2010 AUDI S6 checking oil

Table of contents
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag Vehicle care .............. 258 Emergency towing with
System ...................... 206 commercial tow truck ........ .
Side airbags ... ......... ...... 211
Cleaning and protection ...... 258 Lift
ing vehicle ............... . 334
336
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Child Safety .. .. .......... ..... 217
Important things to know . . . . . . 217
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Installing a child safety seat .. .. 227
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Additional Information 237
Vehicle operation ...... 240
Intelligent technology ........ 240
Notice abou t data recorded by
vehicle control modules . . . . . . . . 240
E lectronic Stabilization Program
(ESP) ........................ 240
Braking ...................... 243
Servo tronic® -advanced power
steering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Driving with your quattro® . . . . . . 246
Energy management ........... 247
Driving and environment ...... 249
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Avoid damaging the veh icle . . . . . 250
Driving through water on roads . 250
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution ......... 251
Trailer towing ................. 254
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . 254
T railer towing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
General informa
tion . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ..........................
271
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Technical data
General information
Explanation of technical data .. .
Vehicle ident ification ......... .
Weights ................... . .
Dimensions ............... .. . 338
338
338
338
339
339
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 300 hp, 3.0 liter, 6-cylinder
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . 284
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Ba ttery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Windshield/headlight washer container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 engine ......................
.
265 hp, 3.2 liter , 6-cylinder
engine ......... ..... ........ .
350 hp, a-cylinder engine ..... .
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .......... . 341
342
343
344
344
T ires ........................ 293 Operating your vehicle outside the
T ire pressure monitoring system 312
Do-it-yourself service . 316
What do I do now? ........... 316
Trunk escape handle ........... 316
Jack, tools and spare wheel ..... 316
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
F u ses ........... ............. 325 U.S.A
. or Canada ............. .
Audi Service Repair Manuals and
Literature ................... .
Maintenance ................ .
Additional accessories, modifications and parts replacement ............... . .
Declaration of Compliance,
T elecommunications and
Electronic Systems .......... . .
Bulbs ........................ 329
Alphabetical index ....
Emergency situations ......... 331
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Starting by pushing or towing 331
Starting with jumper cables .... 331
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . 332
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service
344
344
344
346
347
350
Technical data

If the needle is well in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
tempe rat ure is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the engine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized dealer.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe th e warning in => page 269, "Engine comp art ­
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting additiona l lights or accessories in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
t ur es o r high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spo iler has bee n des igned to prope rly d istribute the
coo ling air when the vehicle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
cou ld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your author ized A udi dealer for assistance .•
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicat es th e engine RPM (revolutions
per minutes).
Th e tac home ter @ => page 8, fig. 2 is the left of the two large cloc k­
type displays.
Th e engine tu rns at a speed
1,000 times the si ng le dig it in the
display, e.g. if the need le is po int ing at the "2 " the engi ne is t urning
at 2,000 RP M.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If e ngine RPM drops below 1,500, you s hould dow nsh ift to t he next
lower ge ar. T he re d area at t he e nd of the s cale i ndic ates m aximum
permissible e ngine RPM after the break-in per iod . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to posit ion "D (Drive)" or ease yo ur
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachome ter needle s houl d not move into the red range. If it does,
then only fo r a very short period of time . You could damage your
e n g in e by driv ing at h igh RPM .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel a nd reduces e ngine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in the MM I.
Fig. 3 Instrumen t
cluster with digital
clock
Th e d ate, t ime o f day, and time and date fo rmat c an be se t in the
MMI. You can find o ut more in the MMI manual.
Vehicle care Technical data

___ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_ n _ g_ a_ n _ d_ f_il _l _in ____ g ___________________________________________ _
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil fi lter must be changed according to the mileage
(kilometers) and t ime intervals specified in your vehicle 's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed these interva ls -harmful
deposits from o ld engine oil can reduce engine performance and can
lead to expensive engine repairs .
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very impo rtant
because the lubricating properties of o il decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your author ized Audi Service Adv isor .
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
mo re frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop­
and-go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
atures stay be low freezing point for long periods.
Detergent addit ives in the oi l wi ll make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short t ime. This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended intervals
using only engine oi l that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War ranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to fai lure to follow recommended main­
tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner 's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Your dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Serv ice or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a time ly manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cooling of internal
eng ine components, all inte rnal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change sign ifican tly over the lif e of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break- in period (see~
page 249) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stab ilized .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on the
quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the ox idation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variab les coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consumption can be established or specified . There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbol in the instrument
cl uster lights up, you should chec k the oil level as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick~ page 281. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ~
page 282.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 277.

_____________________________________________ C_h _ e_ c_ k_in --= g'-- a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g ::;__ ____.1111
0 Note
Driv ing with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine .
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warning display~ is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it. Instead , check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amounts of oil, we recommend that you consult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of you r concern properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate measurement of oil consumpt ion requires great care
and may take some time . Your Audi dealer has instructions about how
to measure oil consumption accurately .•
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 208 Ill ustra tion
o f principle 1: Markers
on oil dipstick
Vehicle OP-eration
Fig. 209 Illustrat ion
of prin ciple 2: Markers
on oil dipst ic k
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 2 77.
Determining oil level
-Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally level.
- While at operating state temperature, briefly let the
engine run at idle and then shut it off.
- Wait approx. two minutes.
Pull out the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil dipstick with a
clean cloth, and slide it back in as far as it will go .
- Pull it back out and read off the oil level ::::> fig. 208 or
~ fig. 209. Top off the engine oil, if applicable
~ page 282 .
Oil Level within range @
-Do not add oil.
Oil Level within range ®
-You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be within
range @. _,,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

lffll __ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g ,.,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g:,_ __________________________________________ _
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it keeps the
engine from o ve rheat ing and it prote cts the engine from
free zing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and genera lly requ ires little attention .
Th e cooling system has been fi lled a t the factory w it h a permanent
coo lant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the man ufacturer's glycol-basedcoo lant add i­
tive Gl2++ a ntifreeze with ant i corrosion additives (50% for USA
mode ls; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This mixture bot h assures the
necessary frost protec tion and p rotects metal components i n the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and scaling . It a lso ra ises the
boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in the summer by
adding p lai n water .
The proport ion of coolant additive must be at
least 50 % but not more than 60 %
to maintain antifreeze protection
and coo ling efficiency. If the coolant frost protect ion is too low, the
coo lant co uld freeze and damage the veh icle heating and eng ine
cooling system .
For year-ro und d riving, antifreeze is added at t he factory for temper­
atures down to:
• - 31°F( -35°C)USA
• - 40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada .
You can mix the G12 ++ coo lant additive with other add it ives (G12 + or
G 12) . Always check with yo ur a utho rized Aud i dea ler .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 277.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coo lant additive in you r vehicle is s ufficient to meet the climate
condi tions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extreme ly cold. If necessary, increase the proport ion of
c oo lan t add it ive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coo lant add it ive G 12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle . This coolant additive is available at autho­
r ized A ud i deale rs. Othe r ty pes of antifreeze can s ignifica ntly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss o f coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to you r vehicle's
eng ine coolant. Adding rad iator repair fl uid may adversely affect the
function and performa nce of your coo ling system and could resu lt in
d a mage not covered by your New Vehicle Limi ted W arranty. •
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 211 En gine
compa rtm ent : C oolant
ex pa nsio n tank ..

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '--- ........ 11'1
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The b rake f lu id l eve l can be checke d wit h a qui ck g lanc e.
Fig . 212 E ngine
compartment : Br ake
fluid re se rv o ir
Before you c heck a nythi ng in the eng ine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the e ngi ne comp art ment" on
page 27 7.
- Read t he bra ke flu id level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ page 287, fig . 212. The brake flu id level must be
between the " MIN" and " MAX" mar kings.
The brake fluid reservoir is locate d at the rear pa rtition of the engine
compartmen t on the left s ide=>
page 278 .
The f luid leve l may drop slightly after some time d ue to the auto ­
m atic a dju stment of t he b rake pads. This i s not c ause for ala rm.
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be low the "M IN" mark, the
brake warni ng/ind icator light ( U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadia n mo dels:
(0) ) will come on=> page 18 and=> page 26. Do not continue to
operate t he vehicle. The complete brake system sho uld be thoroug hly
chec ked by an au thor ized A ud i d eale r or othe r qualified fac ility and
the cause corrected.
If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
Vehicle OP-eration
warning/ind icator light will illum inate . Contact an au thoriz ed Aud i
de aler
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H av e the b rake fluid chang ed by an expe rie nc ed t echni ­
CJ an.
B ra ke flui d absorb s moi stur e from the air. If the wa te r co nten t in t he
brake fl uid is too high, corros ion in the b rake system may res ult after
a pe riod of time. The boili ng po int of the brak e flu id will als o decrea se
co nsiderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
Th erefore, the brake f lui d m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new brake fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle Stan ­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DOT 4" .
Th e br ake f luid reserv oir can be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authori zed
Audi dealer . Your deal er h as th e correc t tools, the rig ht bra ke flui d
and the know-how to do th is for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake
failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid .
Observe these precaution s:
- Use only b rake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The corre ct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid rese rvoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of the brakes can
c ause a vapor lo ck if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

-Alphabetical inde x lffi'f ___,__ ______________ _
Capacities .... ..................... 341
Car -Systems
Ambience lighting ... .............. 64
Lighting profiles . ................. 64
Car care .. .. .. ..................... 2S8
Interior ..... ............. .... .. 265
Plastic and vinyl .. .. .. .. ......... 262
Weatherstrips ................ ... 263
Care of exterior .. .... .. .. ..... ... ... 258
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment ..
181
Cargo net .. .. ...... .... .. .. .. ..... . 85
Catalytic converter .................. 250
CD changer ............ .... .. .... ... 94
Center armrest adjusting .. .... .. .. .... .......... 82
Storage compartment ... .......... 82
Centra l locking
Emergency locking ............ .... 45
Cert ification .... ...... .... ......... 347
Changing a flat tire .. .. .. .. ......... 318
Changing a wheel ........... ...... .. 318
Changing engine oil .. .. ... ....... .. . 283
Chassis Undercoating . ................. .. 264
See also Adaptive Air Suspension . .. 166
CHECK button . .. .. ........ .......... 11
Checking Engine coolant level . ........... .. 284
Checking tire pressure ............ ... 300
Child restra int system anchors . ... .... 230 Child restraints
Danger of us ing child restraints in the front
seat . ... ............... .. ... .. 197
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? .. .
237
Child safety ....... ...... ... . .. .. .. . 217
Convert ible locking retractor .... .. . 227
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
233
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats ......... ... .. . 220
Important things to know when driving with children ............ .. .. .. . 217
Installing a child restraint using the LATCH
system .................. ..... 234
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .............. .... ....... 234
Tether anchors ...... ... .. .. .... . 235
Tether straps .............. ... .. . 23S
Child safety lock rear doors (power) ........ .. .. .. .. 47
Child safety seats ............ .. ..... 222
Booster seats .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 225
Convertible child seats .......... .. 223
Convertible lock ing retractor ....... 227
Danger of us ing child restraints in the front
seat .. .... .. ........... .. .. .. . 197
How do I properly install a child safety seat in my vehicle? ........... .. .. .. . 220
In fant seats .............. .. .... . 222
Insta lling ...... .... .. .. .. ....... 227
LATCH system ....... ..... ....... 234
Safety instructions . ... .... ....... 220 Child seats
Lower anchorages . ...... ........ . 232
Cigarette lighter ................... .. 92
Cleaning Alcantara (synthetic suede) .. .. .. .. 268
Engine compartment .......... ... 269
Exhaust tail pipes . .. .. .. ......... 264
Fabrics and fabric coverings . ....... 265
Instrument pane l ... ............. 266
Interior ............. .... ..... .. 265
Leather ....... ... ... ... ..... ... 267
MMI control console .............. 265
MMI display .. .... .. ......... .... 265
Plastic and vinyl .. .. ............. 262
Plastic parts ... .. .. .......... ... 266
Safety belts .............. ... .. .. 269
Trim strips ..................... . 261
tr im strips . .. ................. .. 262
Cleaning and protection ....... .. .. .. 258
Climate control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Synchronizing . ................. .. 98
Warm and cold ....... ... .. .. .. ... 96
Climate controls Air distr ibut ion ...... ...... ...... 100
Air outlets . .. ....... ...... .. .. .. 101
Air outlets (rear) ................. 102
Air recirculation . ... ............. 100
AUTO (standard setting) ............ 99 Basic settings ............ ... .. .. 104
Center vents . ............... .... lOS
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Defrosting/defogging ............ 100
Description .. .. ... ...... ..... .. .. 96

-Alphabetical inde x ------',.__ ___________________________________ _
Driv ing messages ...... ...... .. .. .. .. 24
Dr iv ing safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 4
Dr iving through water ... ... ... .. .. .. 250
Dr iv ing time .. ............ .......... 34
Duplica te key . .... .... .. .. .. ........ 3 7
Dust fi lter
Climate controls .. .. .. .... .. .. . ... 96
DVD player for navigation system . .. . .. . 86
Dynam ic shift program ............ .. 156
E
Easy entry feature . .. .. .. .. .... ..... 108
Electric seat adjustment
See Power seat ................... 76
Electromechanical parking brake Emergency braking . ... .. .. .... .. . 11 5
Ma lf u nct ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Park ing .................... .. .. 114
Releasing and app ly ing ... .. ... .. .. 113
Starting off w ith a t railer ......... . 115
Wa rning/ind icator lights . .. .... .. .. 17
Electronic differential lock (EDL) How the system works ... ......... 241
Warning/ind icator lights . .......... 17
Electroni c immobili ze r ... .... .. .. .. .. . 40
Electronic powe r control
(EPC) war ning/ indicato r light .. .. ... . 14
E lectronic speed limiter ........ .... .. . 23
Ele ctro nic s tabiliza tion p rogram ( ESP)
How t he system wor ks ... ......... 2 40
W arning/ind icator lights . .......... 14 Emergency braking
..... .. .. .. .. .. .. 115
Emergency closing Power su nroof ... ... .. .. . ... ... 55, 56
Eme rgency flasher ................ ... 61
Wa rning/ind icator l ights . .. .. .. .. .. 15
Emergency locking of doors . .. .. .. .. .. 45
E mergency sta rt ing .... ..... ... .. .. . 331
Emergency towing .................. 334
Energy management ................ 247
Battery power .. .. .. .. .. .... ..... 248
Dr iver not ification ............... . 248
Engine Compartment . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 2 78
Coolant .. ... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. . 284
Hood . ... .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .. . 276
Starting ....... .. .. ........ . 108, 109
Starting with jumpe r cab les . .. .... . 331
Stopping ...... .............. ... 110
E ngine compa rtment
Sa fety instructions . .... ... .. .. .. . 277
Working the eng ine compartment .. 277
En gine coolant system ........ .. .. .. . 28 4
Add ing coolant ................. . 285
C hecking coo la nt level . ..... .. .. .. 28 4
Checking the engine coo lant level . .. 284
Ma lfu nction ... .. ..... ..... .... .. . 27
Radiator fan ....... .. ... . .. .. ... 286
E ngine coo lant tempe rature
T emperat ure gauge ............. .. . 8
Engine data ....... ...... .... .. ..... 341
Engine hood Closing .... ..... ..... .... .. .. .. . 2 77
How to re lease the hood ..... .. ... . 2 76 Engine oil
.. ... .... ... .. . ... ... .. .. 279
Add ing .............. .... ... .. .. 282
Add itives .................. .... . 282
Changing .. ..... .......... .. .. .. 283
Checking the engine oil leve l ..... .. 281
Indi cat io ns and conditions requiring extr a
check ing . .. .. .. .. ............. 281
Oil consumption .... ............. 280
Oil grades . .. .. .... ..... ....... . 279
Recommended oil check intervals ... 281
Specification and viscosity ..... .. .. 279
Engine oil leve l .... .. .. ............. . 31
E ngine oil p ress ure
Mal fu nct ion .. .. .. .. .... .......... 28
Engine oil sensor defect ive . ...... ... .. 31
Engine speed limitation ....... ... .. .. . 32
E nvironmen t
Bre ak-in per iod ...... ...... .. .. .. 249
Ca taly tic converte r .. .... ......... 250
Disposing o f you r vehi cle bat tery .... 292
Driving at hig h speeds ..... ... . ... 252
Driving to minimize poll ution and noise . .
2 51
Fuel .. .. .... ....... ...... .... .. 273
F ue l economy .. .. .. ....... .. .. .. 251
Leaks unde r yo ur vehicle ... .. .. .. . 2 77
Lett ing the vehicle stand and warm up .. .
252
Proper disposa l of dra ined brake fluid 287
Prope r disposal of dra ined engine coo la nt
285
Proper disposal of drained engine oil 282, 283
Recy cling used e ng ine o il .......... 282