2008 AUDI S6 brake fluid

Operating instructions
Max im um tra iler weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2
trailer.
T ra ile r l oa d di stributio n
Be sure the load in the trailer is he ld securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways .
Never allo w a passe nger to r ide in a tr aile r~ & in "Driving instruc­
tions" .
Engin e c oolin g sys te m
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additiona l load. Make
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire pr ess ure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the co ld tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the labe l located either on the
driver's side B -pil lar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trai ler tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications.
L ig ht s
The head light settings should be checked wit h the trai ler attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly .
Safe ty c ha in s
Be sure traile r safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to
perm it turning corners . When you i nsta ll safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separat ion from the hitch.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode ~
page 184, "Towing a trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of veh icle and trailer,
please note t he following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
Be espec ia lly careful whe n passing other vehicles.
- Observe s peed limits .
Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed .
Always apply brakes ear ly.
Moni tor t he temperature ga uge.
Weight distr ibution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly
unstable distr ibution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at
very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that
the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and perm is ­
s ib le, while keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances . Whenever possible, transfe r so me cargo to t he luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considera tions . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial fumes, corrosive road salt,
muddy dog feet, etc . A well cared for Audi can look like new many
years a fter purchase. Regu lar a nd correct ca re will co ntribu te to
maintaining the beauty and value of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
war ranty claim should co rros ion damage or paint defect s occur .
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of dedicated vehicle- care
product s
and can adv ise whic h ones to use for clea ning the e xter ior
and interior of your vehicle.
Whethe r you use p roducts recommended by Audi or other c ommer ­
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please make sure you apply them
correctly.
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep them out of the reach
of ch ildren .
• Heed all caution label s.
• Always read directions on the contai ner before using any
product. Follow the di rection s carefully .
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
d iluted.
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated area s.
• Do not use gasoline , kerosene , die sel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic , flammable or hazardous
in other way s. Do not wash , wa x or dry the vehicle w ith the igni ­
tion on or the engine running.
& WARNING (continued )
• Do not clean the under side s of chassis , fenders , wheel cove rs,
etc . without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself
on sharp -edg ed metal parts .
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking effi ciency
=> page 261 , "General info rmation ". Test the brake s carefully each
time you wa sh the vehicle.
~ For the sake of the environment
Se lect only enviro nmenta lly friend ly c leaning products . Leftover
clean ing products should not disposed of in the household waste. •
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequen t washing pro tects the vehi cle.
Th e bes t protection against envi ronmental influences is frequent
washing and waxing . How often this is required depends on:
• Ho w much the vehic le is used
• Where the vehic le is parked (garage, in the open under trees,
etc.)
• T he seasonal and weather conditions
• Environmenta l influences
T he longer bird droppings, insects, tree resin, road and industrial
gri me, tar, soot, road salt and ot her materials rema in on the ve hicle
body, the more lasting their destruc tive effects will be . High temper ­
atu res caused by exp osu re to in tense s un ligh t inte nsify the c orro -
sive effect, particularly when humidity is high as well.
~

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•
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced .
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage => &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
~ & .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake .
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment .
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm . The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary :
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames . Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine
is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: -First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever to "P"
(Park). .,
Vehicle care
I t •

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0 Not e
• Coolant pollutes the environment and cou ld cause an engine
fire. Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief
valve in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
• If, in an emergency, only water can be added, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze ~
page 303 must be restored as soon
as possible .
ci> For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant should not be reused . Always dispose of used
coolant whi le observing all environmental regulations. •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
The rad iator fan is driven by the eng ine v ia the V-be lt . The v iscous
clutch regulates the speed of the fan according to the tempera ture
of the coo lant .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan * swi tches on and off depending on
coo lant temperature and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue running for up to 10 minut es -even with th e igni tion o ff. It can even
switch o n again later by itself~ & , if
• the temperature of the engine coo lant rises due to the heat
bui ld -up from the engine in the engine compartment, o r
• the engine compartment heats up because the vehic le is parked
in intense sun light.
& WARNING
• To reduce the ri sk of per sonal injury never tou ch the radiator
f a n.
& W AR N ING (continu ed )
• The auxiliary e le ctri c fan i s temperature controlled and can
s w itch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan swit ches on automatically when the
engine coolant reache s a ce rtain temperature and will con tinue to
run until the coolant t emperatur e drop s. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Th e brake fluid level c an be checked with a quick glance.
Fig . 23 6 En gin e
co mp art m ent : B ra ke
fl uid re servoir
Befo re yo u c heck anything in th e en gin e compar tme nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the eng ine compartment" on
page 297 .
Rea d the brake fl uid level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ fig . 236. T he b rake fluid leve l must be betwee n the
" M IN " and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear parti tion of the engine
compartment on the left side~
page 298. .,_

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•
T he fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level fal ls
considerably below the "MIN" mark , the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian models:
{(j))) will come on~ page 23 and ~ page 32. Do not continue to
operate the vehic le. The complete brake system should be thor ­
oughly checked by an authorized Audi dealer or other qua lified
facili ty and the cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator l ight will illuminate. Contact an au thorized
Audi dea ler
immediate ly .•
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fl uid changed by an experienced techni­
ci an.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the water content in the
brake fluid is too h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid will also
decrease considerab ly and decrease braking performance .
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
e v ery tw o year s. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehic le Stan ­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he brake fluid res ervoir can b e difficult to reach, th erefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho ­
rized
Audi de aler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fl uid and the know -how to do t his fo r you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poi sonous . It mu st be stored onl y in the clo sed
o riginal cont ainer out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake failure c an re sult from old or inappropri ate br ake flu id .
Obs erv e the se pre caution s:
& WAR N IN G (c ontinued )
-Use only brake fluid that meet s SAE specification J 1703 and
c onfo rm s to Feder al Moto r Vehicle St andard 116 . Al wa ys check
w ith your authori zed Audi dealer to make sure you are u sin g
the corre ct b rake flu id. The cor rect type of br ake fluid is als o
indic ated on the brake fl uid reservoir .
- The brake fluid mus t be ne w. Heav y use of th e brake s can
ca use a vapor lock if the bra ke fluid i s left in the sy stem too
long . Thi s can seriou sly affect the efficiency of the brake s as
w ell as your s afety . This could r esult in an a ccident .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle .
Because of the p rob lem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special too ls required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authori zed Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Und er n ormal operating conditions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long
daily drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level
checked by a se rvice facility . The e lectrolyte level should a lso be
checked each time the battery is charged~
page 310 .
Have the batte ry checked when you take your vehic le in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is o lder than 5 years . _,,
Vehicle care I t •

--~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month~
page 319.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Maintenance and Warranty Booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown ~
page 323, fig. 243.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ page 344.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size, construction and tread type. For details see~
page 264.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control, a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •

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• Always observe environmental regulations when disposing of
o ld engine oil, used brake fluid, d irty engine coo lant, spent batteries
or worn out tires .
• Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be classi­
fied as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply , see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including ai rbag modules safety belts
with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regula ­
tions must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is familia r with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dea ler
perform this service for you .•
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer before
purchasing ac cessories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design features ensuring
a high standard of active and passive safety .
This safety could be compromised by non-approved changes to the
vehic le. For this reason, if parts have to be replaced , please observe
the follow ing po ints when installing addit ional accessories:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are availab le
from authorized Audi dealers.
These dealers also have the necessary faci lities , too ls and trained
specialists to install the parts and accessories properly .
& WARNING
Usi ng the wron g spar e p art s or usi ng non-a ppr ove d accessor ies
c a n cau se seri ous pers onal injur y.
• Use onl y acc essorie s ex pr ess ly a ppr oved by A udi and genuine
Audi spare p art s
• These par ts a nd acces sorie s have been sp ecially de sig ne d to
be u sed on your v ehic le .
• Nev er in sta ll a ccesso ries s uch a s tel ephon e cra d le s or
b ev era ge h older s on airb ag cove rs o r w ithin th e air b ag d eploy­
me nt zone s. D oing so will in crea se the risk of inju ry if airb ags a re
tri gger ed in an acciden t!
• Befor e you che ck anyt hing in the eng in e comp artment , alwa ys
re ad and heed all W ARNIN GS
=> page 28 9.
0 Note
• If items other than genuine Audi spare parts, add-on equipment
and accessory items are used or if repair work is not performed
according to specified methods, this can result in severe damage to
your vehic le's engine and body (such as corrosion) and adversely
affect your vehicle's warranty .
• If emergency repairs must be performed e lsewhere , have the
vehicle examined by an authorized Audi dea lership as soon as
possible .
• The manufacturer cannot be held liable for damage wh ich occurs
due to failure to comply with these stipu lations .•
Technical Modifications
Our guidelines must be complied with when technical
modifications are made.
A lways consult an authorized Audi dealer before starting work on
any modifications . .,

Alphab eti ca l ind ex -
-------------=----
Anti-loc k brake syst em
H ow the ABS system works ....... . 262
War ning/i ndicato r lights ... ....... .. 22
Anti -Slip Regulation System (ASR)
How the system works ............ 260
Anti-theft systems Anti-theft alarm system . .... .... ... 61
Electronic immobilizer ... .. .... .... 51
Ti lt sensors . ... .. .... ..... .. ... ... 62
Ashtray Front . ...... .... .... ...... .... .. 104
Rear .... ... .. .... .... ... .... .... 105
ASR How the Anti -Slip Regu lation System
works . ... .. .... .... ... .... .... 260
As terisk
What does it mean when something is marked with an asterisk? .. ... ...... 6
Audi Parking System Acoustic parking sys tem tips ...... . 179
Adjusting the chimes -option 1 ... .. 178
Adjusting the chimes -option 2 ... .. 179
General Information ... .. .... .... . 167
Notes on distance information ..... 177
P arking next to obstacles .......... 176
rear . .............. .......... ... 167
rear, with rear-view camera ........ 169
Rear -view camera -parking mode 1 173
Rear -view camera -parking mode 2 . 175
Rear -view camera (Rear View) .. .... 17 1
Rear -view camera coverage area . ... 173
Rear-view camera tips .. ...... .... . 180
Specia l parking situations .... .... . 176
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Audi Parking System
(rear)
Adjusting the chimes ... .. .... .... 168
Audi Service Repair Manua ls and Li terature
366
AUTO mode AC climate contro ls ............... 113
Au to Safety Hotline ..... .... .... ..... 201
Auto -Check Control .. .... ...... ....... 30
Automatic belt retractor ... .. .... .... . 206
Automatic car wash
See Was hing .. ... ..... ....... .... 279
Automatic Shift Lock (ASU ........ 155, 162
Automatic transmission
6 -speed automatic transmission .. .. 153
Automatic Shift Lock (ASU ... .. 1 55, 162
Driving .......................... 153
Dynamic shift program ............ 156
Emergency release for selector lever 159
Emergency release for selector lever
(mult itronic®) ...... .... .... .... 1 66
Fail -safe mode . ...... .... .... .... 158
I gnition key safety lock ............ 125
Kick -down . ....... .... .... .... ... 156
Manual shift program ............. 157
multitronic® ................... .. 159
Selector lever ................ 154, 161
Shift buttons ................ 158, 165
Steering wheel with tiptron ic® . 158, 165
Average speed ....................... 40
Avo id damaging the vehicle ...... .... . 269
B
Battery .. ........ ....... ........ ... 307
Battery location inside the lu ggage
compartment . ...... ... .... .... . 308
Charging .. .... ....... ..... .... .. 3 10
Important warnings when working on the
battery ...... .... ... .... ...... . 308
J ump starting ..... .... ... .... .... 35 1
Low ...... ... .... .... ...... ... .. 265
Replacing the battery ..... .... ... . 311
State of charge . .... ...... .... ... . 265
Voltage .. .... .................... 37
Winter operation ......... .... .... 307
Working on the battery ........ .... 308
Before driving ... .... .... ..... .. .... 193
Blended gasoline ...... ... .... .... ... 29 1
Body cav ity sealing .......... ........ 284
Booster seats .. ... .. .... .... .... ... . 242
How do I properly insta ll a b ooster sea t in
my vehicle? ....... ........ .... . 24 2
Safety instructions ................ 242
Brake assistant ....... ... .... .... ... 263
Brake booster .. ...... .... ... .... .... 262
Brake fluid Changing the brake fluid .......... . 307
Checking the brake fluid leve l ...... 306
Reservoir .. .... .... ............. . 306
What is the correct brake fluid leve l? 306
What should I do i f the brake f luid warning
light comes on? .. ....... ........ 306
Brake light Defective ... .. .... .... .... ...... .. 27
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data