transmission AUDI S6 2011 User Guide

Automatic transmission -_______________ ____.
(]] Tips
• When you shift into the next lower gea r, the tra nsmission w ill
downs hift o nly when there is no possibi lity of ov er-revving the
eng ine.
• When the kickdown comes on, the transmission will s hift down to
a lower gear, depending on vehicle a nd e ng ine speeds.
• tiptronic ® is inoperative when the transm ission is in the fai l-safe
mode .•
Ap plies to veh icl es: wit h 6-spee d auto matic t ransmiss io n
Steering wheel with tiptronic ®
The shift buttons on the steering wheel allo w the driver to
shift gears manually.
Fi g. 143 Stee ring
wheel : Sh ift butt ons
- To downs hif t, touch the bu tton on the le ft 0-
- To upshift , touc h the button on the right G) .
The sh ift buttons are activated when the sel ector lever is in D, Sor in
t he m anual shift pr ogram (ti ptroni c).
Of course, you can cont inue to use the manual sh ift program with the
sele ctor lever o n the cente r console. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : w ith 6 -s p eed a utomatic transm ission
Automatic transmission malfunction 0
I n the event of a sys tem malfu nction, the automatic transm issio n
switches to emergency ope ra tion mode .
Gearbox malfunction: you can continue driving
Yo u ca n cont inue to dr ive the vehicle. See an a uth o rized Audi dealer
or other qualified workshop at the next opportunity .
Gearbox malfunction: you can continue driving (limited
fun ct ionality )
There is a ser ious system malfunction:
• T he progr am shif ts only int o c ertain gea rs.
• T he engine may sta ll.
• It is not poss ible to restart the engine if it has bee n sw itched off .
• C ontinuing to d rive cou ld resu lt in subsequent d amage.
0 Note
If the transmission switc hes to fa il-s afe mo de, you sho uld take the
veh icle to an autho rized Audi dealers hip as soon as poss ible to have
the con dition corrected .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-Automatic transmission .n,..__ ______________ _
Appli es to veh icles : wi th 6-spe ed a utomatic t ransm iss ion
Emergency release for selector Lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency.
Fig. 144 Remove the
ashtray insert
Fig. 145 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=>
page 152, fig. 144 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. 145.
- 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 ®
Appli es to vehi cles: w ith mul tit ron ic® Co ntin uous ly Var ia ble Tra nsm iss ion ( CVT)
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a electronically controlled continuously
variable transmiss ion (multitronic ®). Inside the multitronic ® system,
the gear ratios are not shifted in finite steps as in a conventional auto­
matic transmission, but rath er
continuously. As a result, engine
power is applied smoothly and comfortably, and better fuel economy
is achieved .
The transm ission selects the appropriate gear ratio (upshifts and
downshifts) automatically based on set driving programs
~ page 156, "Dynamic shift program (DSP)".
You can also manually select a shift program (tiptronic ®)
~ page 157.
You should note, that the multitronic transmission differs from a
conventional Autom ati c 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 transmission
greatly reduces vehicle "creep" when at a standstill and the transmis­
sion is in
D Sor R . •

Automatic transmiss ion Ill _______________ ____.
Applies to vehicles : with multitronic® Continuously Variab le Transm ission (CVT)
Driving the multitronic ®
The gear ratio is continuously adapted to vehicle speed
and load.
Starting th e engin e
- The selector lever must be in Nor P.
Sta rting off
- Press and hold the brake pedal.
Fig. 146 Sec tion of
t he cente r co nso le :
selector leve r wit h loc k
but ton
- Press and hold the release button in the selector lever
handle and move the selector lever from
P (alternatively
N ) to D (alternatively S) and release the button .
- Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted (you will feel a slight movement).
- Remove your foot from the brake pedal and accelerate
=> & .
Rocking back and fo rth to become unstuck
- Shift only between D and R when the vehicle is at a full
stop and the engine is running at idle speed.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle OP-eration
Stopping
- Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle has come
to a complete stop.
- Keep the brake pedal depressed so that the vehicle cannot
roll forward or backward while it is idling
=> & .
- Once stopped,
do not depress the accelerator pedal to rev
up the engine=> &.
Parking
- Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle has come
to a complete stop .
- Set the parking brake firmly=>
page 114, "Parking".
- Press and hold the release button in the selector lever handle, move the selector lever into
P and then let go of
the release button=>& .
Your vehicle is equipped with a st ar ting ass ist that allows for easier
sta rting on inclines. The system is activa ted when the brake peda l is
depressed for a
few se con ds. After releasing the brake pedal, the
brake power is he ld for a moment to prevent the vehicle from rolling
back when starting .
The selector lever must be in Nor
P. If one of the driving positions is
engaged a safety switch will prevent the engine from be ing started .
See also=>
page 109.
Before you move the selector lever from the P position, you must
always apply the brake pedal before and while depressing the button
in the handle of the selecto r lever .
& WARNING
• Uninte nded vehi cle mov em en t ca n cau se se rious injury.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

IIJIL___!A~u~t~o~m~a~t~i~c ~t~ra~n~s~m~i~s~s~i~o~n~ -------------------------------------------
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
-When the selector le ver is in a driving position, the vehicle
may creep, even at idle speed. Therefore do not relea se the
parking brake or foot brake until you are ready to mov e,
becau se power is transmitted to the wheel s as soon a s a driving
po sition i s engaged .
- Do not a ccelerate while selecting a driving position . At this
time th e engine must be at idle sp eed so that undue stres s is
not placed on the clutche s in the tran smis sion .
- Remember: -even when stopped b riefly with the automatic
tran smi ssion in "D ", "S " or "R ", engine power is being tran s­
mitted to the wheels . Your vehicle could "creep " forward or
ba ckward. When stopped , keep the brake pedal fully
depre ssed and use the parking brake if necessary to keep the
vehicle from roll ing.
- If the selector 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 s electing a
driving pos ition .
- Never shift into "R " or "P " when the vehicle i s in motion .
- Never get out of the driver 's seat when the engine i s running.
- If you must get out of the vehicle , move the selector leve r
s ecurely into the P position and apply the parking brake firmly .
-If the engine must remain running , never have any driving
po sition engaged when checking und er the hood . Make sure
the selector leve r has securely engaged and is locked in "P"
with the parking brake firmly set=>
page 271, "Engine
compartment ". Otherwise , any increase in engine speed may
set the vehicle in motion, even with the parking brake
applied. a
Applies to vehicles: with mu lt itron ic® Continu ous ly Vari able Transmission (CVT)
Selector Lever positions
This section descri bes the selector lever positions and
driving r ang es .
Fig . 14 7 Displ ay in
the in strume nt clu ster :
selecto r leve r in posi ­
ti on P
Th e sele cto r lever posi tio n engaged appears nex t to the se lec tor lever
as well as in the i nstr ument clus ter disp lay .
P - Park
In this selector lever position t he transmission is mechan ically
lo ck ed.
Engage P only wh en the vehicle is completely stopped=>
& in
" Dr iving the mult itronic ®" on page 153
T o shift into or out of position P, yo u mus t first press an d hold the
brake pedal and then press the release b utton in the selector lever
h andl e wh ile mov ing the sele cto r leve r to P.
R - Reverse
Th e tran smi ssion will a utoma tica lly selec t the lowest gear ratio when
you sh ift into reve rse.
Select R only when t he veh icle is at a full stop and the eng ine is
running at idle speed=>
& in "Driving the multitronic®" on
page 153.
~

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

1111....__A_ u_ t_o _m_ a_ t_ic _ t_ r_ a_ n_s _m_ i _s_ s_ i_ o_ n ____________________________________________ _
warning appears in the instrument cluster display when the selector
is in
P and N:
When stationary apply footbrake while selecting gear
A time delay element prevents the selector lever from locking when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to D). The locking
element will lock the selector lever if the lever is left in N (Neutral) for
more than approximately 1 second, without the brake pedal be ing
pressed .
At speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is
automatically deactivated in the
N position.
Interlock button
The lock button on the selector lever prevents the lever from being
accidentally shifted into certain positions. Pressing this button deac­
tivates the selector lever lock. Depending on the direction of the
shift, the selector lever locks at different positions. The positions are
high light ed in the illustrat ion~
page 155 , fig. 148.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the selector lever
is in the
P park position. When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever w ill be locked in the
P pos it ion .•
Ap plies to v ehicles : w ith mult itronic ® Contin uously Var iable Transm issio n (C VT)
Kick-down
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to generate
maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal beyond the resistance point
that is reached at full throttle, the transmission will select a lower
gear ratio based on vehicle speed and engine RPM . The engine RPM
w ill be contro lled to produce maximum vehicle acceleration as long
as you continue to press the accelerato r pedal beyond th is resistance
point .
& WARNING
Be careful when using the kick-down feature on slippery roads.
Rapid acceleration may cause the vehicle to skid. •
Applies to veh icl es: w it h mul tit ro nic® Con tin uous ly Va ria bl e Tran smis s io n ( CVT)
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
The multitronic ® transmission is electronically
controlled .
The transmission selects the appropriate gear ratio (upshifts and
downshifts) automatically based on preset d riving programs.
The transmission will select one of the
economy programs when you
drive at a steady speed or a gradua lly changing speeds without heavy
acceleration . Th is gives best fuel eff iciency, with early upshifting and
delayed downshifting.
Th e transmission will automatically select the
sporty shift programs
when you dr ive at higher speeds, or w ith heavy acceleration and
frequently changing speeds. Upshifts are delayed to make full use of
engine power . Downshifting takes place at higher engine speeds than
in the economy programs.
Th e selection of the most suitab le shift program is a continuous,
automatic process. The driver can a lso make the transmission switch
to a sporty program by
quickly pressing down the gas pedal.
This causes the transmiss ion to shift down into a lower gear ratio and
makes quick acceleration possible (to pass another vehicle) You do
not need to press the gas pedal into the kickdown range. After the
transmission has upshifted, the original program is selected
according to your driving style.
An additional shift prog ram allows the automatic t ransmission to
select the proper gear for uph ill and downh ill grad ients.
This prevents the transmiss ion from shifting up and down unneces­
sari ly on hills. The transmission will shift down to a lower gear ratio _,,,

______________________________________________ A_ u_ t_ o_ m_ a_ t_ ic_ t_r _a _n_ s_m _ i_s _s_ i_o _n _ ___.ftlll
when the driver presses the brake pedal on a downhill gradient . This
makes use of the braking effect of the engine w ithout the need to
shift down manually .
If you are driving in hills and mounta ins, the transmission will contin­
uously adjust the gear ratio to the road grade. If you press the brake
pedal when driving downhill, the transmission will downshift auto­
matically. This increases the brak ing effect of the engine.
If the cruise control is on when you are traveling downhill, the trans­
mission will automatica lly select a lower gear ratio in order to main­
tain the set vehicle speed. Th is will cause the engine speed to
increase. •
Applies to vehi cles : wit h mul tit ro nic ® Co nt in uous ly Variabl e Tra ns missi on (CVT )
tiptronic ® manual shift program
Using the manual shi~ program (tiptronic®) you can
manually shift between seven pre-programmed gear
ratios (transmission positions) .
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t
Fig . 149 Center
console : shifting
manually
Vehicle OP-eration
I I
I
1
Dl
1 Radio 95.4 .
FM.
*•41°F
300mi
M4
Fig. 150 Display:
man ual shift program,
selected gear
Switching to manual shift program
- Push the selector lever to the right from D. As soon as the
transmission has switched over, the selected gear appears
in the display ~ fig . 150.
To upshift
- Push the selector lever forward to the plus position
~ fig . 149
0 -
To downshift
- Push the lev er to the minus position Q.
When accelerating, the transmission will automatically shift 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 throttle, the transmiss ion wi ll stay in gear engaged until near
maximum RPM are reached, or until the driver manually shifts into a
higher gear.
If you take your foot off the accelerator pedal when driv ing down a
steep incline, the tiptronic ® will downshift from the selected gear
into the next lower gear based on road speed and engine RPM. The
automatic downshifting is interrupted as soon as you apply throttle
again.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

llffl..__A_ u_ t_ o_ m_ a_ t _ ic_ t_r_a _ n_ s_m _ i_ s _s_ i_ o _ n _____________________________________________ _
(I) Tips
• When you sh ift into t he next lower gea r, the engine will downshift
only when there is no possibility of over-revving.
• When the kick-down comes on, the transm ission will shift down to
a lower gear depending on vehicle and engine speeds.
• The tiptron ic ® is inoperative when the transm ission is in the fail­
safe mode .•
Applies to vehic les : w ith multitronic ® Continuously Variable Transm ission (CVT)
Steering wheel with tiptronic ®
The shift buttons on the steering wheel allow the driver to
shift gears manually.
F ig. 15 1 Ste eri ng
whe el: Shift butt ons
- To downshift, touc h the bu tton on t he l eft Q .
- To upshift, touch the button on t he right G).
The shift buttons a re activated when the selector lever is in D, Sor in
the manua l shift program (tiptronic).
Of co urse, yo u can cont in ue to use t he manual sh ift p rogr am with t he
selector lever on the center console .•
Applies to veh icles: w ith multitron ic® Conti nuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Automatic transmission malfunction :)
In the event of a system malfunction, the automat ic tra nsm iss ion
switches to emergency operation mode.
Ge arbox malfunction: you can continue driving
You ca n con tinue to dr ive the vehicle. See an autho rized Audi dealer
or other qualified workshop at the next opportunity.
Gearbox malfunction : you can c ontinue dr iving (limited
functionality)
There is a serious system malfunction:
• T he program sh if ts only into certa in ge ars.
• T he engine may sta ll.
• It is not poss ible to restart the engine if it has been switched off.
• Con tinuing to d rive cou ld res ult in subseq uen t damage.
0 Note
If the transmission switches to fail-safe mode, you sho uld take t he
vehicle to an authorized Aud i dealership as soon as poss ible to have
the cond ition corrected .•

Driving and environment
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a f ull braki ng
e ff e ct during the first 250 miles (400 kilometers) after they
are i nsta lle d.
New bra ke pads have to be "b ur nished in " before they have opt ima l
grab=> &.
Dur ing the break -in period, you sho uld avoid putting severe loads on
the brakes . Severe loads incl ude, for example, sudden hard braki ng,
in particu lar at very high s peeds or, for examp le, on mountai n passes.
& WARNING
New brake pads don 't have the be st stopping power and must be
" broken -in " during the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo­
meters ) of normal cit y driving. You can compensate for thi s by
pressing th e brak e pedal more firmly. This also applies lat er wh en
new pad s are installed. n
Avoid damaging the vehicle
W hen yo u are d riving on poor roads, or over c urbs, steep ram ps, etc.,
ma ke c ert ain that low-lying pa rts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damage d.
Thi s is espe cially t rue for veh icle s wi th low-slung chass is (spor ts
chassis)* and fully loaded vehicles.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when driving throug h
water, fo r example on flooded roads: •
The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle
body .
• Do not dr ive faster than wa lking speed.
& WARNING
After driving through water , mud, slush , etc. , the brake s may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads.
Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to restore the full b rak ing effect.
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmission, suspension o r
elect rical sys tem can be seve rely damaged by dr iv ing t hrough w ater.
[ i ] Tips
• Check t he de pth of the wa ter bef ore dr iv ing thro ugh it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off
when drivi ng throug h wate r.
• Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves t hat raise
t he wate r level a nd make i t too deep fo r yo ur veh icle to drive th ro ugh
safe ly.
• Avoid dr iv ing through sa lt water because i t can cause corros ion. •
Catalytic converter
--
It is very impor tant that your emission control system
(catalyti c converter) is functioning properly t o ensure
that y our vehicle i s run ning i n an en viro nme ntally sou nd
man ner.
- A lways us e lead-fr ee gasoline=> page 273, "F uel supp ly".
- N ever run the tan k down all the way to empty. .._

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Tire s age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at low
s peed .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in excess of those sta nda rd items which
may be rep lace d) of automatic transmission, power steering, power
bra kes, powe r w indows , power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent
that these items are avai lab le as factory- installed equipment
(w het he r i nsta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
me ans the ratio of t he he ight to t he w id th of the tir e in percent .
Numbe rs of 55 o r lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
respo nse an d be tter overa ll handling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part o f the tire that is made of stee l w ires , wrap ped o r
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bon d between components in the bead .
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the tire.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous hi story ." Old used tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unu sual vibration or if the vehicle pull s to one side
when driving, alway s 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 ma nufa cturer
for a tire of a des ignated size t hat has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree ho ur period
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed.
Curb weight
mea ns the weig ht of a motor vehicle wit h standard equ ipment
including the max imum cap aci ty of f ue l, oil, and coo lan t, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designe d to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
t ion p ressures than the co rrespo nd ing standard t ire. Ext ra load tires
my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load -ca rry ing capacity of a s ingle ax le system, measured at
t he t ire-grou nd inte rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded we ight of the vehicle .