2009 AUDI S6 warning lights

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Adaptive Air Suspension
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This warning/indicator light has the fol lowing functions:
• It illumin ates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out.
• If th e warning/indicator light illuminates or blinks continuously,
there is a system fault in the Adaptive Air Suspension. A system
fault can result in limited ride comfort and
low ground clearance.
Drive safely to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop, and have the fault corrected.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes, you should not drive the
vehic le. The flashing warning/indicator light points to an extreme
High level. A very
pronounced lifting of the vehicle (extreme High
level) can resu lt, for example, when a heavy load is removed from
the vehicle. As soon as the level has returned to normal, the
warning/indicator light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
<::i:,
warning/indicator light, you should not drive off immedia tely in
order to prevent damage to the underbody. The two warning/indi ­
cator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level) can resu lt,
for example, from a heavy load. As soon as the level has returned to
normal, the warning/ind icator lights stop flashing, and you can
drive away.
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the <::i:,
warning/ indicator light, you should not drive the vehic le because
low -lying vehic le parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a result. •
Adaptive Air Suspension ~
This warning/indicator light has the following functions: •
It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out.
• It comes on for approximately 15 seconds as a warning of
reduced ground clearance , if the dynamic mode is activated and if
the ignition is switched on~
page 185, "Chassis controls".
• If the warning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle immedi ­
ately in order to prevent damage to the underbody. The two
warning/indicator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level)
can resu lt, for example , from a heavy load . As soon as the level has
returned to normal, the warning/indicator lights stop flashing, and
you can drive away.
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the~
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle because
low-lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a result. •
High beam ~D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or when you use the headlight flasher. For more information
about using the high beams, see~
page 67 . •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) /Ari (Canada models )
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the cruise control is
activated. •

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
/ .J (USA models) / ~ (Canada models)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS and the
electronic differenti al l ock (EDLJ.
T he warning/indicato r ligh t will come on fo r a few seconds whe n the
ignition is switched on . The light will go out after an automatic
check sequence is completed .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
• The war ning/indi cat or l igh t does no t illu minate w he n yo u swi tch
on the ignition.
• The war ning/i ndicat or light does not go out aft er a few seconds .
• T he warning/indicator light il luminates while driving.
The brake system will still respond even without the assistan ce of
the ABS system. See you r authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For mo re in form ati on
re garding the ABS~
page 266 .
The ABS warning light and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will notice a change in braking response and performance.
Malfun ction in the brake system
If the brake warning light~ page 22and the ABS warning illuminate
together there may be a malfunction in the ABS, a nd there may also
be a ma lfunction in the bra ke system itself~& .
I n the even t of a
malfunction in the brake system th e wa rn in g/in di­
cator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ (©) (Canada models) in the instrument
c lus ter flas hes . B y pres sing the [ C HE CK ] bu tton, you ca n bring u p a
driver message wh ich explains the malfunction in more deta il.
P lease note
~ page 30.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning /indi cator lights
Malfun ction in the electroni c differential lock (EDL )
The ED L wo rks toge ther wit h the ABS. T he ABS wa rn ing light w ill
come on if there is a ma lfunction in the EDL system~
page 263 . See
yo ur aut ho rized Aud i dea ler as soon as poss ib le.
& WARNING
• If the AU (USA models )/u (Canada models ) warning light
does not go out , or if it comes on while driving , the ABS system is
not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brakes (without ABS ). You will not have the protec­
tion ABS provides. Contact your Audi dealer as soon as possible .
• USA models :
If the BRAKE warning light and the -warning
light come on together , the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard b raking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
autho riz ed Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications .
• Canada models : If the brake warning light (CD) and the ABS
warning light ~ come on together , the rear wheels could lock up
first unde r hard braking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an a ccident . Have your veh icle rep aired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications . •
Electromechanical parking brake
~E (USA models) / (®) (Canada models)
The warning/indicator li ght m onit ors the e lec tromech an­
i c al park ing brake.
W ith the parking brake a pplied and th e ignition tur ned on, the
warning/ indicator light i lluminates. After t he ignition has been
tu rn ed off , th e warni ng/ indicato r ligh t co ntin ues to i llu mina te fo r
about 30 seconds . If t he parking brake is applied with t he ignition _,,
I • •

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
turned off, the warning/indicator light illuminates for about 30
s e co nds.
The warnin g/indicator li ght wi ll go out when the par kin g brak e is
r e lea sed .
I f the wa rn in g/ind ica tor l ig ht flas hes co ntinu ously
after applying th e
par king brake, brakin g force is not sufficient to prevent the veh ic le
fr om r olling u nint enti onally. Ple as e n ote the foll owin g:
• If the s lope of the ground is too steep to park the vehicle, the
additio nal drive message appea rs
Caution: Vehicle parked too
steep .
• In the even t of a parking brake malf unc tion, the yel low I sym bol
appears in the instrument c luster display and the driver m essage
Parking brake malfunction! is displayed. Have the ma lfunct ion
repa ired as soo n as possible b y a qua lified Aud i deale rship. •
Brake system BRAKE (USA models) /(©) (Canada
models)
Th e warn ing/indicator light f lashes if brake fluid level i s
low, if there is an ABS sy stem malfunct ion or a par kin g
b ra ke malfun cti on.
The light illuminate s when the ignition i s turned on . It goes out afte r
the engine has been start ed. Thi s ind icates t hat th e bra ke w arni ng
light is functioning properly .
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfun ction in the electrical system . In this
case , contact your Audi dealer .
If the b rake system warni ng/ind icator l ight flas he s, t here is a b rake
system malfunction . By pressing the [
CH ECK ] button, you can bring
up a dr ive r m essage w hic h exp la in s the mal funct io n i n mor e deta il
=>
page 30 .
If the ABS fai ls, the A BS warning/indicator lig ht _. (USA
mod els)/ (Ca nada mode ls) flas hes toget he r w ith th e brake sys te m
warn ing/ indicator lig ht=>
& -
(U SA mode ls): If the warni ng light BRAKE and the warning light
illumin ate t oget her, im medi ate ly contact yo ur a uth orized Aud i
dea ler or qua lified workshop to have all brake pads ins pected
=>
p age 35.
When the l ig ht comes on, an aud ible warning signal is also giv en .
& WARNING
• USA models : If the BRAKE warning light and the Af'l~ 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 model s: If the brake warning light (Q)) 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.
• If the brake warning /indicator light does not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released, or lights up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low . If you
believe that it is safe to do so , proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility and have the brake system inspected .
• Always keep
in mind that after several brake applications , you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle. Do not rely on strained brakes to respond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations . You must allow for increased braking
distances . The extra di stance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an a ccident. •

Digital speedometer
Fig. 11 Display: Digital
speedometer
Current speed appears in the display . Speed is shown in 1 mph
measures (USA models) or 1 km/h measures (Canada models).
You can switch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa
via the MMI. •
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the rear lid have
been left open.
Fig . 12 Display: open
door or rear
lid
warning
With the ignition switched on, the open door or rear lid warning illu ­
minates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
closed. The symbol also shows you which door(s) or lid is not
closed.
In the illustration=> fig. 12 it is the driver's door, the left rear door
and the rear lid. As soon as all the doors, the hood, the rear lid and
the fuel filler cap are properly closed, the door and rear lid warning
turns off and the Driver Information System functions selected are
displayed again .•
Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bulb has become defective.
Fig. 13 Display: defec­
tive light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of the light
bulbs . If this symbol illuminates, a brake light, a turn signal (front
or rear), a headlight, the backup light, a fog light or a rear fog light
has failed.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could explode while they are
being changed causing serious personal injury.
• Work with due care when handling the high-voltage section of
gas discharge (xenon) lights. Failure to do so could result in death
or serious injury . ..,
Vehicle care I I Technical data

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 • •

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.

Whether on ly the driver's door or the entire vehicle is
unlocked w hen the o pen ing button © is pressed once,
depends on the settings in the MMI Central l ocking menu
=> page 48.
To unlock th e vehi cle CD
- Press button @.
- Press button @
two times within two seconds to unlock
all doors and the rear lid .
To lo ck th e vehicle
t'.D
- Press button ® => & in "General description" on
page 45.
- Watch that all turn signal lights flas h once .
To unlo ck r ear lid only
~
- Press button @ for app roximately one second .
PANIC Button
- Push the red button @to activate the panic function . The
horn sounds a nd t he turn signals flash.
- Push the button@ again to deact ivate the pa nic func ­
t io n.
On vehicles wi th Convenience key *, the sele ctor lever must be in the
P position, otherwise the vehic le cannot be locked.
& WARNING
Read and fo llow all WARNINGS ::::> & in "General de scription " on
page 45.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Op ening and clo sing
[ i ] Tip s
• In order to make sure the locking function is working, you should
always keep your eye on the vehicle to make sure it is proper ly
locked .
• Do no t use the remote control if you are inside the car, otherwise
you may un intent ionally lock the vehicle , and then you would set off
the anti -theft alarm when you try to start the engine or open a door .
In case this happens anyhow, push the un lock button
II).
• Use the panic function only if you are in an emergency
s ituation. •
Operating locks vvith the key
To lock and unl ock the vehicle from the outside, turn the
key in the lock of the driver 's door.
, 1~
ff-= ~;:__, @-i3 ®
To unlock th e veh icle
F ig. 32 Key turn s for
o penin g and clos in g.
- Insert the key into the lock of the driver 's doo r.
- Turn the key
one time to posit ion @ to unlock the driver 's
doo r.
- Turn the key
two times to position @=> fig . 32 to unlock
all doors and the rear l id. .,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data