
.,. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwd riv ­
er handle
to complete ly remove the top­
most wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean
surface c::> fig. 208 .
.,. Screw the threaded end of the alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-t ight into the
empty bolt hol e
c::> fig. 209 .
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de­
scribed above .
.,. Take
off the whee l leaving the alignment
pi n in the bolt hole
c::> (l).

-Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle a s soon as
possible. Remount the wheel co ve r.
U ntil th en, driv e with extr a car e and at re ­
du ced speeds .
~ WARNING
-
-If you are going to equip your vehicle
with t ires or rims wh ich differ from those
wh ich were factory installed, then be
sure to read the informat ion
c:> page 251,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always make sure the damaged wheel or
even a flat tire and the jack and tool k it
are properly secured in th e luggage com·
partment and are not loose in the pas·
senger compartment.
- In an accident o r sudden maneuver they
c ou ld fly forward, inju ring anyone in the
vehicle .
- Always store damaged w heel, jac k and
tools secure ly in the luggage compart­
ment. Otherw ise, in an acc iden t or sud­
den maneuver they cou ld fly forward,
causing injury to passenge rs i n the vehi·
cle .
What do I do now? 269
•
•

2 76 Emergency situations
-When connecting jumper cables, make
sure that they cannot get caught in any
moving parts in the engine compart­
ment.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS c:>
page 219, Engine com­
partment.
(D Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can ru­
in the generator.
-Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSI­ TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE
( - ) ground post of the battery manager
control unit.
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery
cells are screwed in firmly . If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega­
tive battery terminal.
- Please note that the procedure for con­
necting a jumper cable as described
above applies specifically to the case of
you r vehicle being jump started. When
you are giving a jump start to another ve­
hicle, do
not connect the negative(-) ca­
ble to the negative(-) terminal on the
discharged battery@c:>fig.
215. In­
stead, securely connect the negative(-)
cable to either a solid metal component
that is firmly bolted to the engine block
or to the engine block itself. If the bat­
te ry that is being charged does not vent
to the outside, escaping battery gas
could ignite and explode!
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow­
tng.
The follow ing information is to be used by
commercia l 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 ca­
bles around the brake lines.
- To prevent unne cessary 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
c:> page 2 76 and c:> page 2 77.
.&_ WARNING
=
A vehicle being towed is not safe for pas-
sengers. Never allow anyone to ride in a
vehicle be ing towed, for any reason.
Front towing loop
Only install the front towing loop when it is
needed.
Fig. 216 Front bumpe r: cove r
Fig. 217 Front bumper: installing the towing loop
-
The towing loop fits into the threaded hole lo ­
cated on the right side of the front bumper
and covered by a sma ll cover when not in use.
.,. Remove the towing loop from the vehicle
tool kit.

2 78 Emergency situations
@ Tips
Check carefully to make sure the hook-up
is secure before moving the car up the flat­
bed truck ramp.
Vehicle transport
Whenever you have your vehicle transported,
be sure to note the following:
(D Note
Mount the tie-down chains/cables over the
running surface (circumference) of the
tires. Never secure the vehicle by the axle,
the suspension struts or the front or rear
towline eye. For technical reasons, the
pressure in the suspension struts may
change during the transport and this will
adversely affect vehicle handling.
Lifting vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with
floor jack
The vehicle may only be lifted at the lifting
points illustrated.
Fig. 221 Front lift in g po int
Fig. 222 Rear lifti ng point
.,. Read and heed WARNING ¢ _&.
~ N 0 6 .., (0
.,. Activate the vehicle jack mode * in the MMI:
!CARI function button > (Car)* systems con­
trol button>
Servicing & checks> Air susp.:
jack mode > On .
.,. Locate lifting points ¢ fig. 221 and
¢fig. 222 .
"' Adjust lifting arms of wo rkshop hoist or
floor jack to match veh icle lifting points .
"' Insert a rubber pad between the floor jack/
workshop hoist and the lifting points .
The vehicle jack mode* must be activated so
that the automat ic adjustment of the Adap­
tive Ai r Suspens ion* does not make it more
difficult to raise the vehicle with the floor
jack .
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack
to work underneath, be sure the vehicle is
safely supported on stands intended for this
purpose.
Front lifting point
The lifting point is located on the floor pan re­
inforcement about at the same level as the
jack mounting point
¢fig. 221. Do not lift
the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement .
Rear lifting point
The lifting point is located on the vert ical rein­
forcement of the lower sill for the on-board
jack ¢
fig. 222.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to¢ page 266 .
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of ser ious injury and
veh icle damage.
- Always lift the vehicle only at the spe­
cial workshop hoist and floor jack lift
points illustrated
¢fig. 221 and
¢ fig. 222.
-Failure to lift the veh icle at these
points could cause the vehicle to tilt or
fall from a lift if there is a change in ve­
hicle weight distribution and balance.
This might happen, for example, when
-