2009 AUDI S6 check engine light

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
• Speed warnings threshold 1 8 (USA modelsl/ 8 (Canada
models) and threshold 2
e , (USA modelsl/ 8 (Canada models) are
a lso shown as red symbols. The warning is always shown as a small
symbo l in the upper area of the display =>
page 36. •
Alternator malfunction 0
If the O symbol in the ins trument pane l disp lay flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the alternator or the vehicle electronics. A
warning to the driver will appear, too . The driver warning goes out
after about 5 seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by
pressing the
( C H ECK ] button again .
Usually, you can sti ll drive to the next dealership . Turn off a ll but the
most necessary electrical consumers, since these drain the vehicle's
battery.
0 Note
If the _t warning symbol (coolant system malfunction) also lights
up on the instrument pane l during the trip=>
page 31, then you
have to stop immediately and turn off the engine . The coolant pump
is not working anymore -danger of damage to the engine! •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning /indi cator light BRAKE (USA models)/ (©)
(Canada models) in the instr ument cl uster flashes, there is
a brake system malfunct io n. By pressing the [ CHECK ]
button, you can bring up a driver message w hich explains
the malfunction in more detail.
Stop v ehi cle a nd ch ec k brak e fluid l eve l
- Pull off the road .
- Stop t he vehicle .
- Tur n o ff the engine .
- Check the brake fluid level=>
page 310.
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if neces-
sary .
Warning! Fault in ABS brake syst em . Conta ct
workshop
- D rive carefully to the nearest au thorized repair fac ility
and have the malfunction corrected
=> ,& .
Parking br ake ! Ple ase c onta ct work sh o p
- If the warning/indicator light flashes when the vehicle is
stationary or after the ignition is turned on, c heck to see
if the parking brake c an be released . Dr ive to an aut ho­
rized repair facility as soon as possible a nd have the
ma lfunctio n corrected. If the pa rking brake cannot be
released, contac t your nea rest authorized repa ir facil ity .
- If the warning/indicato r light flashes w hile you are
dr iving, i t is possible tha t the traction con tro l or the
emerge ncy brake has ma lfunc tioned . It is poss ib le that
the park ing brake cannot be applied . It is a lso possible
that the pa rking brake cannot be released after it has
been app lied . Drive to an aut horized A udi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected.
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS warning/indicator light i llu ­
minates together with the brake system malfunction warning/indi -
cator light=>& . .,_

& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in => page 293, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard . Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• USA models : If the BRAKE warning light and the -warning
light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light «D> and the ABS
warning light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­ diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction _t
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the -t symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the [
CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driver information display
Check coolant level ~ page 308.
-Add coolant if necessary~ page 309 .
Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be
the cause of the malfunction.
If the O warning symbol (alternator malfunction) also lights up on
the instrument panel=>
page 30, then the fan belt may be damaged.
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights =>
page 67, "Emer­
gency flasher
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment - you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
=>
page 293, "Engine compartment" .
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the -F-symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine .•
I • •

Ignition lock malfunction ~
A malfunction in the ignition Jock must be repaired imme­diately.
If the ~ symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver message
can also be displayed by press ing the [CHECK] button:
Ign iti on lock defe ctive . C ont ac t wo rkshop !
- Do not turn the engine off.
- Drive immediately to an auth orized A udi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected .
If there is a malfunction in the electronic ignition lock, the ignition
cannot be turned off . Drive immediately to an authorized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of the malfunction corrected .
On vehicles with Convenience key*, the engine should not be
switched off using the [
STOP] button because the engine cannot be
started again after the ignition is switched off. •
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Fig . 19 Dis pl ay: low
fu el le ve l wa rning
(pr io rity 2)
Dri ver inf orm atio n di spl ay
Ye llow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunction -Warning!
When a yellow warning symbol appears,
one warning tone sounds.
A driver message appears as well to explain the malfunction in more detail. The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up again at any time by pressing the [ CHECK
I button .
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If
more than one
priority 2 malfunction is detected , a ll symbols will appear one after
the other for about 2 seconds.
Yellow symbols mean:
Convenience key*
~ page 120
Key not in vehicle
USA models: ~ page25
Defective brake light
Canad a mod els: ~ page25
Defective brake light
11 Defective light bulb
~ page25
-
Light/rain sensor defective ~ page34
Windshield washer fluid ~ page34
level low
Low fuel leve l
~ page34
Battery voltage ~ page35
Worn brake pads ~ page35
IIDynamic headlight range ~ page35
control defective
-
Check engine oi l level ~ page35
~ page305 ...
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
Engine oil sensor malfunction => page 35
._ -
Engine speed limitation* => page 36
--Adaptive Light* defective :::::, page 36
Ignition lock malfunction :::::, page 36
--Windshield wiper defective :::::, page 36
Tire pressure monitoring sys -:::::, page 337
tern
Loss of tire pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys -:::::, page 337
tern
System not available
Ba ttery in remote control key
--Electromechanical
parking brake
Automatic transmission ma l­
function
A pplies to vehi cles : wi th Conven ien ce key
Key not in vehicle
K ey not in vehicle
=> page 43
=> page 123
:::::, page 160,
=> page 167
-
-
-
-
This reminder appears along with the.., symbol if the master key is
removed from the vehicle with the engine running. It is intended to
remind you (e.g . when changing drivers) no t to continue the journey
without the master key.
If the master key is no longer in the vehicle, you cannot switch off
the ignition after stopping the engine and you also cannot start the
•
engine again . What is more, you cannot lock the vehicle from the
outside. •
Light/rain sensor defective
Au tomat ic he adl ight s/au tomatic wiper s defec tive
If the symbo l illuminates, the light sensor has failed . For safety
reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with the switch
in
AU TO . However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off
using the light switch. In the case of a defect in the rain sensor, the
windshie ld wiper lever functions are still available. Have the
light/rain sensor checked as soon as possible at a dea lership .•
Windshield washer fluid level too low "')
U Please top up washer fluid
If the symbol il luminates, add windshield washer fluid to the washer
system and also to the headlight washer system:::::,
page 316. •
Fuel supply too low Q.)
L Pl ea se refuel
When this symbol il luminates for the first time, the fue l reserve
in your vehicles is still about 2 Gal lons (7 to 9 litersl. Refuel as soon
as possible :::::,
page 296.
If the symbo l lights up, even when there is ample fue l in the tank,
and the text
T an k s yste m m alf un ction ! Cont act w orks hop appears
in the display, there is a fault in the system. Contact a qualif ied work ­
shop to have the fault rectified .•

Battery voltage ~
If the battery's state of charge is not in the optimal range, the
symbo l is shown in the display and the driver message
Low battery
c harge : battery will be charged wh ile dr iving
appears .
Whi le th is d river notification is displayed, you have to be p repa red
for limited starting capabi lity.
Driver message appears and goes out again
If this driver message appears after the ignition is turned on or
w hile driving and it g oes out agai n after a w hile , th e ba tte ry has
been adequately recharged.
Driver message appears and does not go out again
I f this dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
while driv ing and does n ot go out aga in, the bat tery's state of
charge is not in the optimal range. Starting capability is restricted.
H ave the ba ttery checke d by an au tho rize d Audi deale r as soon a s
poss ible .•
Worn brake pads
Brake pads!
If the wa rning light i lluminates, immediate ly contact your autho ­
rized Aud i d eal er or qualified wor kshop to have a ll brake pads
inspected. On USA models the warning light comes on together
wit h the warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brak e pads o n an a xle must
a lways be replaced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light • and the warning light
BRAKE11 with the
message Brake pads ! comes on in the instrument cluster display ,
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driv er information display
& W ARNING (continued )
immediately contact your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .•
Headlight range control defective ">
l ) Headlight range control defective
If th e sy mbol ill uminates , the dyna mic headlig ht ra nge c ont rol is n o
longer working properly . Have the system checked and repa ired at
yo ur Au di d eale r.•
Engine oil level "'·
Please check oil level
When the symbol il luminates, check the engine o il leve l as soon as
possible =>
page 305. Top off the oi l at your earliest opportu nity
=>
page 306. •
Engine oil sensor defective ~,m,
Oil level! sensor defective
If the symbo l il luminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer and
h ave th e oil sensor insp ecte d. Unt il y ou hav e thi s do ne, c heck the oil
leve l each time you refue l just to be on the safe side=>
page 305. •
11 BRAKE : USA models only
I • •

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
Ap plies to vehicles : wit h en gine sp eed limitat ion
Engine speed limitation ,-;,,
l.r1 Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The )t symbo l illuminates when there is an engine control malfunc­
tion. The indicator light
C in the instrument cluster also illumi ­
nates . The engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the
driver information system. Keep in mind that the engine speed will
not exceed the va lue displayed in the driver information system, for
example when downshifting.
P lease go to an authorized Audi dealer or other qua lified workshop
to have the ma lfunction repaired .•
Ap plies to vehicles: wit h A dapt ive Li ght
Adaptive Light defective t;: :
Adapti ve Li ght defect ive
When this symbol '" illuminates, it means that Adaptive Light is
defective. Go to an authorized dealership to have the head lights or
the control unit for the Adaptive Light repaired. •
Ignition lock malfunction ..,e
If the symbol in the d isplay c omes on, there is a malfunc -
tion in the e lectronic ignition lock. An additional driver
message can be displayed by press ing the [ CHECK ] button:
D efe ctiv e ignition swi tch
- Drive to an authorized service facility at your earliest
convenie nce to have the malfunction corrected .•
Windshield wipers faulty ->
. W in ds hield wi per m alfun ction
When this symbol il luminates, i t means tha t the electronics for
the windshield wipers are defective . Please go to an authorized
dea lership to have the windshield wiper system repaired .•
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep your driving
speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warning system warns the driver if he exceeds a previ ­
ous ly stored maximum speed. A warning tone will sound as soon as
the vehicle speed exceeds th e set speed by about 3 mph (3 km/h). At
the same t ime, a warning symbol appears in the display .
The speed warning system has
t w o wa rnin g thr eshol ds that func­
tion independent ly of each other and that have somewhat different
purposes:
S peed warnin g 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum speed while you
are driving. This setting will remain in effect until you turn off the
ignition , assuming that you have not changed or reset the se tting .
The speed warning symbol
0 (USA models) /0 (Canada models) in
the warning 1 display appears when you exceed the maximum speed . It goes out when the speed falls below the stored maximum
speed .
The speed warning symbol wi ll also go out if the speed
e xce eds the
stored maximum speed by more than about 25 mph
(40 km/h) for at
leas t 1 O seconds. The stored maximum speed is deleted .
Setting speed warning 1 :::::,
page 37.

Openin g a nd clo sin g
When the chi ld safety lock is activated, the interior door opening
lever is inoperative; the door can only be opened from the outside .
In addition, the window regulator for that door is a lso inoperative
when the child safety lock is activated.
[ i ] Tips
• In order to activate the child safety lock on the left and the right
side, you have to press the two safety buttons in succession .
• Make certain that the chec k light comes on in the corresponding
safety switch when the child safe ty lock is activated .•
Convenience key
A pplies to vehicles : wi th Con venien ce key
Description
Access and vehicle operation based on: Master key
remains in driver's pocket.
The Convenience key vehicle au thorization system allows k e yless
unlocking, locking and starting of the vehicle. You on ly have to carry
the master key on your p erson .
It makes no difference whether the master key is in your jacket
pocket or in your brief case. As soon as you approach your vehicle,
the Convenience key recognizes the request fo r access, checks fo r
authori zation and enab les the fo llowing functions:
• Unlocking the vehicle:::::,
page 53.
• Locking the vehicle:::::, page 53.
• Switching on ignition and starting the engine by pressing the
[ S TA RT] button; the master key does not have to be in the ignition
switch :::::,
page 118.
& WARNING
• When you lock your vehi cle fr om o uts ide , nobod y -espe ciall y
children -should remain in side the vehicle. Remember , when you
l o ck th e ve hicle from the out side the windo ws ca nnot be opened
from the in side .
• When you lea ve the vehi cle , al ways re m ov e the ign ition key and
take it with you. Thi s will prevent pa ss enger s (children , for
e xample ) from a ccidentally being l ocked in the vehi cle s hould the y
ac cidentall y pre ss the pow er lockin g switch in the front doors .
• Do not l eave childr en in side the vehi cle un sup erv is ed . In an
emerg ency it wo uld be impo ssible to open the door s from the
out side witho ut th e key.
[ i ] Tips
• In order for Convenience key to function, you must always carry
the master key with you.
• In order to be able to un lock or lock the vehicle, the authorized
master key must be within a range of about 1.5 meters from the
door or the rear lid.
• Of course, you can still un lock and lock your vehicle using the
buttons on the master key . The selector lever must be in the P posi ­
tion .
• For Declaration of Compliance to United States FCC and Industry
Canada regulations :::::,
page 375. •

Opening and closing
& WARNING
• When you lock your vehicle from outside, nobody -especially
children - should remain inside the vehicle. Remember, when you
lock the vehicle from the outside the windows cannot be opened
from the inside.
• When you leave the vehicle, always remove the ignition key and
take it with you. This will prevent passengers (children, for example) from accidentally being locked in the vehicle should they
accidentally press the power locking switch in the front doors .
• Do not leave children inside the vehicle unsupervised. In an
emergency it would be impossible to open the doors from the
outside without the key.
[ i] Tips
It is not possible to re-open the door for a brief period directly after
closing it. This allows you to ensure that the doors are properly
locked .•
Anti -theft alarm system
Description
The anti-theft alarm triggers an alarm if anyone attempts
to break into the vehicle.
The anti-theft alarm system triggers an audible alarm and turns on
the emergency flasher if an unauthorized interference with the
vehicle is sensed by the system.
How is the anti-theft alarm system switched on?
The anti-theft alarm system is switched on when you lock the
vehicle. The system is activated approximately 30 seconds after the
vehicle is locked. The indicator light on top of the door trim start
flashing rapidly for 30 seconds and then blink slowly.
How is the anti-theft alarm system switched off?
The anti-theft alarm system is switched off only when you unlock
your vehicle. If you do not open a door within 60 seconds after you have unlocked with the remote control, the vehicle will lock itself
again automatically.
When will the anti-theft alarm system be triggered?
When the vehicle is locked, the alarm system monitors and protects
the following parts of the vehicle:
• engine compartment
• luggage compartment
• doors
• vehicle incline
• ignition
When the system is activated, the alarm will be triggered if one of
the doors, the engine hood or the rear lid are opened, or if the igni­
tion is turned on or if the vehicle incline has been changed. The anti ­
theft alarm system will also go off when the battery is disconnected.
You can also trigger the alarm by pressing the PANIC button on your
remote control. This will alert other people in case of emergency .
Press the
PANIC button again to turn off the alarm .
How is the anti-theft alarm switched off when
triggered?
The alarm system is switched off when you unlock the vehicle or
when the ignition is switched on . The alarm will also switch itself off
when it comes to the end of its cycle.
Emergency flasher and horn
The emergency flasher will blink briefly and the horn sounds when
the doors, engine hood and rear lid are properly closed.
If the emergency flashers do not blink, or the horn does not sound,
check the doors, engine hood and rear lid to make sure they are
properly closed. If you close a door, the hood or the rear lid with the
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