light AUDI A6 2016 Owners Manual

.... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
airbag system inspected by your authorized
Audi dealer.
- Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
P AS SEN GER AIR
BA G O FF
light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on .
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing be tween about 40 lbs. and 80
lbs . (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9
in . (57 inches/1 .45 meters) tall .
Fig. 170 Rea r seat: chi ld p roperly restrained in a booster
seat
T he vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft . 9 in . (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs .
(36 kg) . Booster seats raise these child ren up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over t he
stronger parts of the ir bodies and the safety belt
can help protect them in a crash .
.,. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when usi ng the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a ch ild on a booster seat.
.. The shoulder be lt must lie as close to the cen ­
ter of the child's co llar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen . Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug . Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary .
.,. If you must transpo rt an older chi ld in a boos­
te r seat on the fron t passenger seat , you can
use the safety belt he ight ad justment to help
adjust the shoulder portion properly .
Child sa fety
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
i=> page 171 .
Children up to at least 8 years o ld (over 40 lbs or
18 kg) a re best protected in child safety seats de­
signed for their age and weight . Experts say that
the skeletal structure, particularly the pe lvis, of
these children is not fully developed, and they
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
su itable child restraint.
It is usually best to put these children in appro­
priate booster seats. Be sure the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shou lder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places . The routing of
the belt over the ch ild's body is very important
for the ch ild's protection, whether or not a boos ­
te r seat is used . Children age 12 and under must
always ride i n the rea r seat.
Children who are at least 4
ft . 9 in . (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle's
three point lap and shoulder belts . Never use the
lap belt portion of the veh icle's safety belt a lone
to restra in any ch ild, regard less of how big the
child is. Always remember tha t ch ildren do not
have the pronounced pelvic str ucture required for
the p roper function of lap be lt po rtion of the ve ­
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts. The
child 's safety abso lutely requ ires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pelvis . Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the ch ild's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate w ith in a blink of
an eye and with considerable force . In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be the re to protect the occupant as t he occu­
pant moves fo rwa rd in to the airbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of posit ion and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag . When an occupa nt is too close , he or she
will be struck violent ly and w il l rece ive serio us or
poss ibly eve n fata l injury. .,,.
175

Child safety
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any children , who must be in the front seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances, be properly restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible . By keeping room between the child's
body and the front of the passenger compart­
ment , the airbag can inflate completely and pro­
vide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions.
A WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster
seat improperly, incorrectly installing a boos­
ter seat or using the vehicle safety belt im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death in a collision or other emer­
gency situation. To help reduce the risk of se­
rious personal injury and/or death:
- The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child's collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body .
It must never lie across the throat or
neck. The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomach or abdomen .
Make sure that the belt lies flat and snug.
Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
- Failure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body will cause severe injuries in an
accident or other emergency situation
¢ page 134.
- The rear side of the child safety seat should
be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat.
- For adjustable head restraints: adjust or re­
move the rear seat head restraint if it is dif­
ficult to install the child seat with the head restraint in place
¢ page 57. Install the
head restraint again immediately once the
child seat is removed. Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in­
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat,
for example the front seat.
176
-
-Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a child leaning for­
ward, sitting sideways or out of position in any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious
personal injury or death .
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
circumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light must come on and stay on, when­
ever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described ¢
page 153, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
-Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is being used ¢
page 134, Safety belts,
¢page 142, Airbag system
and
¢ page 166, Important information.
Securing child seats
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front pas­
senger con be locked with the convertible locking
retractor to properly secure child safety seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for
the rear seats safety belts and for the front pas­
senger's seat safety belt have a convertible lock­
ing retractor for child restraints. The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot un­
reel. The retractor can be activated to lock the
safety belt and prevent the safety belt webbing
from loosening up during normal driving . A child
safety seat can only be properly installed when
the safety belt is locked so that the child and
child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all

children, especially those 12 years and younger,
should always ride in the back seat properly re­
stra ined for their age and size.
A WARNING
-
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when install ing a child
safety seat . An unlocked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold the child safety seat in place dur ing normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it . A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat back­
rest to wh ich the center rear safety be lt* is
attached is secure ly latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used to se ­
cure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched, the
child and the child restraint will be thrown
forward together with the backrest and will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The chi ld
can be seriously injured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing chi ld safety seats
or infant carriers on the front passenger
seat. A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the passenger airbag in­
flates.
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the ch ild safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats
o r infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-fac ing ch ild safety seats or infant
carriers installed on the front passenger's
seat may inte rfe re with the deployment of
the a irbag and cause serious injury to the
child.
- It is safer to install a forward-fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the rear seat.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a veh icle is
Ch ild safety
being used ¢page 166. Special precautions
apply when instal ling a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 143, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know .
A WARNING
-Always take special precautions if you must
i nstall a forward or rearward-facing child re­
stra int on the front passenger 's seat in excep ­
tional s ituations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-fac ing
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat, the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on .
- I f the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described
¢ page 153, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PA SS ENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installat ion of child restraints can
reduce the ir effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protect ion.
- An improperly installed child restra int can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
serious ly injure or even kill the child .
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carr ier .
- After checking to make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed, make certain
that the child restraint is co rrectly recog­
n ized by the capacitive passenge r detection
system in the fron t passenger seat and that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light signals
the correct front passenger frontal a irbag
stat us.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restra ints :
-
177

Child safety
-Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan­
el.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
_&. WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must in­
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir­
cumstances.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
stall the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer .
178
· Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer 's
instructions when installing a child restrain t in
your vehicle . To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably
on the rear seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt path
~ ,&. .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that
seating position.
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor un­
til the belt lies flat and snug on the child safety
seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt
winds back into the inertia reel. Test the con ­
vertible locking retractor by pulling on the belt.
You should no longer be able to pull the belt
out of the retractor. The convertible locking re­
tractor is now activated.
.. Make sure that the red release button is facing
away from the child restraint so that it can be
unbuckled quickly.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is
properly tight and fastened so that the seat
cannot move forward or sideways more than
one inch (2 .5 cm) .
_&. WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improp­
erly installed child restraint can cause serious
personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a crash.

Child safety
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 175 Tether anchors: recess flaps behind the rear seat·
backs
The tether anchors fo r the rear seating positions
are located in recesses in the rear window shelf
~ fig.175
A tether is a stra ight or V-shaped strap tha t at­
taches the top part of a child restra int to speci al
anchorage points in the vehicle.
The purpose of the tether is to red uce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a crash,
in order to help red uce the risk of head injury
that could be caused by strik ing the vehicle inte­
rior.
Forward fac ing child restraints manufactured af ­
ter September 1, 1999, are required by U.S. fed­
eral regulations to comply with new child head
movement performance requirements. These
new perfo rmance requirements make a tethe r
necessary on most new child safety seats.
A WARNING
Improper installation of ch ild restraints will
increase the r isk of injury and death in a
crash.
- Always follow the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the child restra int you
intend to install i n your Audi .
- Improper use of child restra int anchors (in­
clud ing tether anchors) can lead to inj ury in
a collision . The ancho rs are designed to
withs tand only those loads imposed by cor­
rectly fitted child restra ints.
- Never mount two chi ld restraint systems on
one LATCH lower a nchor po int.
182
- 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 anchorages
to secure safety be lts or other kinds of occu­
pant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or othe r
items to the LATCH lower anchorages or to
the tether anchors.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rea r-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the ai rbag system
inspected by yo ur Audi dea ler.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fi g. 176 Tether strap: p roper rout ing and mount ing
Install ing the tether strap
.. Release or deploy the tether strap on the ch ild
restraint according to the chi ld restraint manu­
facturer's instructions.
.. Guide the upper tether strap
under the rea r
head restraint ~
fig. 176 (raise the head re­
straint if necessary).
.. Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket.
.. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of the tether a nchorage .
., Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spring
catc h of the hook engages .
.. Tigh ten the te ther strap f irm ly following the
c hild restra in t manufac turer's ins truc tions.

Releas ing the t eth er strap
"'Loosen the tension following the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
"' Depress the spring catch on the hook and re ­
lease it from the anchorage.
(D Note
I f you leave the chi ld restraint with the tether
strap firmly installed for several days, this
could leave a mark on the upholstery on the
seat cush ion and backrest in the area where
the tether strap was installed. The upholstery
wou ld also be permanently stretched around
the tether strap . This applies especially to
leather seats .
Using tether straps on rearward -facing
child restraints
Current ly, few rear-facing chi ld restraint systems
come with a tether. Please read and heed the
chi ld restraint system manufacturer's instruc­
tions carefully to determine how to properly in­
stall the tether.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat w il l be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates -even w ith an Advanced A irbag
System.
- T he inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant carrie r wi th great force and
will smash the chi ld safety seat and chi ld
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
- If you mus t install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immed iate ly install
the rear-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a rear
seating pos it ion and have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer.
Ch ild safety
Additional information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional in ­
formation about child restraint se lection, instal­
lation and use:
N HT SA advises that the best ch ild safety seat is
the one that fits your child and fits in your vehi­
cle, and that you wi ll u se correct ly and consis ­
tent ly.
T ry befo re yo u buy!
U.S National H ighwa y Tr affic S afety Administra ­
ti on
Tel. : 1-888-3 27-4236 ( TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAF E KIDS Campai gn
Tel. : (202) 662-0600
www .safekids.org
S af ety Belt Saf e U.S. A
Tel.: (800) 745-SAFE (English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish)
www .carseat.org
T ransport C anada Information C entre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or call 1-613-998-86 16 if
you are in the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/ eng/ roadsafety/men u. h tm
Aud i Cu stom er R elations
Tel.: (800) 822-2834
183

Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Preventative passenger
protection
A pp lies to ve hicles : w ith Audi p re se nse
Pre sense can initiate steps to protect vehicle oc­
cupants in certain dangerous situations. The
functions described are available depending on
veh icle equipment :
Pre sense basic*
The following functions can be triggered in cer­
tain driving situations:
- Tensioning of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking): The front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a collision
does not occur, the safety belts loosen slightly
and are ready to trigger again .
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (for ex­
ample, when
over-or understeering): The door
windows and the sunroof* are closed almost
completely until only a small gap is open .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be triggered at
speeds
above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Drive select : The dep loyment time is adapted in
Dynamic mode.
Pre sense front (vehicles with adaptive cruise
control*}
Pre sense front contains the functions of pre
sense basic . In addition, the likelihood of a rear­
end collision with the vehicle ahead is also calcu­
lated, within the limits of the system. If the risk
of a collision is detected, the following functions
can trigger :
- Braking guard
c:> page 90
- Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*
Pre sense rear (vehicles with side assist*)
Pre sense rear contains the functions of pre sense
bas ic. In addition, the likelihood of a rear-end
coll ision from the vehicle beh ind is also calculat­
ed, within the limits of the system. If the risk of a
collision is detected, the following functions can
trigger:
184
- Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*
Pre sense plus*
Pre sense plus contains the functions of pre
sense front and pre sense rear .
Error message
Audi pre sense: Unavailable
Preventative passenger protection is not availa­
ble. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
Pre sense cannot overcome natural physical
laws. It is a system designed to assist and it
cannot prevent a collision . Do not let the in­
creased safety provided tempt you into taking
risks. This could increas e your risk of a colli­
sion.
- The system can deploy incorrectly .
- Please note that the sensors do not always
detect all objects . This increases the risk of
a collision .
- Pre sense does not react to people or ani­
mals or objects that are crossing the vehi­
cle 's path or are difficult to detect
c:> page 84.
- Reflective objects such as guard rails or the
entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain and ice can
affect the function of the radar sensors and
the system's ability to detect a collision risk.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. Pre sense can be impaired by this.
Have an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility check their function.
{!) Tips
-Certain pre sense front functions switch off
when sport mode is switched off or when
driving in reverse.
1J11>

shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
! MENUI button> Aud i connect > About
Audi conn ect.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road ho ld ing and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid­
d ing and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . E SC detects certain
d ifficult dr iving sit uat ions, including when t he
ve hicl e is begin ning to spin (yaw) out of contro l
and helps you to ge t the veh icle back under con­
tro l by se lective ly braking the wheels, and/or re ­
ducing engine powe r and provid ing steering as­
sistance to help hold the vehicle on the dr iver's
intended course. The indicator light
GJ in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is taking action
to help you co ntrol the vehicle.
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not a lways be able to help out under all con­
d itions you may come up aga inst. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudden change in the
coeff icient of friction of the road surface. When
there is a section of dry road that is sudde nly cov­
e red with water, slush o r snow, ESC cannot pe r­
form the same way it wo uld on the dry s urface . If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter i nstead of the road su rface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
ve hicle cannot be braked or steered. Dur ing fast
cornering, pa rticula rly on w inding roads, ESC
cannot always deal as effect ively w it h difficult
d riving si tuations tha n at lowe r speeds.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road , traffic and weather cond itions . ESC cannot
override the vehicle's physical lim its, increase the
ava ilab le traction, o r keep a ve hicle on the road if
road departure is a resu lt of driver in attention .
I nstead, ESC imp roves the possibi lity of keep ing
Intellig ent Technology
the vehicle under contro l and on the road d uring
extreme mane uvers by using the driver's steering
i nputs to help keep the vehicle go ing in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can provide any assistance, you may not exper i­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certain s itua­
tions when you need less tract ion, you can sw itch
off ASR by press ing the button
lm c> page 188,
fig . 177 . Be sure to switc h ASR on again whe n
you no longer need less traction.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking when brak ­
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even dur ing
hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
brake pedal ind icates that the system is acting to
stab ilize the veh icle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake peda l quickly in emergency sit­
uat ions. You must press and ho ld the brake pedal
unt il the dange rous situation is over . In vehicles
with adaptive c ruise cont rol*, the b rake ass ist
system is more se nsitive if the distance detected
to the ve hicle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power whe n the dr ive wheels
begin spin ning and adapts the force to the road
co ndit ions. This makes it eas ier to s tart, acce ler­
ate a nd d rive up incl ines.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other dr ive
wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with all
whee l drive*) . This function is not available a t
highe r speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automat ica lly switches off
to keep t he brake o n the braked wheel from over­
hea ting . T he veh icle is still working co rrectly. EDL
IJJ>
187

Intelligent Technology
ESC levels Sport mode on Sport mode off
Behavio r
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stabilization function of the ESC
are limited ¢ .&. . and ASR is avai lable again.
Operation Press the I .a OFF I button.
Press the I.a OFFI button again .
Indicator II turns on. II turns off.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): sport. Warn- Stabilization control (ESC): on
sages ing! Restricted stability
A WARNING
Only switch sport mode on when your driving
abilities and the traffic s ituation permit, be­
cause there is a r isk of slid ing .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
wheels could spin and the vehicle cou ld
swerve, espec ially on slick or slippery road
surfaces .
(D Tips
Sport mode cannot be sw itched on if the
cru ise control system* or adaptive cruise con­
trol* is switched on.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢.&. . You can com­
pensate for this slightly reduced braking power
by push ing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid
h eavy braking loads during the break-in period .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub­
ject to wear , depend ing largely on operating con­
d itions and dr iving habits ¢.&. . On veh icles that
are e ither dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi deale r more of­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
F ailure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef­
fect of the engine. This way, you prevent un nec­
essa ry wea r on the brake system. If you must use
you r brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin­
u ous ly. Pump the brakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, bra king fo rce and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overn ight con­
densation or afte r wash ing your car, the brak ing
effect can be reduced by moisture or ic e on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried f irst with a few careful brake applications .
At h igher speeds and w ith the windshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brak e
rotors for a short amount of time. This occurs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better brake response t ime under
wet conditions.
T he effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a sa lt-covered road
and the brakes are not used . Likewise, yo u clean
off accum ulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the
brake¢ .&..
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on
the brake pads and corrosion to form on the discs .,..
189

Indicator lights and m essa ges
• Do not dri ve v ehicle : steerin g defe ctive
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steer ing may
h ave fa iled.
Stop the vehicle in a safe locat ion as soon as pos ­
sib le . Do
not continue dr iving. See an authorized
Aud i deale r or autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r
assistance .
'1:I Stee ring: System fau lt You ca n continu e
dri ving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering may be more difficult to
move or more sensit ive tha n usual. The steering
wheel may also be at an angle when driving
stra ight.
Drive s lowly to your author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Fac ility to have the mal ­
function corrected.
kr.ij D ynam ic steering : Ini tializing
If the indicator lig ht ls b link ing and th is message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
Once you start the engine after this is finished,
the steering wheel will be easy to move. Re-in iti­
alization m ight be necessary if the steering wheel
was moved hard to the left and right wh ile the
ve hicle was not moving . The display turns off if
the initialization was successfu l.
{D) Tips
-If the . or '1:I indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving .
- The dynamic steering stability systems
¢ page 187 are not available in the event of
a system ma lf u nction.
- For additional informat io n on dynamic
steering, refer to¢ page 100.
Intelligent Technology
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to vehicles: with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General informat ion
In all whee l dr ive, the dr iving power is div ided be­
tween all fou r wheels . This happens automatical­
ly depending on yo ur driving behavior as we ll as
the cur rent road conditions . Refer to ¢ page 187,
E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC).
A center d ifferential d istribu tes the driving power
variab ly to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective whee l torque contro l, w hich
activates when driving through curves
¢ page 188. With the sport d ifferential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted with drive select¢ page 100 .
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is except ionally pow­
erfu l and has excellent driv ing characteristics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice . Always read and follow safety pre­
cautions ¢
..1:)..
Winter tires
By using all wheel dr ive, your veh icle has good
forward motion with standard tires in w inter con­
ditions. However, in w inter we recommend using
winter or all seaso n tires on all four wheels, be­
ca use this will improve the brak ing effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow cha ins must
also be used on veh icles w ith all wheel dr ive
¢ page 246 , Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles with a ll wheel drive, on ly wheels with
the same roll ing circumference should be used.
Avo id whee ls with different tread depths
¢ page 238, New tires or wheels .
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle - there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficult terrain. ..,.
191