ground clearance AUDI S6 2009 Owners Manual

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Adaptive Air Suspension
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This warning/indicator light has the fol lowing functions:
• It illumin ates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out.
• If th e warning/indicator light illuminates or blinks continuously,
there is a system fault in the Adaptive Air Suspension. A system
fault can result in limited ride comfort and
low ground clearance.
Drive safely to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop, and have the fault corrected.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes, you should not drive the
vehic le. The flashing warning/indicator light points to an extreme
High level. A very
pronounced lifting of the vehicle (extreme High
level) can resu lt, for example, when a heavy load is removed from
the vehicle. As soon as the level has returned to normal, the
warning/indicator light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
<::i:,
warning/indicator light, you should not drive off immedia tely in
order to prevent damage to the underbody. The two warning/indi ­
cator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level) can resu lt,
for example, from a heavy load. As soon as the level has returned to
normal, the warning/ind icator lights stop flashing, and you can
drive away.
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the <::i:,
warning/ indicator light, you should not drive the vehic le because
low -lying vehic le parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a result. •
Adaptive Air Suspension ~
This warning/indicator light has the following functions: •
It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out.
• It comes on for approximately 15 seconds as a warning of
reduced ground clearance , if the dynamic mode is activated and if
the ignition is switched on~
page 185, "Chassis controls".
• If the warning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle immedi ­
ately in order to prevent damage to the underbody. The two
warning/indicator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level)
can resu lt, for example , from a heavy load . As soon as the level has
returned to normal, the warning/indicator lights stop flashing, and
you can drive away.
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the~
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle because
low-lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a result. •
High beam ~D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or when you use the headlight flasher. For more information
about using the high beams, see~
page 67 . •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) /Ari (Canada models )
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the cruise control is
activated. •

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Adaptive Air Suspension
Adaptive Air Suspension and
Damping
A pplies to vehicles: wi th Adap tive Air Suspens ion
Description
Adaptive Air Suspension and damping can be regulated
and they adapt automatically to a request from the driver
and the driving situation at the time.
Adaptive Air Suspension is an electronically controlled springing
and damping system . This chassis system makes it easier on the
driver by adapting to the particular situation through imperceptible
control processes.
The
Adaptive Air Suspension component regulates ground clear ­
ance depending on vehicle speed, load condition and driver input.
When the system is in automatic mode, accelerating to a speed above a predetermined limit will make the vehicle lower itself. On
the other hand, driving more slowly results in the vehicle raising again at specific speeds.
The
damping component provides individual control of the
damping forces. For example, with damping characteristics set to
provide greater comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for a brief
period only as required, for example, when going around a curve or
over rough road surfaces as well as when braking.
Settings
Adaptive Air Suspension provides the driver with the opportunity to
set the chassis characteristics also to their individual preference.
With the driving modes
standard, automatic and dynamic the driver
has three chassis settings available, ranging from comfort to sporty .
In addition,
lift provides a fourth mode which can be selecting for
driving over poor stretches of road :::::,
page 185, "Chassis controls". The modes are set in
MMI:::::,
page 185.
& WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can change due to temperature
fluctuations or changes in load.
0 Note
• Whenever you park your vehicle, always make sure there is
adequate clearance above and below the vehicle. The height of the parked vehicle can change as the result of temperature fluctuations,
changes in load condition and changes in the driving mode (ground
clearance!.
• If the vehicle is being transported (e.g. by tow truck, train, ship,
etc.) , mount the tie -down chains/cables over the running surface
(circumference) of the tires . Never secure the vehicle by the axle, the
suspension struts or the front or rear towline eye. For technical
reasons, the pressure in the suspension struts may change during
the transport, which could result in the vehicle no longer being
secured properly.
• To prevent damage to the vehicle underbody, remember that
your vehicle is not an off-road vehicle, even in the "lift" mode. The
ground clearance is insufficient for this type of operation.
• If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the trailer oper­
ation mode :::::,
page 186.
[ i] Tips
Before you raising your vehicle using the vehicle jack (for example,
when changing a flat tire) you must activate the jacking mode
=> page 186. •

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Ap plies to vehicl es: wi th Adap tive Ai r Su sp ension
Chassis controls
Four different driving modes can be set by the driver.
The automatic contro l processes are speed -and time -dependent.
For example, it is not possib le to raise the suspension to the lift
mode above certain speeds.
L ev el a djustment
automatic
dynamic
aut om ati c Ground clearan
ce
about 4.7 - 4 .1 inches
(120 -105 mm)
about 4.7 inches (120 mm)
about 4.1 inches (105 mm)
a bo ut 5.3 inches ( 135 mm)
Se lect the automatic mode i f you p refer suspension and damping
settings emphasizing comfort .
• Low ering : When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded
for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered by about 0.6 inch (15 mm) to the dynamic level which is more suitable
for highway speeds. Road holding is optimized as a result of the lower center of gravity and fuel consumption is reduced as a result
of reduced wind res istance.
• Rais ing : The vehicle is automatically raised again if the speed
falls below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 2 minutes . The
vehic le is raised immediate ly when speed falls below about 22 mph
(35 km/h).
s ta nd ard
Select the standard mode if you desire a suspension setting with a
special emphasis on comfort. In the standard mode there is
no
lowering of the suspension. Even a t high speeds, the vehicle stays
at the same level. Damping characteristics with a decided emphasis
on comfort are selected in this mode.
Controls and equip ­
ment d
y n ami c
Select the dynamic mode if you prefer a sporty suspension setting .
In this mode, the vehicle is lowered whi le it is still stationary and
spo rty damping characteristics are selected . The warn ing light
c.::i
in the instrument cluster will come on for a few seconds just to
remind you of the reduced ground clearance .
If y ou switch off the engine wh ile the ve hicle is in the dynamic mode
and then switch on the ignition once again, the
c.::i warning light
wi ll also come on again f or a few seconds as a reminder .
lift
Select the lift mode when you have to travel over poor sect ions of
road (e .g. trails). In the lift mode, the vehic le is raised by 0.6 inch (15
m m) compared to norma l leve l while it is stil l stationary and
damping characteristics are adjusted to emphasize comfort .
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds below 50 mp h (80
km/h) . When a speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h) is exceeded, the
system automatical ly leaves lift mode and the mode set previously
(standard, automat ic, dynam ic) is activated aga in. •
App lies to v ehic les : with Ada ptive Air Suspens io n
Setting the driving modes
The driving modes are set in MM/.
Fig . 189 MMI di splay:
Settin gs _,.
I • •

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[ i] Tips
• When the engine is running, never hold the steering wheel
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than
15 seconds . The power steering pump will overheat the hydraulic
fluid if you keep holding th e steering wheel turned all th e way. This
is likely to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail entirely, or if the engine
is not running (for example, while being towed), you will still be able
to ste er th e vehicle . However,
considerably mor e effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func ­
tioning properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydraulic fluid. The power steering reservoir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine compartment=>
page 302. The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for proper func­
tioning of the power ste ering. •
Applies to vehicles : wit h A ll Wh eel Drive
Driving with your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time . See also=>
page 263, "Electronic differ­
ential lock (EDU".
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for improved
driveability and braking: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
See also => page 333, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with All Wheel Drive=>
page 334, "Snow
chains".
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
si ze. Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see
page =>
page 329, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road vehicle. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible. Also refer to=>
page 273.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­ planing}. If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi­
tions -risk of crash. ,