ABS AUDI S6 2009 User Guide

___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
- Make sure that your passengers also b uckle up and prop­
erly wea r th eir sa fety belts.
Protect children wit h a child restraint system appropriate
for the size and age.
The warning light i in the instrument cluster lights up when the
ignition is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In
addition , you will hear a warning tone.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning light in the instrument cluster will a lways come on for about 6 seconds and if the driver has
not fastened the safety belt, a warning tone will also sound for
about 6 seconds . As soon as the driver has fastened the safety belt,
the warning tone will stop and the warning light will go out .
If the driver or front seat passenger have not buckled -up within
about 10 seconds after the warning tone has stopped and the
vehicle is moving faster than about 15 mph, the warning tone will
sound again for about 6 seconds and then stop for 24 seconds and
then repeat this reminder sequence for a maximum of 2 minutes. At
speeds be low 5 mph, the warning tone will not sound.
Fa sten your safe ty belt and m ake su re that your p assengers also
properl y put on th eir s afet y belts .
& WARNING
• Safety belt s are the single mo st effective mean s available to
reduce th e risk of ser ious injur y and death in a utomobile acci­
dent s. For your prote ction and th at of your pas senger s, alwa ys
c orre ctl y we ar safety belt s when t he vehicle is moving .
• Failure t o pay att ention to th e warning light that co me on,
c ould lead to per sonal injury .•
Why safety belts?
Frontal co11isions and the law of physics
Front al crashes create very strong forces for pe ople riding
in vehicles.
F ig. 2 00 U nbel ted
o cc up ants i n a ve hicle
he ading for a wa ll
Fi g. 2 01 T he vehi cle
c ras hes in to t he wa ll
The physical principles are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy which varies with vehicle speed and body
we ight . Engineers cal l this energy "kinetic energy ."
T he higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehic le's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significan t factor. If the speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,

IIJl_....::S~a ~f ~e ~ty ~ b~ e~ l~ t ~s ____________________________________________ _
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision. It's simply not true!
Fig . 20 4 Driv er is
cor rec tly r estrai ned in
a su dden b raking
m an euver
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference. Sa fety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels app lied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the
uncontrolled movement that can cause serious injuries. In addition,
safety be lts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehic le .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being s lowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered
into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Altho ugh these examples are based on a frontal co llision, safety
belts can a lso substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes . So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to the
corner store, a lways buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acci­
dent statistics show that vehicle occupants properly wearing safety
belts have a lower ris k of being injured and a much better chance of
surviving an accident. Properly using safety belts also greatly
increases the abi lity o f the supplementa l airbags to do their job in a
collision . For th is reason , wearing a safety belt is legally required in
most countries including much of the United States and Canada. Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti
ll have to wear
the safety belts provided . Fron t airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . T he front airbags are not activated in
a ll frontal col lisions, in side and rear collisions, in roll ove rs or in
cases where there is not enough dece leration through impact to the
front of the vehicle . The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi . So, always wear your safety belt and make sure every ­
body in your vehic le is properly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be co rrectly positioned across
t he strongest bones of your body.
Always wear safety belts as illustrated and described in
th is chapter.
Make s ure tha t your safe ty belts ar e always ready for use
and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or w earing them improperl y increase s
the risk of seriou s per sonal injury and death . S afe ty belt s can work
onl y when used corre ctl y.
• Alway s fa sten your s afety belt s correctl y before dri ving off and
make sure all p assenger s ar e correctly restrain ed.
• For m aximum protect ion , safet y belt s must always be po si­
ti oned properly on the body .
• Never strap more th an one person , includi ng sm all children ,
into any belt.
• Never pla ce a s afety belt ove r a child sitting on your lap .
• Alway s keep feet in t he foot well
in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven .
~

___ A_ i_r _b _a _ g~ s_ y_ s_t _e _m ___________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• Airbag work most effectively when used with properly worn
safety belts .
• Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained .
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, especially infants and small
children, will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the airbag when it inflates .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat, nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these special conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in accordance with
the "low risk" option under the U.S. Federal Standard if a child that
is heavier than the typical one-year old child is on the front
passenger seat and the other conditions for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position.
• For their own safety, all children, especially 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back properly restrained for
their age and size . •
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan ­
dard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manufactured. The
front Advanced Airbag System supplements the safety belts to
provide additional protection for the driver's and front passenger's
heads and upper bodies in frontal crashes . The airbags inflate only
in frontal impacts when the vehicle deceleration is high enough.
The front Advanced Airbag System for the front seat occupants is
not a substitute for your safety belts . Rather, it is part of the overall
occupant restraint system in your vehicle. Always remember that
the airbag system can only help to protect you, if you are sitting
upright, wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This is why
you and your passengers must always be properly restrained, not
just because the law requires you to be.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the "low risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old children on the
passenger side and very small adults on the driver side. The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to help reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the front airbag that can occur, for
example, by being too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates.
In addition, the system has been certified to comply with the
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off the
front airbag for infants 12 months old and younger who are
restrained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are
listed in the Standard=>
page 240, "Child restraints and Advanced
Airbags" .
"Suppression" requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off if:
• a child up to about one year of age is restrained on the front
passenger seat in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified. For
a listing of the child restraints that were used to certify your
vehicle's compliance with the US Safety Standard=>
page 240,
• weight less than a threshold level stored in the control unit is
detected on the front passenger seat. .,

-Airbag system ----=--a.---------------------------------------
& WARN ING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
fe rence :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatback s that have not been spe cifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag
ha s inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi de aler or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be repla ced with new repla cement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents , the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic
circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechni c circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit inte rrupter is scrapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed a irba g mo dules and prete nsioners might be c lass if ied
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/p erc hlo ra te. W hen t he ve hicle or
parts of the restraint system inc luding airbag modules and safety
b elts wi th pre tens io ners a re s crappe d, all ap plicab le laws a nd reg u­
l ations must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is fam iliar
wit h these req uire ments an d we rec ommend th at yo u have your
dea ler perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Adva nced Ai rbag Syste m performs in a c rash. Fo r example,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle, c hang ing the s tif fne ss of the su spe nsio n, in cl ud in g th e
springs, suspens ion struts, shoc k absorbers etc. can change the
f o rce s tha t are m eas ure d b y the air bag senso rs and se nt to the e lec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes can, for example,
increa se the fo rce levels measured by the senso rs and ma ke the
airbag system dep loy in crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the
changes had not been made . Othe r kinds of changes may reduce
t h e force lev els measured by the sensors and preve nt the airbag
from dep loying when it sho uld.
T he s ensors i n the safet y be lt buc kle for the driver a nd fr ont
passenger seat tell the e lectronic contro l modu le if the safety belt is
l a tc h ed or not. If the sa fety belt is b eing use d, th e front airbag wi ll
deploy at a slightly higher rate of v ehic le dece leration than if the
safety be lt is n ot be ing use d. T herefo re, i n a partic ular collision, it i s
possible that an air bag wi ll not deploy at a seating position where
the safety be lt i s being used but wi ll inflate at the position whe re the
sa fety be lt is not bei ng used. It is important tha t noth ing i nte rfer e
with the safety belt buckles so that the sensors can send the correct
i nfo rmati on about saf ety belt use to the e lectr onic co ntrol unit. .,.

___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
child is available. In these exceptional situations, the use of a lap
belt is better than permitting the child to remain total ly unre ­
strained . But remember: a lap belt cannot provide the same level of
protection as a proper child restraint or a three -point lap and
shoulder belt if the child is big enough . Also, using a lap belt for
younger child ren, who should be using a chi ld restraint, may violate
laws in your state or Province.
Never use a lap belt a lone to restrain a chi ld that weighs less than
about 80 lbs (36 kg) and who is less than 4'9" tall. A lways remembe r
that chi ldren do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required
for the proper function of lap belts. If a lap belt is only res traint
system available , then the child's safety absolutely requires that the
lap be lt be fastened snug ly and as low as possible around the pe lvis
let a lap belt pass over the chi ld's stomach or abdomen .
& WARNING
Using wrong child re straints or improperly in stalled child
restr aint s can cause serious personal injury or death in a cr ash .
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
c au se severe injurie s in a crash . The lap belt portion of the three
point belt as well as any lap belt alone must alway s pass as low as
p os sible acros s the pelvis, n ever ov er the stoma ch or abdomen.
• An impr ope rly worn s afet y belt will not pr ovide the best prote c­
tion in a cra sh and may cau se seriou s personal injury . Alway s
make sure that children and other veh icle o ccupant s properl y
wear available r estraint system s. Carefully follow the in struction s
p ro vi ded by the manufa cturer s of child re straint s.•
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S afety belts for the rear seats and the fr ont passenger can
be locked with the c onvertible locking retr actor to pr op­
erly secure child safety seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for the rear seats
safety be lts and for the front passenge r's seat safety belt have a
convertible locking retractor for child restraints . The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot unreel. The retractor
can be activated to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosen ing up dur ing normal driving. A child safety
seat can only b e properly instal led when the safety belt is locked so
t hat the child and chi ld safety seat w ill stay i n place .
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, al l children, especially those 12 years and
younger , shou ld always ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly in stalled child safety seat s increa se the risk of serious
pe rsonal injury and death in a collision.
• Alway s ma ke sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
i nstall ing a child safety seat . An unlo cked safety be lt retra ctor
cannot hold the child safety seat in pla ce during normal driving or
in a cra sh .
• Alway s buckle the child saf ety seat firml y in pl ace even if a
c hild i s not s itting in it. A loo se child saf ety seat can fl y around
during a sudden stop or in a colli sion
• Alway s make sure th at the rear se at backre st to which the
center rear s afety belt i s attached is securely latched whenever
the rear cent er safety belt is being u sed to se cur e a ch ild re straint . .,_

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modu les
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event . EDR's
are sometimes called "crash recorders" .
Some state laws restrict the retrieva l or downloading of data stored
by EDR's that were insta lled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped
with a number of electronic control modules for various vehicle systems such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as
well as for the airbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle operation for diagnost ic and repair purposes .
The recording capacity of the electronic control modules is limited
to data (no sound is recorded) and only a small amount of data is
actually recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when
a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some
of the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking as well as restraint system use and performance in the
event of a crash or other condition . Stored data can only be read and
down loaded with special equipment .•
Electron ic Stabilizat ion Program (ESP)
General =nformation
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
(
Fi g. 232 C ente r
co nso le w it h ES P
swi tch
ESP is designed to he lp you maintain vehic le control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when
accelerating and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves stabil ity under all road conditions .
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP wil l also shut down .
How th e sys te m w ork s
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS) , Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the e lec­
tronic stabi lization program . In addition to the data provided by
these functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure­ ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehic le about its vertical axis, vehicle acce leration in
the fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the steering angle are al l measured .

The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
t he aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehic le starts hydrop laning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the prob lem.
The vehicle is then stab ilized by the forces acting on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly app lied on the wheel that is on
the outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to sl ide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the
rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve . An acoustic signal indi­
cates when ESP brake application cuts in
~ & .
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system
~ page 266 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Ac tivat ing
When you turn on the eng ine, ESP will automatically be activated
and will perform a se lf -test . As soon as the test is comp leted, the
system is in norma l operating mode.
You can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ASR if required by pressing the~
page 262, fig. 232 button . When they are
activated, the message
E S P/AS R on appears briefly in the display.
D eactiv ating
The ESP should normally be activated al l the time . If necessary, you
can deactivate An ti- Slip Regulation (ASR) or the E lectronic Stabiliza ­
tion Program (ESP) by pressing the button~
page 262, fig. 232 .
• Dea ct iv at ing A SR: Tap the button . In certain exceptional situa ­
tions (e.g. driving with t ire chains) , the Anti-Sl ip Regulation (ASR)
can be deactivated ~
page 264. The message ASR off appears in the
display as we ll.
• Dea ctiv at ing E SP/ASR Press the button for more than 3 seconds.
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the ESP check light comes on, see
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
In
te llig ent tec hn olo gy
~ page 18 . The message ES P sw itched off appears in the disp lay as
we ll.
& WARNING
The Electroni c Stabili zation Program i s never thele ss subject to the
la ws o f physics . It is p articularl y import ant t o pay a ttent ion t o th is
f a ct on wet and slippery road s. It is ther efore important tha t y ou
a lw ays a dapt your dr iving to the c ondit ion of th e ro ad and t raffi c
c ondition s. Do n ot allow the inc rea sed safety pro vided b y th e Elec ­
tr on ic S ta bili zatio n Pr ogram sys tem to lull you in to acc epting
add iti onal safet y risk s. C
Electronic differential tock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
Gener al note s
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and c limb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or
almost no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impos ­
sib le .
How th e sys te m wo rk s
The EDL operates automatical ly . It monitors the rotational speed of
the drive wheels on an axle with the he lp of the ABS sensors
~ page 266 . If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g. on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or whee ls (a ll -whee l drive) . Th is is done up
to a speed of about 60 mph ( 100 km/h). Noises from the brake
system signal that wheel spin is being control led .
Dr iving off
When driving off , always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface
Iii>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
with less grip, gradually increase the pressure on the accelerator
pedal until the car starts to move.
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel from overheating if
subjected to excessive loads on this wheel, the EDL cuts out tempo ­
rarily. The vehicle remains operational and behaves in the same way
as a vehicle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL switches on again auto ­
matically.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
always be careful when depressing the accelerator pedal. Even
with the EDL working, the drive wheels can spin and reduce your
ability to control your car. Risk of crash!
• The increased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This is
indicated by the ABS warning light=>
page 21. •
Ant"-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is integrated in the electronic
stabilization program (ESP). When the vehicle starts up and acceler ­
ates, the wheels are prevented from spinning by adjusting the engine power to match the amount of grip available from the road
surface.
How the system works
ASR
performs automatically, i.e. without the driver's intervention.
With the aid of the ABS sensors=>
page 266, ASR monitors the
speed of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, the engine
torque is reduced automatically until the tires find enough grip to
lock onto the road surface. The system is active across the entire
speed range.
Th e ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR will also be out of action.
Activating
The ESP is automatically activated when the engine is started and it
performs a self -test . You can activate a deactivated ASR if required
by pressing the =>
page 262, fig. 232 button . When it is activated,
the message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display. Vehicles
with front-wheel drive a deactivated ASR automatically re-activates
itself at a speed of 40 mph (70 km/h) .
Deactivating
You can deactivate the ASR if required by pressing the button (for
less than 3 seconds)=>
page 262, fig. 232. With the ASR deactivated,
the ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 18. The message ASR off
appears in the display as well. On vehicles with front-wheel drive:
deactivation is possible only up to 30 mph (50 km/h) for safety
reasons . Vehicles with all -wheel drive: the ASR can be deactivated
at any speed .
The ASR should normally be activated all the time. Only in certain
exceptional situations when some slip is desirable does it make
sense to deactivate the ASR. Examples:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck .

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneu vers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road u sers mu st not be put at r isk -you may cause an a ccident!
• Before des cending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans ­
mission into a lower gear or lower dr iving range . Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could
cause the brake s to get hot and diminish braking effi ciency .
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to b rake. This may cause the br ake s to ove rheat ,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under ce rtain climat ic and operating condit ions such as
passing through water , driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehi cle , the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter ,
ice can a ccumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums .
Carefully apply bra kes fo r a test . Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake appli cations .
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -co vered roads
without using your brakes can also affect braking effic iency. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake dis cs and pads with a few
c areful brake applications .
• If you damage the front spoile r, or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not ob structed.
Otherw ise the brake sy stem could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system .
• Failure of one bra ke cir cuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
veh icle and have it to wed to the nearest Audi dealer or qualified
workshop . -..
Brake booster
T he b rake boost er ad ds extra b ra king powe r.
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created
o nly w he n t he e ngine is ru nnin g=> & .
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working, for example when towing
your vehicle, or because the brake boo ster has somehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be pressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance . •
Functioning of A!"lt"-Lock Brake System (ABS)
ABS p revents the wheels from locking up unde r brakin g.
Th e ABS co ntribu tes effect ively to vehicle cont ro l since it preve nts
the whee ls from
locking when the brakes are app lied. This means
t h at the ve hicle rema ins steerable and is less l ikely to s kid.
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake . Just hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expec t the A BS to s hor ten bra king d istance u nder
all circumstances. When driving o n grave l or on newly fallen snow
o n t op o f icy sur faces, brak ing d istance may be ev en lon ger, the re­
fore, under these c ircumstances, it is especially important that you
driv e slow ly an d with gre at ca re.
How the ABS system works
An automat ic c heck is made w hen a speed o f abou t 4 mph (6 km/hl
is reached. When this happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
I f a n in div id ual wheel begins to rotate too slowly in rela tion t o
vehic le speed and tends to lock, the ABS automatically reduces
b rake p ress ure to preven t tha t w hee l from lo cking.

This automatic adjustment process will cause a slight vibration of
the brake pedal and some noises to alert you that vehicle speed
must be adapted to existing road and traffic conditions .
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving
speed according to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risks.
The ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
[ i ] Tips
• If ABS is not functioning properly, a warning light will come on .
See ~
page 21.
• If a fau lt occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This
is indicated by the ABS warning light.
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the optimum
braking effect.
The brake assistant helps to increase the effective braking power
and thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance . If the driver
presses the brake pedal very quick ly, the brake assistant automati­
cally boosts the braking force to the maximum level, up to the point
where the anti-lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop the
wheels from locking . You should then keep the brake pedal pressed
until the vehicle has braked to the required speed. The brake assis­
tant switches itself off as soon as you release the brake pedal.
T he brake assistant wil l not be operative if there is a malfunction in
the ABS .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
& WARNING
Please remember that the
accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast , especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increased risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by the brake assistant ,
so always maintain a safe speed. •
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortab le and safe steering response exactly matched to the
vehicle speed.
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a result, the
steering wheel will be hard to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled
maintenance services .
0 Note
If there is an electronic ma lfunction, servotronic wi ll still function
like a conventional power steering system, providing a constant
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed . This is most noticeable when turning the steering whee l at
low speeds (for examp le when parking), -more effort will be
required than usual.
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Aud i dealer as
soon as possible. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data