transmission AUDI S6 2008 User Guide

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Ap plies to vehicle s: with 6-speed automat ic transmission
Emergency release for selector lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency.
Fig . 156 Remove the
as htray i nsert
Fig . 157 Eme rge ncy
r elease fo r se lecto r
l ever
The emergency release is located under the insert for the
ashtray.
- Slide open the cover for the ashtray .
- Grasp the ashtray insert~ fig. 156 by the recesses on
both sides and pull it upward and out.
- Now you can see a sma ll cover in t he as htray holder.
- Release and remove this cover from the ashtray holder.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Using a screwdriver or a similar tool, press down on the
screw in the m iddle of the ashtray holder, which is now
accessib le, and hold it down
~ fig. 157 .
Now press the interlock and move the selector lever to
the
N position.
The selector lever can only be moved from the P position if the igni ­
tion key is in the lock and the ignition is turned on. If the vehicle has
to be pushed or towed if the power supply fails (e.g. battery is discharged), the selector lever must be moved to the N position
using the emergency locking device .•
multitronic ®
Applies to veh icles: with multitronic® Continuously Variable Transm ission (CVT l
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a electronically controlled continu­
ously variable transmission (multitronic ®l. Inside the multitronic ®
system, the gear ratios are not shi fted in finite steps as in a conven ­
tional automatic transmission, but rather
co ntin uously. As a result,
engine power is applied smoothly and comfortably, and better fuel
economy is achieved.
The transmission selects the appropriate gear ratio (upshifts and
downshifts) automatically based on set driving programs
=> page 163, "Dynamic shift program (DSP)".
You can also manually select a shift program (tiptronic®)
=> page 164.
You should note, that the multitronic transmission differs from a conventiona l Automatic Transmission . In the multitronic transmis­
sion the engine power is transferred via a link -plate chain, rather
than by a conventional torque converter. The multitronic transmis­
sion greatly reduces vehicle "creep'"' when at a standsti ll and the
transmission is in
D Sor R. •
Vehicle care I I Technical data

Automatic transmission 1111111 __________________________ ___;__:..;____;_ ______ _
& WARNING (continued )
-When the selector lever is in a driving position , the vehi cle
may creep , even at idle speed . Therefore do not release the
parking brake or foot brake until you are ready to move ,
because power is transmitted to the wheels as soon as a
driving position is engaged.
- Do not accelerate while selecting a driving position. At this
time the engine must be at idle speed so that undue stress is
not placed on the clutches in the transmission.
- Remember : - even when stopped briefly with the automatic
transmission in "D", "S" or "R" , engine power is being trans ­
mitted to the wheels . Your vehicle could "creep " forward or
backward . When stopped , keep the brake pedal fully depressed
and use the parking brake if necessary to keep the vehicle from
rolling .
- If the sele ctor lever is unintentionally moved into N while you
are driving , take your foot off the accelerator pedal and wait for
the engine to return to idle speed before selecting a driving
position .
- Never shift into "R " or "P " when the vehicle is in motion .
- Never get out of the driver's seat when the engine is running.
- If you must get out of the vehicle , move the selector lever
securely into the P position and apply the parking brake firmly .
- If the engine must remain running, never have any driving
position engaged when checking under the hood. Make sure
the selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in "P "
with the parking brake firmly set :::::, page 289, "Engine
compartment ". Otherwise , any increase in engine speed may
set the vehicle in motion , even with the parking brake
applied .•
Controls and equip ­
ment
Ap plies to vehic les : wit h m ultit ron ic® Conti nuous ly Va riable Transm ission (CVT)
Selector lever positions
This sec tion des cribes th e sele ctor lev er positi ons an d
dr iv ing ra ng es.
Fig . 159 Display in the
instrument clu ster:
se lector lever in posi ·
tion P
Th e se lecto r le ver p ositi on engag ed app ear s ne xt to th e selec tor
lev er as well as in the instrument cluste r disp lay .
P -Park
In this s electo r lever position the transmission is mechanica lly
lo cke d.
Eng age P on ly when t he veh ic le is completely stopped=> 11::::. in
" Dr ivin g th e multitroni c®" on page 160
T o s hift int o or out o f pos ition P , you m ust fi rs t p ress a nd h old the
brake peda l and then press the r elease button in th e se lector lever
h an dle whi le m oving the sele ctor l ev er to P .
R - Reverse
The tra nsm issio n w ill automat ica lly se lect the lowest gear ratio
when you sh ift into reverse .
S ele ct R only wh en th e ve hicle is at a
fu ll sto p and t he engine is
running at id le speed :::::, 11::::. in "Driving t he multitron ic®" on
page 1 60.
I • •

• ..__A_ u_ t _o_ m_ a_ t_ i_ c _ t_r _a _n_ s_ m_ is_ s_i o _ n ________________________________________________ _
Before you move the selector lever to R, press both, the button in the
handle of the selector lever
and the brake pedal at the same time .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illuminate when the
selector lever is moved into R.
N -N eutr al
Sh ift to this position for standing with brakes applied=> page 762.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and while moving the
lever out of
N .
Do not use N for coasting downhill.
D -Normal dr iving po sition f or forward
Depending on the load on the engine, vehicle speed and the
dynamic control program, the transm ission will select the
optimal
gear ratio.
In certain circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the manua l shift program to manually select gear ratios to
match specific driving conditions=>
page 164.
When the vehicle is s tationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and while moving the
lever to
D ou t of N.
S -Spor t p osition
Select this position for sportier performance. In this position, the
transmission wil l not upshift as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the
increased power avai lable at higher engine speeds to achieve live ­
lier acceleration.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and whi le moving the
lever to
S out of N .
& WARNING
Re ad a nd follo w all WARNIN GS=> & in "Dr iv ing th e multitr oni c®"
on
page 160 .
0 Note
Coasting downhill with the transm ission in N and the engine not
operating will result in damage to the automatic transmission and
possibly the catalytic converter. •
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic® Continuous ly Variable Transmission (CVT)
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you against acciden­
tally shifting in to a forward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to move unintentionally.
F ig . 160 Shift gate:
se lect or l ever loc k
pos it ions a nd int erl ock
butt on high lighted
The selector lever l ock is rel eased as f ollows :
T u rn the ignition on .
Step on the brake peda l.
At the same time press and hold
the interlock button on the side of the gear selector knob
=> fig. 160 with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to t he desired position.
~

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Autom ati c selec to r l eve r lock
The se lector lever is locked in the P and N positions when the igni ­
tion is turned on . To move the lever from these positions the driver
must depress the brake pedal. As a reminder to the driver, the
follow ing warning appears in the instrument cluster disp lay when
the selector is in
P and N :
When stationary app ly footbrake while selecting gear
A time delay e lement prevents the selector lever from locking when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to Dl. The locking
e lement will lock the selector lever if the lever is left in N (Neutral)
for more than approximately 1 second, without the brake peda l
being pressed.
At speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deactivated in the
N posi tion .
Interl ock button
The lock button on the selector lever prevents the lever from being
accidentally shifted into certain posit ions. Pressing this button
deactivates the selector leve r lock. Dependi ng on the direction of
the shift, the se lector lever locks at different positions . The positions
are highligh ted in the illus trati on =>
page 162, fig . 160.
Igniti on k ey saf ety in te rlo ck
The key canno t be removed from the ignition un less the selector
lever is in the
P park position . When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever wil l be l ocked in the
P posi tion .•
Ap plies to veh ic les : w ith mu ltitro nic ® Cont inuous ly Va riab le Transm iss io n (CVT )
Kick-down
The kick- down feature allo ws the ve hic le to generate
maximum acceler ati on .
When you press the acce lerator pedal beyond the resistance point
t hat is reached at ful l th rottle, the transmission wi ll select a lower
gear ratio based on vehic le speed and engine RPM. The engine RPM
Controls and equip ­
ment
wi ll be control led to produce maximum vehic le acceleration as long
as yo u conti nue to press the acce lerato r pedal beyond this resis ­
tance point .
& WARNING
Be careful when us ing the ki ck-down feature on slippery roads .
Rapid acceleration may cau se the vehicle to skid . •
Ap plies to veh icles : wi th mu ltitro nic® C ontinuou sly Vari ab le Tra nsm iss ion (C VT)
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
The multitronic® tr ansmissi on is elect ro nic ally
controlled.
The transmission se lects the appropriate gear ratio (upshifts and
downsh ifts) automatical ly based on preset driving programs.
The transmission wil l select one of the
economy programs when
yo u drive at a steady speed or a gra dually changing speeds without
heavy acceleration . T his gives best fuel efficiency, with early
upshifting and delayed downshif ting .
The transmission will au tomat ically select the
s porty shift programs
when you drive at higher speeds, or with heavy acce leration and
freque ntly changing speeds . Upshifts are delayed to make full use
of engine power. Downshifting takes place at higher engine speeds
t han in t he economy programs .
The se lection of the most suitable shift program is a continuous,
automatic process . The driver can also make the transmission
sw itch to a spor ty progra m by
quickly pressing down the gas peda l.
This causes the transmission to shift down into a lower gear ratio and makes qu ick acceleration possible (to pass another vehic le) You
do not need to press the gas peda l into the kickdown range . After
the trans missi on has upshifte d, the o riginal p rogram is selected
according to your driving style . _.,
I • •

-L~A~u~t~o~m~a~t ::,:i c~t::!r.!:a~n~ s~m!.!!:i s~ s ~ io~n :..._ ____________________________________________ _
An additional shift program allows the automat ic t ransmission to
select the p roper gear for uphill and downhill gradients.
This prevents the transmission from shifting up and down unneces­ sari ly on hills. The transmission will shift down to a lower gear ratio
when the driver presses the brake pedal on a downhill gradient . This
makes use of the braking effect of the engine without the need to
shift down manually.
If you are driving in hills and mountains, the transmission will
continuously adjust the gear ratio to the road grade. If you press the
brake pedal when driving downhi ll, the transmission will down shift
automatically . This increases the braking effect of the engine .
If the cru ise control is on when you are traveling downh ill, the trans ­
mission will automatically select a lower gear ratio in order to main ­
tain the set vehic le speed . This wil l cause the engine speed to
increase. •
Applies to v ehicles: wit h mult it ro n ic® Co ntin uous ly V ariab le Tra nsm iss io n (CVT )
tiptronic ® manual shift program
Using the manual shif t program ( tiptronic® J you can
manually shift between seven pre-programmed gear
r at io s ( tra nsmission p ositi ons).
Fig . 16 1 Center
c onsole : shifting
m anu ally
(0
Fig . 16 2 Disp lay:
m anu al s hift pro gra m ,
se lecte d gear h igh ­
li gh ted
Switching to manual shift program
With the se lector lever in
D, push lever to the right. The
display will show 7
6 5 4 3 21 as soon as the selector lever
is switched over. The gear yo u select w ill also be high­
ligh ted in the displ ay => fig. 162.
To upshift Push the se lector lever forward to the p lus position
=> fig. 161 0-
To downshift
- Pu sh th e lever t o the m inus posi tion
Q .
When accelerating, the transm ission will automa tically shif t into the
next higher gear before the engine reaches the maximum RPM .
When accelerating, if you apply a light throttle, the tiptronic® will
automatically shift into the next higher gear to save fuel. If you apply
a heavy thrott le, the transmission wi ll stay in gear engaged until
n ear maximum RP M are reached, or until the driver manually shifts
into a higher gear.
If you take your foot of f the accelerator peda l when driving down a
steep inc line, the tiptronic ® will downshift from the selected gear
into the next lower gear based on road speed a nd eng ine RPM . The _,,

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automatic downshifting is interrupted as soon as you apply throttle
again .
[ i J Ti ps
• When you shift into the next lower gear, the engine will down ­
shift only when there is no possibility of over-revving .
• When the kick-down comes on, the transmission will sh ift down
to a lower gear depending on vehicle and engine speeds.
• The tiptronic® is inoperative when the transmission is in the fail­
safe mode .•
Ap plies to vehic les: with multit ron ic® Continuous ly Variable Transm ission (CVT)
Steering wheel with tiptronic ®
The shift buttons on the steering wheel allow the driver to
shift gears manually.
Fig . 163 S teering
w heel : S hift butt ons
- To downshift, touch the button on the left Q.
- To upshift, touch the button on t he right G) .
The shift buttons are activated when the selector lever is in D, Sor
in the manual shift program (tiptronic).
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Of course, you can continue to use the manual shift program with
the selector lever on the center console. •
Applies to vehicles : with multitronic® Continuously Var iable Transm ission (CVT )
Fail -safe mode
If the multitronic® suffers a malfunction the fail-safe
mode maintains minimum driveability.
In the event of particular system malfunctions, the automatic trans­
mission switches to the fail-safe mode . This is signal led by all the
segments in the display illuminating or going out.
You can continue to move the selector lever to all positions. The
manual shift program (tiptronic) is switched off in the fail-safe
mode.
You can continue to use reverse gear. But the electronic lockout for
reverse gear is turned off .
0 Note
If the transmission switches to fail-safe mode, you should take the
vehicle to an authorized Audi dea lership as soon as poss ib le to have
the condition corrected. •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

•L---=A....::...: u:;.. t:..: o:..::....: m.....;::. a..;:t :;..ic ~ t:..: r..;: a ..:..; n.....;::. s..:.m ;.;..:. is::.. s .::....:. io::....:. n;__ ____________________________________________ _
Applies to vehic les: with mul tit roni c® Cont inuous ly Variab le Transmission (CVTl
Emergency release for selector lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency.
Fig. 164 Remove the
ashtray insert
Fig. 165 Emergency
release for selector
lever
The emergency release is located under the insert for the
ashtray.
- Slide open the cover for the ashtray.
- Grasp the ashtray insert~ fig. 164 by the recesses on
both sides and pull it upward and out.
- Now you can see a small cover in the ashtray holder.
- Release and remove this cover from the ashtray holder. -
Using a screwdriver or a similar tool, press down on the
screw in the middle of the ashtray holder, which is now
accessible, and hold it down
~ fig. 165.
- Now press the interlock and move the selector lever to
the
N position.
The selector lever can only be moved from the P position if the igni­
tion key is in the lock and the ignition is turned on. If the vehicle has
to be pushed or towed if the power supply fails (e .g. battery is
discharged), the selector lever must be moved to the N position
using the emergency locking device. •

-Wit h chocks i n place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load .
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move the selector lever to
P.
Wh en r est arting aft er parking :
-Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to
D .
- Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
f rom the whee l chocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks .
[ i ) Tip s
If you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P
befor e applying th e parking brake and before blocking th e wheels ,
you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the
P
position .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_____________________________________________ C_ l_ e _a_ n_ in_ g_a _ n_d_ p_ r_ o_ t _e_ c_t _io _ n __ lR
•
from fading. Slight color variations will develop in normal use and
are not an indication of material deterioration.
0 Note
• Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter fluid, turpentine),
waxes, shoe polish or similar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
• To avoid damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commer­
cial cleaning specialist.
• Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or similarly abrasive cleaning
aids .•
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work reliably when
needed.
- Keep belts clean.
- For cleaning, use a mild soap and water solution . Let
belts dry thoroughly and away from direct sunlight .
- Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to retract before
they are completely dry.
- Check the condition of your safety belts
regularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract properly.
& WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
• Anything that might damage your safety belts could mean that
you and your passengers would not be adequately protected in an
accident.
• Safety belt performance depends on correct installation. Never
remove belts from the vehicle to clean them.
& WARNING (continued)
• Do not use chemical cleaning agents, bleach or dyes. They have
corrosive properties which weaken the webbing.
• When cleaning your safety belts, inspect them for damage. If
you discover damage, see your Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page278. a
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the engine compart­
ment.
Always switch off the ignition before cleaning the engine ~ &.
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front of the windshield
under the engine hood. This prevents the water drain holes from
becoming blocked, and it prevents debris from entering the vehicle
interior through the heating and ventilation ducts.
Corrosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission have been corrosion­
protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very important, particularly in the
winter. If the vehicle is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel should be thor­
oughly cleaned at the end of winter and retreated to prevent salt
damage. At the same time, the underside of the vehicle should be
washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any time with grease
removing solutions
1 l, or if you have the engine washed, the anti­
corrosion treatment is almost always removed as well. It is therefore .,_
11 Use only th e correct cleaning solut ions. N ev er use gasolin e or di ese l fu el.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire . Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.