transmission AUDI S6 2016 User Guide

Automatic transmission
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man­
ually select gears .

)
r
Fig. 117 Center console: shifting the gears manually
Fig. 118 Steering whee l: Shift paddles•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected eith er with
the vehicle stationary or on the
move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from D/S.
An M appears in the instrument cluster display
as soon as the transmission has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus position
G) ¢ fig. 117 .
• To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddles*
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro­
gram.
• To upshift , touch the shift padd le on the right
G)¢fig. 118.
• To downshift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached .
110
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
transmiss ion will downshift on ly when there
is no possibility of over-rewing the engine .
- When the kick-down comes on, the trans­
mission will shift down to a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle and engine speeds.
- Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmis­
sion is in the fail-safe mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistan ce point, the automatic tra ns­
mission downshifts into a lower gear, depending
on vehicle speed and engine RPM. It shifts up in­
to the next higher gear once the maximum speci­
fied engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Launch control program
App lies to vehicles: with S t ronic
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop .
Requirement: The engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
• Deactivate the Start-Stop-System *¢
page 81 .
The LED in the !CA.l "'! button turns on.
• With the engine running, press the
~,~-0-F F~I but­
ton briefly¢
page 188. The II indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabilization control
(ESC): Off. Warning! Reduced stability
ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display.
• Pull the selector leve r back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or se lect the .,..

DYNAMIC driving mode in drive select
¢page 101.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left food
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
~ At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way dow n with your right foot unt il the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
~ Remove your foot from the b rake pedal within
5 seconds
¢ /1. .
& WARNING
-
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the tra ffic flow.
- Only use the La unch control prog ram when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth ­
er drivers wi ll not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I~ OF FI button briefly to tu rn the sport
mode off.
@ Tips
- The t ransmission temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few m inutes. It w ill be
available again after a cool-down pe riod .
- When accelerating using the la unch control
p rogram, all veh icle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear .
Transmission malfunction
[il Transmi ssion : Please press brake pedal and
s elect gear again.
Press the brake pedal and se lect the des ired se­
l ecto r lever pos it io n aga in . You can t hen continue
,... driving.
N
~ [il Transmission overheating : Pl ease drive con-
~ se rvatively . Lil
M v:, ....
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
The t ransmission temperature has inc reased sig ­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner . Drive
i n a less spo rty manner unt il the temperatu re re­
turns to the normal range and the ind icator light
switches of.
[il Tran smission malfunction: you can continue
driving
T he re is a system malfunction in t he tra nsmis­
s ion . You may contin ue driving . Dr ive to your A udi
dealer or authorized A udi Service Faci lity soon to
have the malfunction cor rected.
[il Transmission malfunction: You can continue
dri ving with limited functionality
T he re is a system malfu nction in t he transmis ­
s io n. The transm ission is swi tc hi ng to eme rge ncy
mode. This mode only sh ifts into ce rtain gears or
will no longer shift at a ll. The eng ine may sta ll.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
l'iJ li'J Transmission malfunct ion: No reverse
gear . You can continue driving
S tronic t ransm iss io n: Th ere is a sys tem ma lf u nc­
t io n in the t ransm iss ion. The tra nsmission is
swi tching to emergency mode . This mode only
shifts into ce rtain gears or w ill no longer shift at
al l. The engine may stal l. You cannot engage the
reve rse gear. Dr ive to an a uthori zed Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected .
[il Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle and
shift to park.
Do not continue dr iving. Se lect t he P selector lev­
er position and see an authorized A udi dealer or
autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility for ass istance.
(D Note
If t he transm ission has swi tched to emergen ­
cy mode, drive to your autho rized Aud i dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Facility immediate­
l y to have the ma lfunction co rrected.
111

Automatic transmission
Selector lever emergency release
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
F ig. 119 F ront cen te r co nsole: Selector leve r em ergency
r elease
~ To reach the emergency release mechanism, re­
move the ashtray insert*.
~ Loosen and remove the sma ll cap in the ashtray
mount
~ fig. 119.
~ You now have access to a p in. Using a screw­
drive r or s imilar objec t, p ress the pi n down and
hold it in that posit ion .
~ Press the release button in the se lector lever
and move it into the N pos ition.
Only move the selector lever out of the P position
when the ignition is switched on. If the vehicle
must be pushed or towed due to a power fa ilure
(for examp le, the battery is dead), the selector
lever must first be moved to the N position using
the emergency re lease mechanism.
112

Intelligent Technology
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed¢& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed ¢
&..
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid level
is monitored e lectronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure
which is created only when the engine is running
c:;> &, .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c;> page 253, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken- in" dur ing
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies later
when new pads are installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
-
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and diminish brak ing efficiency.
190
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care­
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Fa ilure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.

Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the maximum permitted RPM .
.,. Avo id high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm issib le road or engine speed.
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
i n N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
i ng the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale~
page 10 .
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well this
break- in process is done depends to a considera­
b le extent on the way the vehicle is d riven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati­
cally reduced. However, these rpm lim its are
programmed for an engine we ll run-in, not a
new engine .
194
® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive par­
ticularly careful for the first 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) after f itting .
.8, WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must also
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 mi les (500 kilometers).
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spo ilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
-
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung
chassis (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any highe r than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
.8, WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the brak­
ing effect can be red uced due to moisture on
the brake discs and brake pads . A few careful
brake applications should dry off the brakes.

CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch the Start-Stop-System* off
when driving through water
9 page 79.
@ Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water (corrosion).
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline 9 page 208,
Fuel supply.
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
9 page 220, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle. The catalytic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
Driving and the environment
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
9page220.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
195

® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire .
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubber ized fabric lay­
ers in the t ire. In general : the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the ti re . These incl ude
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear , traction and tempera­
ture ranges¢
page 248.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires .
You must always follow the speci- fied running direction
¢
page 258.
€3) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Wheels
This number indicates the max i­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat­
ing conditions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in
excess of those standard items
wh ich may be replaced) of auto­
matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in ­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the w idth of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement . .,.
233

-The spare tire is intended on ly for tempora­
ry and short-term use. It shou ld be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The t ire pressure of the compact
spare tire m ust be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an accident.
- Do not drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h).
You risk hav ing an accident .
-Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak­
ing, and fast cornering . You risk having an
acc ident.
- Never drive us ing more than one spare
wheel and tire . You risk having an acc ident.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim .
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not perm itted. If it is
necessary to drive with t ire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front axle i n
the even t of a flat in a rea r tire. The new ly
avail able front wheel m ust then be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire .
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause ser ious personal injury during
hard braking or in an acc ident. Never store
the inflatable spare t ire or jack and too ls in
the passenger compartment.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
• After you experience a tire failure , pull the car
well away from moving t raff ic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢ A-
• All passengers sho uld leave the car and move
to a safe location (fo r instance, be hind the
guardrail) ¢
A.
• Engage the parking b rake to prevent yo ur vehi­
cle from roll ing unintentionally ¢
A-
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
• Move selecto r lever t o po sit ion P ¢ A .
• If you are towing a trai ler, unhitch the trailer
from yo ur vehicle .
• Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the lug­
gage compartment
¢page 251, ¢page 252.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
changing a whee l if you do no t follow these
safety precaut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
emergency f lashers on a nd use other wa rn­
ing devices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passenge rs wait i n a safe
p la ce away from the vehicle and well away
fr om the road and t raff ic.
- To help preven t the veh icle from moving
suddenly and possib ly slipping off the ja ck,
always fu lly set the park ing brake and bloc k
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be­ ing changed. When one front whee l is lifted
off the ground, placing the Automatic
Transmission in P (Park) wi ll
not prevent the
veh icle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
¢ page 131.
(!) Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate
the jacking mode, so that the automat ic con­
tro ls for the Adaptive Air Suspension* do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with
the jack ¢
page 255.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow the sequence
described below step -by -step and in exactly that
order .
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode*¢ page 255. .,.
253

Fuses
Fuse panel@ (red )
10 Rear seat enterta inment
12
Rea r spo ile r (Sportbac k), t ilt/open sun-
roof, P anorama glass roof
Fuse panel © (brown)
No . Equipment
1 Infotainment
2 In fota inment
3
Infotainment , automatic d imm ing inter ior
rearv iew mir ror
s TV t uner
6 Tank leak detect io n system
7 Sockets
8 Par king heater
10 Lumba r su pport (front passenger's seat)
12 Infota inme nt
Fuse panel @ (black)
No . Equipment
Air suspens ion, adapt ive dampers, sport
l different ial, ele ctromechanical parking
brake
2 Clu tch pedal position senso r/automatic
transmission
3 Sea ts
4 Rear wiper (Avant)
s Side ass ist
6 E ngine sound
7 Info ta inment/so und amplifie r
8 Gateway
9 Sport differen tial
10 Climate cont rol system
11
T ire pressu re moni to ring sys te m /par king
he ater
12 Sta rt-Stop-System
Fuse panel © (black)
No . Equipment
1 Special p urpose vehicles/ rear seats
Fuse panel ® (black)
No. Equipment
1 Rear window de fogger
262

Emergency situations
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emergency crews and working personnel who have the nec­
essary tools and equipment to perform these
operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
CD Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission can­
not be started by pushing or towing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine con be started by con­
necting it to the battery of another vehicle .
If the engine should fail to start because of a dis­
charged or weak battery, the battery can be con­
nected to the battery of
another vehicle, using a
pair of jumper cables to start the engine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently large cross
section
to carry the starter current safely. Refer
to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated terminal
clamps which are distinctly marked :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable
in most cases colored black .
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal in­
jury. Follow the instructions below for safe hand Ling of your vehicle's battery .
-Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning
over the battery whenever possible.
-A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures just below 32 °F (0 °C). Before con­
necting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
264
frozen battery completely, otherwise it could explode .
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or
skin. Flush any contacted area with water immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a
vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gases.
Keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a
low acid level in the battery .
- The voltage of the booster battery must also
have a 12-volt rating. The capacity (Ah) of
the booster battery should not be lower
than that of the discharged battery. Use of
batteries of different voltage or substantial­
ly different "Ah" rating may cause an explo­
sion and personal injury .
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trapped in the ice may cause an explosion .
- Never charge or use a battery that has been
frozen . The battery case may have be weak­
ened .
- Use of batteries of different voltage or sub­ stantially different capacity (Ah) rating may
cause an explosion and injury. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~page 216.
CD Note
-Applying a higher voltage booster battery
will cause expensive damage to sensitive
electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc.
- There must be no electrical contact between
the vehicles as otherwise current could al­
ready start to flow as soon as the positive
(+) terminals are connected.
@ Tips
The discharged battery must be properly con-
nected to the vehicle's electrical system. .,.