How to Start and Park an Audi A6?

[Finn]

Press the one-button start, depress the brake pedal on the left side, hold the side button with your hand, and shift the lever to D/S gear to start. When parking, shift to P or N gear. With the engine running, simply depress the brake pedal and lightly press the one-button start to turn off the engine.

[StLukas]

To start the Audi A6, first press the brake pedal and press the start button. If there are no warning lights on the dashboard after the engine starts, you can proceed. Gently pull the electronic gear lever backward to shift to D (Drive) mode—the auto-hold light being on indicates the parking brake is on standby. The car will creep forward when you release the brake, and a light press on the accelerator will get you moving. It's recommended to wait for the tachometer to stabilize after a cold start before driving to protect the engine. When parking, find a level surface, come to a complete stop by pressing the brake, push the gear lever forward directly to shift to P (Park), press the electronic parking brake button, and finally turn off the engine and lock the doors. Remember to fold the mirrors when locking the car, and don’t forget to close the sunroof in summer to prevent rainwater from entering.

[JustinFitz]

Every time I park my Audi A6, I follow the standard procedure: first, fully stop by pressing the brake, shift to N gear to relieve the transmission, engage the electronic handbrake, and then shift to P gear to avoid damaging the parking lock mechanism. Before turning off the engine, turn off the air conditioning and audio system to protect the battery. Starting is simpler—after powering on for self-check, press the brake to ignite, shift to D gear, and the auto-hold system will stabilize the car for you. Don’t press the accelerator too hard; the car has sufficient low-end torque, so gentle acceleration saves fuel and ensures smoothness. Remember to turn off the auto start-stop in rainy conditions to prevent the engine from unexpectedly restarting when wading through water.

[DeJohn]

Once you've driven it, you'll know the Audi A6's electronic gear lever is incredibly smooth. To start, press the brake and hit the ignition button; when the dashboard lights up with a green READY prompt, you can shift gears. Shifting from P to D gives a slight vibration—just release the brake and lightly press the gas to move. Note: when auto-hold is on, pressing the brake firmly triggers the Hold function (yellow indicator on the dash), and you'll need to press the gas to release it. Always engage the electronic parking brake before turning off the engine. On slopes, turn the steering wheel toward the curb. The car features walk-away auto-lock—it locks itself when the key is more than three meters away.

[StCalvin]

For new Audi A6 drivers, remember: Don't rush to shift gears when starting at traffic lights. First fasten your seatbelt and adjust the rearview mirror. You must press the brake when using the start button, otherwise it only powers on without starting the engine. When shifting to D gear, check the gear display on the center console and release the handbrake button before accelerating. Before parking, turn off the auto start-stop function first, otherwise the engine icon will appear at the next startup. After the car comes to a complete stop, it's recommended to engage the handbrake before shifting to P gear, and finally straighten the wheels. Remember to check the hazard lights after locking the car to confirm all doors are securely locked. Developing these good habits ensures greater safety.

[MackenzieRose]

My five years of experience driving an Audi A6: Wait for the RPM to drop to 800 before moving off after a cold start to reduce wear. When waiting at a red light with auto-hold engaged, simply release the foot brake without shifting gears. Pay attention to the parking sequence—after coming to a complete stop, shift to N, engage the handbrake, release the foot brake to let the car settle, and finally push to P, so the transmission gears are not under stress. When parking on a slope, always manually tighten the handbrake before shifting to P. Before starting off, check if the camera is blocked; Audi's surround-view camera is especially helpful for beginners navigating narrow roads.