power steering AUDI A6 2015 Owners Manual

2 Table of content s
Vehicle lite ratu re .. .. .. .. .. ... .
5
About thi s Owner' s Manual . . . 6
C ontr ols and equi pm ent .. ... .
Instruments and controls .. . .
General illustration ...... ... .. ... .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ........ .. .. .. . .
Instruments ............ ... .. ... .
Warning/indicator lights .. ... ... .. .
Driver information display .... .. ... .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) . . .
Opening and closing .. .. .... . .
Keys .. ...... ........... .. .. ... .
Power locking system ..... .. .. .. . .
Rear lid .. .. ........ ........ .... .
Child safety lock for the rear doors .. .
Power windows ............... .. .
Valet park ing . ........... .. .. ... .
Sliding/tilting sun roof ... .. .. .. .. . .
Garage door opener (HomeL in k) . ... .
Clear vision .. ........ .. .. .. .. . .
Lights . .. .. ............. .. .. .. . .
I nterior lights .... ....... ... .. ... .
V1s1on ..... ... . ........ .... .... .
Wiper and washer system . ... .. .. . .
Mirrors ................. .. .. ... .
Seats and storage ... .. .. .... . .
General recommendations . .. .. .. . .
Front seats .................. ... .
H ead restraints .......... .... ... .
Seat memory .. .... ........ .. .. . .
Ashtray .. .. ................ ... . .
C igarette lighter ................. .
12-vo lt sockets ........... .. .. ... .
Sto rage .. ............... .. .. .. . .
Roof rack . .... . ...... ... ... .... .
Luggage compartment . ... .. .. ... .
Pass-through with ski sack ... .... . .
Warm and cold ..... ... .. .. ... .
8
8
8
11
1 1
1 2
24
29
31
31
33
37
39
39
40
40
4 1
43
43
46
47
48
so
52
52
53
55
56
58
58
59
59
6 1
63
65
67
Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Three-zone climate control . . . . . . . . . 68 Four
-zone automatic climate control .
Steering wheel heating . ..... ... .. . 70
72
On the road
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . 74
E lectromechanical parking brake . . . . 77
Start-Stop-System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Audi adaptive cruise control
and braking guard . . . . . . . . . . . .
84
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Audi adaptive cruise cont rol . . . . . . . . 86
Audi braking gua rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . 93
Active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Audi side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Lane Change Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Audi drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Driv ing settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Raising/lowering the vehicle . . . . . . . . 102
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Night vision assistant . . . . . . . . . 103
Night vision assistant with detected
pedestr ian marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 107
multitronic, S tronic , tiptronic. . . . . . . 107
Parking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Parking system plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Rearviewcamera . ............. .. . 116
Peripheral cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Adjusting the d isplay a nd the warning
tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
T ra ile r hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Safet y fir st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 127
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 131
Pedalarea .. .. .............. ... .. 131
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
R eport ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Safety belts ... .. ...... .. .. .. . .
General notes ............... .. .. .
Why safety bel ts? ........ .... .. . .
Safety belts ............. .. .. .. . .
Safety belt p re tens ioners .. .. .. .. . .
Airbag system ........... .. .. . .
Impor tant th ings to know .. .. .. .. . .
Fr ont airbags ... ...... ... .. .. .. . .
M onitoring the Advanced Airbag
System .... .. .... .. .... ... .. .. . .
Knee airbags ............. .... .. . .
Side airbags .. ........... .. .. .. . .
Side curta in a irbags ........ . .... . .
Ch ild Safety ............... .. . .
Important things to know .. .. .. .. . .
C hi ld safety seats ............ .... .
Install ing a chi ld safety seat .. .. ... .
L A TC H L ower ancho rages and tethe rs
fo r ch ild ren . ............. .... .. . .
Addit io nal Informa tion
Audi pre sense .......... .. .. . .
Pr even ta ti ve passe nger p rotec tion
Vehicle operation ....... .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .. .. .. . .
N ot ice about da ta re corded by the
E vent Data Recorder and vehi cle
control mod ules ... .... ... .. .. .. . .
Elect ronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . 136
136
137
139
1
4 3
145
1 4 5
1 4 9
157
162 164
167
171
171
177
182
185
189
190
190
19 2
19 2
192
193
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Electromechanical power assist,
dynamic steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Driving w ith your quattro . . . . . . . . . . 197
E ne rgy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Table of contents 3
Driving and environment . . . . .
200
T he first 1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) and
afterwa rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Avoid damaging the vehicle. . . . . . . . . 201 Driving through water on roads . . . . . 201
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
D iesel pa rticulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
S hu tting down vehi cle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Operate your vehicle e conomically and
min imi ze poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Dr iving wit h a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
T ra ile r tow ing t ips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Vehicle care and cleaning . . . . . 209
Genera l informa tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Car was hes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Cleaning and care information . . . . . . 210
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .
214
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Diesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Fuel tank.. .. .. .. .. .. ........... . 216
Se lective cata lytic reduction . . . . . . . . 218
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
En gine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
E ngine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
En gine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Br ake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Windshie ld/headlight * washer
co ntainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tire pressure mo nitoring system 267
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 270
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tr unk escape handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Emergency warn ing triangle . . . . . . . . 270
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Chang ing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
•
•

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
CD
@
®
©
®
®
(j)
Door handle
Audi side assist d isplay
Power locking sw itches
Memory function buttons . ... .
Aud i side assist button .. .. .. .
A ir vents with thumbwheel
Control lever for :
- T urn signal and high beam
- Audi act ive lane assist . .. .. .
@ Mu ltifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Driver's airbag
- Driver information system but-
tons ... .... ........ ... .. .
- Audio/video , telephone, navi­
gation and voice recognition
buttons
- Steering wheel heating . ... .
- Shift padd les (automatic
transmission) ..... ... .. .. .
® Instrument cluster ..... .. .. .
@ H ead-up Display ....... .. .. .
@ Windshie ld washer system
lever .. .. ............. .... .
@ Buttons for :
- MMI display
- Reset bu tton for tr ip odome-
te r .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .
@ Starting the eng ine if there is a
malfunction .............. . .
~ Knee ai rbag ........... .. .. .
@ Steer ing whee l adjustment, de­
pending on equipment:
- mecha nical .......... .. .. .
- electrical .... .. ...... .. .. .
@ Leve r for:
- Cru ise control system . .. .. .
- Adaptive cruise contro l .. .. .
@ Button for sw itch ing the Head­
up Disp lay on/off, adjusting the
h eight .. ............. .. .. .
@ Instrument illum ination ... .. .
@ Eng ine hood re lease ....... . . 96
36
56
96
45 93
149 24
72
111 11
28
48
2 7
76
16 2
73
73
82
84
28
46
222
In strument s and control s 9
@ Data Link Connector for On
Board Diagnostics (OBD II)
@ Light sw itch ... .. . .. .... ... .
@ B uttons for :
- All-weather lights
- Night vision assistant .... .. .
- Rear fog lights .. .. .. ..... .
@ Rear lid switc h ............. .
~ Power exte rior m irror adjust- 29
43
43
103 43
37
ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
@ Power w indows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
@ MMI display
@ Emergency flashe rs . . . . . . . . . . 44
@ Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . 60
@) Front passenger's airbag . . . . . 149
@ Valet parking feature . . . . . . . . 40
@ Drives (MMI)
@ Buttons/Indicator ligh ts fo r
- Start-Stop-System . . . . . . . . . 79
- Parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
- P ASSENG ER AIR BAG OF F . . . . 1S8
- Rear w indow powe r sun shade 47
- Electron ic Stabilization Con-
t rol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19S
@ Climate controls, depending on
vehicle equipment:
- Three-zone cl imate control . . 68
- F our-zone automat ic climate
cont rol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
@ Storage compartment or ash-
t ray wit h cigarette lighter . . . . . S8, 58
@ I S T ART ENGINE STOPI button 74
@ MM I controls
@ 12-volt socket, (upho lder 59, 59
@ E lectromechanical parking
brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
@ Selector lever (a utomatic trans-
mission) 107
(D Tips
-Some of the equipment or fea tures
show n in the genera l ill ustration may be
standard equipment on your vehicle or
may be opt ional eq uipment depending
on your model. Always ask your
ll>

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem./ ¢ page267
Tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem q page 267
Electronic power control./ (a l­
ternative to
1,1 )
qpage 20
Glow plug system
(alternat ive to
Ga)
qpage 21
Malfunction indicator Lamp
(MIL) ./
¢ page 21
Diesel particulate filter* clog­
ged
q page 21
Engine speed limitation
q page 21
Engine oil leve l
qpage 18
Engine oil sensor
qpage22
Battery
q page 17
Tank system q page 22
Windshield washer fluid level q page22
Windshield wipers
q page 22
/:
Headlight range control
q page22
adaptive light*
qpage22 Light-/rain sensor faulty
q page23
Audi active lane assist*
¢ page94
Transm ission
¢ page 112
Transm ission
¢ page 112
Transm ission
- S tronic
¢ page 112
Electronic steering column lock
q page 18
Engine start system
q page 18
Central indicator light
qpage 19
Electromechanical steering, dy ­
namic steering*./
q page 197
Ai r suspension*
¢page 18
Sport different ial*
¢ page 23
Refill Ad Blue*
q page 218
AdBlue ma lfunction*
q page 218
Remote control key
q page 74
Other indicator lights
y>))
Remote control key
q page
76
Battery in remote control key
q page 32
Defective light bulb warn ing
q page 22
Rear fog light(s)
q page22
,-------------
Turn signa ls
¢ page23
USA models: Cruise control*
¢ page82
Canada models: Cruise control*
q page82
Adaptive cruise control*
qpage86
Adaptive cruise control*
q page86

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Starting the engine
"'Press the brake pedal c::> _&..
"'Pr ess the !START ENGINE STOPI button
c::> fig. 77. The engi ne will start.
"' It is possible that there will be a slight delay
when starting the engine for diesel vehicles
in colder temperatures. Therefore, you must
hold the brake pedal down until the engine
starts. The indicator lamp
Ii illuminates
when the engine is preheated.
If the engine should not start immedi ately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time . Repeat starting procedure.
Start-Stop-System*:
Note the information on c::> page 79, Start­
Stop-System.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyxiation .
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
-Avoid high engine rpm, full throttle and
heavy engine loads until the engine has
reached operating temperature - other­
wise you risk engine damage.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
(D Tips
-After a cold engine is started, there may
be a brief period of increased noise be­
cause oil pressure must first build up in
the hydraulic valve adjusters. This is nor­ mal and not a cause for concern.
- If you leave the vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off
On the road 75
after a certain period of time. Please
note that electrical equipment such as
exterior lights will switch off as well
when that happens.
Stopping the engine
"'Bring your vehicle to a complete stop.
"' Move the selector lever to the P or N posi ­
tion .
"'Press the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP I button
c::> page 7 4, fig. 77.
Steering lock
The steer ing locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I STAR T ENGINE STOP I button
and open the driver's door. The locked steer­ ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
Emergency off
If necessary, the engine can be switched off
with the selector lever in the R or D/S posi ­
tion. The engine stops if you press the
I START ENGINE STOPI button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/h).
A WARNING
-Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off.
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup
.
or if the engine is hot and the engine .,..

80 On the road
lever position and take your foot off the brake
pedal.
If you select the R position during a Stop
phase, the engine will start again.
Shift from
D to P quickly to prevent the engine
from starting unintentionally when shifting
through
R.
You can determine for yourself if the engine
will stop or not by reducing or increasing the
amount of force you use to press the brake
pedal. For example, if you only lightly press
on the brake pedal in stop-and and-go traffic
or when turning, the engine will not switch off
when the vehicle is stationary. As soon as you
press the brake down harder, the engine will
switch off.
General information
App lies to vehicles: with Start-Stop-System
The standard Start-Stop-mode can be cancel­
led for different system-related reasons.
Fig . 81 Instrument cluster: engine -Stop tempo rarily
unava ilable
Engine will not switch off
Before each stop phase, the system checks if
certain conditions have been met. For exam·
ple, the engine will
not be switched off in the
following situations:
- The engine has not reached the minimum
required temperature for Start-Stop-mode.
- The interior temperature selected by the A/C
system has not been reached.
- The outside temperature is extremely high/
low .
- The windshield is being defrosted
¢ page 69, ¢ page 71.
-The parking system* is switched on.
- The battery charge level is too low.
- The steering wheel is sharply turned or
there is a steering movement.
- After engaging the reverse gear .
- On sharp inclines.
The
fjJ indicator light appears in the informa­
tion line in the instrument cluster display
¢fig . 81.
Engine automatically restarts
The stop phase is interrupted in the following
situations, for example. The engine restarts
without any action by the driver.
- The interior temperature varies from the
temperature selected in the A/C system.
- The windshield is being defrosted
c:!;> page 69, ¢ page 71.
-The brake pedal is pressed several times in a
row.
- The battery charge level becomes too low.
- High power consumption.
Switching the ignition off automatically
To prevent the battery from draining, the igni­
tion will switch off
automatically when all of
the following conditions have been met :
- The vehicle has already been driven.
- The engine has been turned off by the Start-
Stop-System*.
- The driver's door is opened.
- The driver's seat belt is removed .
- The brake pedal is not pressed down.
- The vehicle is stationary.
In this case, the activated low beam will be re­
placed by the side marker lights. The side
marker lights will switch off after approxi­
mately
30 minutes or when you lock the vehi­
cle.
If the Start-Stop System has
not turned off
the engine or if you have switched the Start­
Stop system off manually, the ignition will
not
be automatically switched off and the engine
will continue to run
c:!;> ,&. .,..

100 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i d rive select mak es it possible to expe ri­
ence diffe ren t types of vehi cle se ttin gs i n o ne
ve hicl e. The dr ive r can se lect th ree
Comfort ,
Auto and Dynamic modes in the M MI to
switch between a sporty and a comforta ble
driving mo de.
You c an a lso a djust the setti ng according to
your p re ferences in the
Individual mode . F o r
examp le, you ca n combine settings such as a
sporty en gine t uning with comfortab le steer­
ing.
A WARNING
Improper use of the A udi drive select can
cause collisions, ot her acc idents and se ri­
ous personal injury.
Description
The follow ing systems a re affected by dr ive
se lect:
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
tra nsmission respond quicker or in a more bal­
a nced manner to acce lerator pedal move ­
men ts. I n the sporty dynamic mode, the
tra nsmission sh ifts at highe r RPMs.
Air suspension*
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus­
pe nsion sport*
(A ir suspension in the MMI) is
an e lec tronically con tro lled air suspens ion and
d ampi ng sys tem. Th ey are adjusted depe nd­
ing on the se lected driving mode, the dr ive r's
steer ing, br aki ng and acceler ation inpu t and
the road s urface, ve hicle speed an d load . A
sporty se tting is generally use d in vehicl es
with a daptive ai r suspension s port* .
The vehicle clea rance v aries depe nd ing on the
se lec ted mode and the speed . T
he hig hway setting is act ivated automat ically
whe n you drive above 7 5 mph (120 km/ h) for
m ore than
30 seconds in the Auto or Dynamic
mode. The g ro und clearance is increased a uto­
matically if the speed drops below
44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds .
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios. Indirect steering that
moves easily, like the steer ing in comfort
m ode, is best suited to lo ng drives o n a hig h­
way. In contrast, dynamic mode provides spo rty, direct steer ing .
The following applies to veh icles with dynamic
steering* : the steer ing rat io changes based on
vehicle speed in orde r to ma inta in optimum
stee ring effort for the dr ive r at all times . This
sets the stee ring to be less sens itive at h igher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
co ntrol. At reduced spee ds, howeve r, s teer ing
is mo re d ire ct in order to keep the stee ring ef ­
fort as minima l as poss ible when the drive r is
mane uve rin g the vehicle. At low and average
speeds, dynamic steering addit iona lly pro ­
vides more responsive steeri ng performance.
Sport differential*
As a component o f the all whee l dr ive system
(quatt ro)
¢ page 197, the Sport differential *
dist ributes t he d riving power to the rear ax le
depend ing on the sit uat ion . The distrib ution
of power var ies depending on the selected
mode, from balanced (comfo rt) to agile (dy­
nam ic) . The goal is a h igh level of ag ility and
abili ty to acce lera te on curves . Th e veh icle is
very respons ive to stee ring.
Curve light*
The curve light adapts to driving on curves.
The pivoting act io n and the lighting are also
adapt ed to the mode.
Adaptive cruise control*
The behav ior when accelerating can be adjust ­
ed from comfortab le to sporty, depending on
the drive select mode . Adaptive cru ise contro l
also responds to the driv ing behavior o f the
IJI,,

120 Park in g s ystems
& WARNING
- Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
r:!;> .&. in General information on
page 114.
- If the posit ion or the installation angle
of a camera was changed, after a colli­
sion for example, do not continue to use
the system for safety reasons. Have it
checked by your authorized Audi dealer­
ship.
- Keep in m ind that the image i n the dis­
play is distorted if the ex ter ior mirro r
housing has been man ual ly adjusted.
- Use the
re ar mode and the corner vi ew
(re ar)
mode on ly when the luggage com­
partment lid is fully closed. Otherwise
the image in the display will be distort­
ed.
- The veh icle surroundings are shown us ­
ing the camera images. The vehicle im­
age is shown by the system. Objects and
obstacles above the camera are not dis­
played.
- Camera lenses en large and distort the
field of v is ion. The objects appear both
altered and inaccurate on the screen.
(D Note
-Always read and follow the applicab le
warnings
c:> (i) in General information on
page 114.
- The Infota inment display shows the di ­
rection in which the rear of the vehicle is
traveling based on the steering wheel
angle . The front of the veh icle front
swings out more than the rear of t he ve­
hicle. Ma intain plenty of distance so that
you r outside m irror or a corner of you r
vehicle does not coll ide wi th any obsta­
cles.
@ Tips
I f the 8/cr;iJ/r:;::::s symbol appea rs i n the
disp lay and the respec tive display area is
grayed out, then the power exter io r mir­
rors were fo lded in or the driver's door/ front passenger's door/
luggage compart ­
ment lid was opened.
Switching on or off
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with periph­
eral cameras
Fig . 1 32 Ce nte r console: f>• JI butto n
Fig . 1 33 Infota inment: selecting t he mode
Sw itching on
.. Shift into reverse, or
.. Press the P•QJ\. button in the center console
c:>fig. 132 . A short confirmation tone
sounds and the
LED in the button turns on.
Selecting the mode
.. Turn the control knob to the symbol fo r the
desired mode @through @
¢fig. 133 .
Switching off
.. Dr ive fo rward faster than 6 mph (10 km/ h),
or
.. Press the
P"li bu tton, or
.. Switch the ignition off .
You may sele ct from the following modes:
@ -Top view*
c:>page 121
@ -Corner view (front)* c:> page 121
©-Front *¢ page 121

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi
connect. Your use of certain Aud i connect
features req uires wireless serv ices that are
provided by a third party wireless telecom­
municat ions provider. For details regard­
ing how information obtained through
Aud i connect is collected, processed,
transmitted, used, and shared, please see
your contra ct w ith the wire less telecom ­
municat ions provider and the "About A udi
connect" tab in your vehicle's MMI:
!MENU !
button > Audi connect > About Audi con·
nect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects
certain difficult driv ing s ituations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw) out of cont ro l and helps you to get the vehicle
back under control by select ively brak ing the
wheels, and/or red ucing engine powe r and
p roviding steering assistance to help hold the
ve hicle on the driver's intended course . The in­
dicator light
m in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
phys ics. It will not a lways be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
h elp you master situat ions where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of fr iction of
the road surface. When there is a sect io n of
d ry road that is s udden ly cove red with water,
slush o r snow, ESC canno t perform the same
way it would on the dry su rface.
If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a c ush ion of wate r in­
stead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because con-
Int ellig ent technolog y 193
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast corner ing, particular ly on wind ing
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult dr iv ing s ituations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather conditions . ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical lim its, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a veh icle
o n the road if road departu re is a result of
driver ina ttent io n. Instead , ESC imp roves the
poss ibility of keep ing the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering i nputs to
help keep the vehicle go ing in the intended di­
rect ion. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake ass ist sys­
tem, ant i-slip regu lation (ASR), electron ic dif­
ferential lock (EDL), dynam ic steer ing* and
El ectronic interax le differentia l lock* /selective
whee l to rque control*. ESC is switched on a ll
the time. In ce rtain sit uat io ns when yo u need
less traction, you can sw itch off ASR by press­
ing the b utton
[fil ¢ page 195, fig. 178. Be
s u re to switch ASR on again when you no lon­
ger need less traction .
Anti-lock braking system (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locki ng up
when b raking. The vehicle can st ill be stee red
even during hard braking . App ly steady pres­
su re to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake a ssis t sy ste m
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
distance . It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake peda l quickly in emer­
gency s ituations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal unti l the situation is over. In .,,.
•
•

194 Intelligent technology
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
smal l.
Anti -slip regulati on (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels .
This function is available up to abo ut 75 mph
(120 km/h) .
I n extreme cases , ED L automat ic all y switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL will switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Dynamic st eering*
On vehicles with dynamic steering* , ESC helps
stabilize the steering in critical situations .
Electronic interaxle differential lock */
s elective whe el torque control *
The electronic in teraxle d iffe ren tial lock (fro nt
wheel drive) or the select ive whee l torq ue
control (a ll-wheel drive) operates when driv­
ing throug h curves . The front whee l on the in­
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed.
T his minimizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
curves . The applicable system may not acti­
vate when d rivi ng in wet or snowy conditions.
_& WARNING
- E SC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dynamic steering*
and the E lec tronic interaxle differentia l lock
*/se lective whee l torque control*
cannot overcome the laws of physics.
This is especially important on slippery
or wet roads .
If the systems beg in acting
to stabilize your veh icle, you should im­
mediately chang e you r speed to match
the road and t raffi c conditions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems temp t you to take risks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and serio us per­
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions . The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and o n slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
a head . ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys­
tem, ED L, ASR, dynam ic steeri ng* and
the Electronic in terax le different ial
loc k*/se lective whee l torque control*
cannot prevent collisions .
- Always accelerate wi th spe cial care on
even, smooth s urfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al ­
ways he lp to reduce the risk of loss of ve­
hicle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires . D ifferent tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine powe r.
- You may hear noises when the systems descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator light
Bl or fJl1 (USA
mode ls)l iiJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 19,
¢page 19 .