warning lights AUDI S6 2010 Owner's Manual

Clear vision
0 Note
• Curved ( i.e. co nvex) mir ror s urfaces increase your field of view.
Remember that vehicles or other objects will ap pear smaller and
f art her away th an whe n seen in a fla t mi rror. If you use th is mi rro r to
estimate distances of follow ing ve hicles when chang ing lanes, you
could estimate i nco rre ct ly and ca u se an a cci dent .
• If the mir ror ho using is moved un inte ntionally (for examp le, whi le
par king yo ur veh icle), then you m ust fir st f old the mir ror ele ctrically.
Do not read just the mirro r hous ing manually. You could damage the
mot or w hic h con trols the mi rror .
[ i ] Tips
If the re should be a m alfu nction in the ele ct ric al sys tem, you can st ill
adjust the outs ide mirrors by pressing the edge of the m irror. •
App lies to ve hicles : w ith auto mat ic dimm ing fo r outs ide m ir ro rs
Automatic dimming for outside mirrors
T he ou tside mir rors are dimmed toge ther w it h t he a utoma tic
dimming of the ins ide mirror . When the ignition is sw itched on, t he
m irrors da rken a utomat ica lly depend ing on the light stri king them
(e .g . headlights from the r ea r) .
When the interio r light ing is sw itched on and when reverse gear is
engaged , the mi rrors are switche d back to their or ig inal b rightness
(not d immed).
& WARNING
Broken glass of automatic dimming mirror can cause electrolyte
fluid leakage. Electrolyte fluid can irritate skin, eyes, and respira­ tory system.
• Repeated or prolonged exposure to electrolyte can cause irrita­
tion to the respiratory system, especially among people w ith
& WARNING (co ntinued )
asthma o r other respiratory conditions . Get fresh air immediately
by leaving the vehicle or, if that is not po ssible, open window s and
doors all the way.
• If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush them thoroughly with
large amounts of clean water fo r at least 15 minutes; medical
attention i s recommended.
• If electrolyte contacts skin , flush affected area with clean
water for at least 15 minutes and then wash affected area w ith
soap and water; medical attention is recommended. Thoroughly
wash affected clothing and shoes before reuse.
• If swallowed and person is conscious, rinse mouth with water
for at least 15 minutes. Do not induce vomiting unle ss instructed
to do so by medical professional. Get medical attention immedi·
ately.
0 Note
El ectro ly te lea king from a br oke n m irro r g lass a ttack s th e veh icle
pa int and plast ic surfaces. Clean up sp illed electrolyte immed iate ly
w ith clear w ater and a s ponge.
[ i ] Tips
• If automatic dimming for the inside mirror is switched off , the
outside mirrors are also not dimmed automatically.
• Automat ic di mmin g for t he mir ro r only oper ates p roperly if the
sunshade * fo r th e rear w indow is retracted, o r the light strik ing t he
inside mi rror is not hindere d by other objects .•

On the road -_______________ __.
the driver's door is opened. In t his instance, the steer ing is not
locked. The s teer ing is locked:
• If you press the
(STOP) button again for more than 1 second .
• If you close the driver 's door and lock yo ur vehicle from the
outs ide .•
Electromechanical parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces the hand
brake.
Fi g. 104 Cente r
co nsol e: Pa rki ng brak e
- Pull the switch to apply the parking brake ~fig . 104. The
indicator light in the switch will come on.
- Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator pedal and press the switch at the same time to re lease the parking bra ke.
The indicator light in the switch wil l go out .
Your vehicle is equipped with an electromec hanical park ing brake
w hich replaces the handb rake. The parking brake is d esigned to
prevent the vehicle from ro lling unintent iona lly .
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
In addit io n to the normal functions of a traditional hand brake, the
ele ct romechan ica l parki ng br ake p rovides various convenience and
safety functions .
Emergency brake
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle can be slowed even if
t he
normal bra kes fail => page 115, "E merge ncy bra king" .
Indicator lights
• If the pa rking brake is applie d with the ig nition turned on , the
indicator light in the instrument cluster (U.S models:
:'.Ii , Canadian
mode ls: © ) and i n the swi tch
(e)) w ill come o n.
• If the parking brake is applied with the ign ition
turned off , the
indicator light in the in strument cluste r (U.S. models:
::'.l, , Ca nadian
models: ©) and in the switch© will come on for about 30 seconds
and then go out .
& WARNING
If the vehicle is stati onary and the transmi ssion is engaged with
the eng ine running, the e ngine should not be speeded up (e.g.
m anuall y from under th e hood ). Otherwi se the vehicle will st art to
mo ve -you run the risk of an ac cident.
0 Note
If the warning/ind icator light (U.S. models: BRAKE , Canadian mode ls:
(Ci)) ) flashes in the ins trumen t clus ter, t here is a brake sys tem
malfunction. By press ing the [
CHECK) b utton, yo u can bri ng up a
dr iver message which explains the malfu nction in mo re deta il.
If the
message
Parking brake! Please contact workshop appea rs, the re is a
parking brake malfunction which yo u should have repaired immedi-
ately by an au thorized dealership=>
page 26 . ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

_________________________________________________ O_ n_t_ h _ e_ ro_ a_d __ ffl'II
The display=> page 116, fig. 106 will show the set speed. The display
may vary depending on the type of display in your vehicle. T he indi­
cator light
CRUISE (US model) I c-f (Canadian model) w ill also light up
in the instrument cluster.
The speed is kept constant via an engine output adjustment or active
brake intervention.
_& WARNING
• Always pay attention to traffic even when the cruise control is
switched on. You are always responsible for your speed and the
distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
• For safety reasons, the cruise control should not be used in the
city, in stop-and-go traffic, on twisting roads and when road
conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing ) - risk of accident.
• Turn off the cruise control temporarily when entering turn
lanes, highway exit lanes or in construction zones.
• Please note that inadvertently "resting" your foot on the accel­
erator pedal causes the cruise control not to brake . This is because
the cruise control is overridden by the driver's acceleration .
(I] Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the brakes decelerate
automatically . •
A ppli es to ve hicles : w it h cr uise contro l
Changing speed
- Press lever in the G)orQ direction ==> page 116, fig. 105
to increase or decrease your speed.
- Release the lever to save that speed.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Change speed
in increments of 1 mph (1 km/h) by lightly pressing the
lever. If you keep the lever pressed down, yo u will alter your speed in
5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down to increase your speed, e .g . if you want to pass someone. The speed you saved earlier wi ll
resume as soon as you release the accelerator pedal.
If, however, you exceed yo ur saved speed by 5 mph (10 km/h) for
longer than S m inutes, the cruise control will turn off temporarily.
The symbol will go out but the saved speed will be retained .•
App lies to ve hicle s: w it h cr uise c ontro l
Presetting your speed
You can preset your desired speed while the vehicle is not
moving.
- Turn on the ignition.
- Pull lever into position
(i) ==> page 116, fig. 105 .
- Press the lever in the
0 or 0 direction to increase or
decrease your speed.
- Release the lever to save that speed.
This function makes it possible, for example, to save the speed yo u
want before driving on the highway. Once on the highway, act ivate
the cruise contro l by pulling the lever toward
(D. •
A pp lies to ve hicles : wit h cr uise c ontro l
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
- Press the brake pedal, or
Vehicle care Technical data

ffl..__A_ u_ t_ o_ m_ a_ t _ ic_ t_r_a _ n_ s_m _ i_ s _s_ i_ o _ n _____________________________________________ _
R -Rev e rse
T he transmission will automatically select the lowe st gea r ratio when
you sh ift into reverse .
Select
R only when the vehicle is at a full stop and the engine is
running at id le speed=>
& in "Driving the a utomatic tra nsmiss ion"
on
page 146 .
Before yo u 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 illum inate when the
selector lever is moved into
R .
N -Neutral
The tra nsmission is in neutra l in t his position . Shift to this posit ion
for standing wit h the brakes applied~
page 148.
When the vehicle is s tationary or a t speeds be low 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and while mov ing the
lever ou t of
N .
D -Normal position for dri ving forward
Posit ion Dis fo r normal city and highway driv ing. I t ranges from ze ro
to top speed and all gears shift automatically, depending on eng ine
load, d riving speed and au tomatically selected s hift p rograms.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
D out of N .
In certa in circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the m anu al sh ift prog ram to man ua lly se lect gea r ratios to
match specific driving conditions~
page 150.
S -Sport position
Select this position for sportier performance. In this position, the
t ransm iss ion will not upshif t as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the
increased power available at higher engine speeds to achieve livelier
a cceler ation. When the vehicle
is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always app ly the foot bra ke before and w hile movi ng the
lever to
S out of N.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS=> & in "Driving the automatic
transmi ssion " on
page 146 .
0 Note
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in N and t he e ng ine not
running will result in damage to the automatic t ransmiss ion and
possibly the catalytic converter .•
Ap plies to veh icles: w it h 6-speed automatic t ransmissio n
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automati c Shift Lo ck s afegu ards you ag ainst acci­
dentally shifting i nto a for ward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to m ove unintentionally .
Fig. 140 Shift gat e:
s e lect or le ve r lo ck posi­
t io ns a nd interl ock
butt on h ighlighted
The sele ct or lever lock is released as fo llows:
- Turn the ignition on.

Automatic transmission Ill
----------------
Before you move the selector lever to R, press both, the button in the
hand le of the se lector 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 -Neutral
Shift to this position for standing with brakes applied=> page 155.
When the vehicle is stat ionary o r at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and wh ile moving the
lever out of
N.
Do not use N for coasting downhill.
D -Normal driving position for forward
Depending on the load on the engine, vehicle speed and the dynamic
control program, the transmission will se lect the
optimal gear ratio.
In certa in circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the manual shift program to manually select gear ratios to
match specific driving conditions=>
page 157.
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 to
D out of N .
S -Sport position
Select this position for sportier performance. In this position, the
transmission will not upshift as soon, allowing the veh icle to use the
increased power available at higher engine speeds to achieve livelier
acceleration.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always app ly the foot brake before and whi le moving the
lever to
S out of N.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS=> & in "Driving the multi­
tronic ®" on
page 153.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
0 Note
Coasting downhill
with the transmission in N and the engine not
operating will result in damage to the automatic transmission and
poss ibly the catalytic converter.•
Applies to veh icles: w ith mult itronic ® Continuously Va riable T ransmiss ion (C VT)
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you against acci­
dentally shifting into a forward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to move unintentionally.
Fig. 148 Shift gate:
selector lever lock posi­
tions and inter lock
button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
- Turn the ignition on.
- Step on the brake pedal.
At the some time press and hold
the interlock button on the side of the gear se lector knob
=> fig. 148 with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position .
Automatic selector lever lock
The selecto r lever is locked in th e P and N positions when the ignition
is turned on. To move the lever from these pos itions the driver must
depress the brake pedal. As a reminder to the driver, the following .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

Driving Safely ---------------------"~'---
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant safety
always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving always:
- Make sure that all lights and signals are operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good visi-
bility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully::::>
page 93.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for your height .
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right child restraint correctly to
protect children ::::,
page 217, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­ gers do the same::::,
page 75, "General recommenda­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=:> page 185. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
become a hazard to everyone else on the road::::,,& . There­
fore:
Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by using
a cellular telephone.
NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense .
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ S_a _f_e _t-=y '-- b_e_ l_ t _s _____________________________________________ _
-Make sure that your passengers also buckle up a nd prop ­
erly wear their safety belts .
- Protect c hildren with a child rest raint system appropria te
fo r the size and ag e.
The warn ing light ~ in the instrument cluster lights up when the igni­
tion is sw itched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi­
tion, you will hear a warn ing to ne .
After the ignition is switched on, the warn ing light in the instrument
clu ster will alw ays come on fo r a bout 6 seconds and i f the driver has
not fastened the safety belt, a warning tone will also sound for about
6 seconds. As soon as the d rive r has fastened the safety belt, the
warning tone will stop and the war ning light w ill go out.
If the driver or front seat passenger have not buck led-up within about
1 0 se conds afte r th e war ning tone has stopped and the veh icle is
moving faster than about 15 mph, the warning tone will sound again
for a bout 6 se conds and then s to p for 24 seco nds and the n re pea t
this rem inder sequence for a max imum of 2 m inutes . At speeds
below 5 mph, the w arning tone will not sou nd.
Fa sten your safety belt and make sure that your passenger s also
properly put on their safety belts.
& WARNING
• Safety belt s are the single most effe ctiv e mean s available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile a cci­
dents . For your protection and that of your pa ssenger s, always
c orrectly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving .
• Failure to pay attention to the warning light that come on,
could lead to person al injury .•
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal cr ashes cre ate very stron g forc es for people
riding i n vehi cles.
Fig . 171 Unbe lted
o ccupa nts in a vehicle
h eading f or a w all
Fig . 1 72 Th e vehicle
cr as hes int o t he wall
The p hys ica l pr inc iples are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy which var ies wit h veh icle speed and body weight.
E nginee rs ca ll t his ene rgy "kinetic energy."
The higher the speed of the veh icle and t he greater the vehicle's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "abso rbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most sig nifican t fa ctor. If t he speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,

Driving and environment
(I] Tip s
The consumption estimates as pub lished by ENV IRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating .
-Avo id unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fue l when they a re accele rating. If you antici­
pate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible -for
example when you see that the next traffic l ight is red. •
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approx imately three
qua rters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi­
tions permit.
a Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
-
Shut the engine off when yo u are not driving the vehicle.
- Do not warm up the vehic le by letting the eng ine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at rai lroad crossings, o r at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red . Turn ing the eng ine off for just 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle. Howeve r, wear and noxious emissions are espec ially high
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld d rive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at hig h rpms while the eng ine
is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which cou ld result in
overheat ing o r othe r damage to the vehicle or other p roperty. •
Regular maintenanc_e ____________ _
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
- Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals .
By having yo ur vehicle regularly se rviced by an Audi dealer helps to
ensure that it runs properly and economically . T he condition of your
vehicle not only a ffects its safety and ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso
affects
fu el con sumption .
Check your o il e ach tim e you fill you r tank.
~

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the operating and dr iv ing inst ructions
prov ided and use common sense .
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the tra iler ope ra­
tion mode =>
page 168, "Towing a tra iler". •
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying h itch co nform ing to the gross tra iler we ig ht.
The h itch must be suitab le for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mou nted securely o n th e vehi cle's ch assi s at a
techni cally sound loc a­
tion . Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ball mount. Always
check wit h the t railer h itch manufactu rer to make sure that yo u are
using the correct h itch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch mus t be installed in such a way t hat it does not in terfe re
w ith t he impact-absorb ing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to t
he veh icle exha ust and bra ke systems. From t ime to
time, check that a ll hitch mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
W hen you are no t tow in g a tra ile r, remove the t railer hit ch ball
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be str uck from behind=>& .
Trailer brakes
If your trail er is e quipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure t hat
it conforms to all regulations.
T he tra ile r hydrau lic brake system m ust not be directly connected to
t he vehicle's hyd raulic b rake sys tem .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check w ith your
Audi de aler fo r corr ec t wir ing , sw itches and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see t he t raff ic be hind you using t he regular
outs ide mirrors, then you
must install extended mi rrors. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always ha ve clear vi sion to the re ar.
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and inju re you
or your passengers. •

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if the surface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth or sponge, since this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows.
• Never wash your car in bright sunlight . Drops of water act as
magnifying lenses and may damage your pa int.
• When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with
a hose, be careful not to a im the stream of water d irectly at locks, or
at door or hatch openings -they can freeze shut.
• Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any kitchen
scouring sponges or similar products. They can damage your paint
fin ish .
• Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches . It is best to use soapy
water.
For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the vehicle should on ly be washed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high-pressure
power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple
rules .
-Before using the power washer, make sure you have read
and unders tood the WARNINGS ~
& in "General infor­
mation" on
page 258.
- Always follow the operating instructions for the power
washer. -
Make sure that the jet on the spray hose produces a "fan
shaped spray".
- Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to soft materials.
When cleaning the vehicle with a power washer always follow the
operating instructions. This applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Maintain a sufficient distance to
soft materials such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the engine hood). Do not
use a jet which sprays water in a
direct stream or one that has a
rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140
°F (60 °() .
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream.
This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken them,
even if the spray is from a relatively long distance and for a short
time. Damaged and weakened tires can fail and cause accidents
and personal injury .
0 Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is suffi­
cient distance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber
hoses , plastic parts and sound-deadening mater ials. Never aim the
spray head at the same point for a long time. This a lso applies to
cleaning headlights and painted bumpers. Remember: the closer the
nozzle is to the surface of the material, the greater the stress on the
material. •