2011 AUDI A6 technical data

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well fo r
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal adjustment is
more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methano l fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause
corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in the fue l
system .
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter .
• If you are unab le to determine whether or not a particu lar fuel
blend meets the spec ifications, ask your serv ice station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi­
bility of Aud i and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the Em is­
sion Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveab ility and perfor­
mance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended fuel.•
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon deposit
build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use. Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things
in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A lthough most gasoline
brands include additives to keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they
are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the officia l
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, carbon deposit
build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
0 Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by the
Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fuel filler flap .
If the power locking system should fail, you can still open the flap
manually- for detailed instructions see~
page 277.
You can find the fue l tank capacity of your vehicle in
Technical Data
~page 343.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your ve hicle. For more information about fuel specifications, see
~page 273.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refue lling vapor recovery
system. This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment wh ile you refuel your veh icle . ..,_

In order to fill the tank properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure carefully.
& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never carry additional fuel
containers in your car. Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such containers, full or empty,
may leak and could cause a fire in a collision. If you must transport
fuel to use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc., be very careful
and always observe local and state laws regarding the use, trans­
portation and storage of such fuel containers. Make certain the
container meets industry standards (ANSI /ASTM F852 -86).
0 Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is completely empty . The
irregular supply of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter the
exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter. •
Refuelling
The fuel filler flap is unlocked from a button in the
driver's door.
Fig . 202 Driver's
door: Unlock ing fuel
filler flap
Vehicle OP-eration
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fig. 203 Fuel cap
hooked on the opened
f uel filler flap
When adding fuel , the ignition and any cellular phones in the
vehicle must be switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
- To open the fuel filler flap, press the button~ fig. 202.
- Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and hang it on
the fuel filler flap~ fig . 203.
Refuelling procedure
- Insert the fue l nozzle from the gasoline pump into the
fuel filler neck as far as it will go.
- Select a medium refuelling rate so that the nozzle
switches off automatically when the tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
- After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler cap clockwise
until you hear a definite click .
- Close the fuel filler flap.
To avo id fuel spi lling or evaporating from the fuel tank always close
fuel filler cap properly and completely . An improperly closed fuel
filler cap may also cause the MIL lamp~
page 23 to come on. ._.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the power
locking system should fail .
-Remove the right-side trim panel.
- Take out the vehicle jack.
Fi g. 20 4 L uggage
compar tment: Emer ·
gency open ing o f fue l
f iller flap
- Pull the loop down in the direction of the arrow to unlock
the fuel filler flap~ fig. 204. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Fu el supp ly and filling your fuel t ank
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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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.
Safety first
& 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 Technical data

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& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 279. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engin e oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of oil.
Th e e ng ine in your Aud i is a sophis ticated powerplant that was bui lt
to exacting spec ificat ions. This engine needs the r ight kind of engine
oil t hat meets spec ifi cat ions regarding qu ality a nd viscosity so t hat it
can run smooth ly and re liably. Choosing the right o il and changing oil
with in the time and mileage intervals pr in ted in your veh icle 's
Warranty
& Maintena nce book let matters a lot more today than it did
years ago . Audi has developed a specia l quality standard for engine oil
that w ill help assure that your veh icle's engine will get t he lubr ication
it needs fo r prope r operation.
M ode rn engine lubr ication has taken a quan tum leap in the last few
years. Many synthet ic oils available today provide better engine lubri­
c at ion th at c an outlast tradit ional petro le u m-based o ils, making
them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Aud i.
Whethe r you use synthetic or petroleum -based engine oi l, the o il th at
yo u use mus t confo rm to Aud i's oi l quality standa rd VW 502 00 to
help keep your ve hicle's engine runn ing smooth ly and help prevent
the format ion of ha rmfu l deposits, somet imes called "sludge," t hat
over time can lead to expens ive repairs.
A t the time o f pr int ing , engine o ils avai lab le in the U.S . and Can ad a
that meet the exact ing spec ificat io ns of A udi o il standard VW 502 00
are syn the tic engine o ils . Thi s does not mean, however, that every
syn the tic engine o il will meet Aud i o il sta ndard VW 502 00. So a lways
be s ure that you use an app roved o il.
Safety first
To help prevent the format io n of harmfu l deposits use only oi l with
t he follow ing s peci ficati ons p rin ted on the oil con tainer:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labe ls may carry the specification s ingly or in comb ina­
t ion wi th o ther d esigna tions and o il quali ty stand ards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are g raded acco rdi ng to the ir viscosity . The proper
viscos ity grade oi l for your eng ine depends o n climac tic or seasona l
conditions where you drive. Yo u can use oi l with a v iscosity grade o f
SA E SW 40 acros s all t empe rature range s fo r no rma l dr iving con di­
tions.
However, if engine oil v iscosity grade SAE SW 40 is not ava ilab le, yo u
can a lso use viscos ity grade SAE SW -30 or SAE OW -40 as long as it
meets Audi oi l quality stan dard VW 502 00 specifications .
Be ca use e ngine o il th at mee ts the Aud i oil st andar d m ay not be avail ­
able everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend that you
alw ays car ry w it h you an ex tra quart (lite r) o f oil that expressly
conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to top off
t he o il w hil e on the road.
Only if t he level of the oil is at o r below t he min imum mark on the o il
dipstic k -and no oil that exp ress ly conforms to A udi oi l standar d
VW 50 2 00 sp ec ificat ions i s available -may you top off w it h a high
quality engine o il, preferably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA AS or AC EA BS or A PI SL sp eci fi cations, but even t he n, only in
viscos ity grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . However,
dur ing t he enti re time between o il change intervals, neve r top o ff
with more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
c on form to A udi o il specif ic a tion VW 5 02 00.
For mo re informa tion about eng ine o il that has been approved fo r
your vehicle, p lease contact either your author ized A ud i deale r or
Audi Cus tomer Relat io ns at 1 (800) 822-2834 or v is it our w eb si te a t
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca. Here you w ill also f ind a
cu rrent list of oil s (m anu fact ur ers, brand na mes e tc.) tha t co nform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00. ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data

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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 leve l
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 79.
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 284.
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

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Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho­
ri ze d Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, alway s read
and heed all WARNINGS:::::,
& in "Working in t he eng ine compart­
ment" on page 279.
T he eng ine oil mus t be changed acco rding to the intervals specifie d in
your Warranty
& Maintenance book let . This is very important because
the lub ricating properties of oil diminish gradually during norma l
vehicle use .
Under some circumstances the eng ine o il sho uld be changed more
frequently. Ch ange oi l more ofte n if you drive mos tly short distan ces,
operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominant ly stop-and­
go tr affic condi tions , or have yo ur vehicl e where temperat ures rem ain
below freezing for extended per iods.
Detergent a dditives in the o il w ill make fres h oil look dark after the
eng ine has been ru nning for a s hort ti me. Th is is normal an d is not a
reason to change the oil mo re often than recommended.
B eca u se of the proble m of pr oper di sp o sal, along w ith the s pe cial
too ls and necessary expertise required , we strong ly recommend that
yo u have your o il changed by an a uth o rized
Audi dealer o r a qua lified
service stat io n.
If you choose to change your oil yourself , please note the following
i m po rtan t informatio n:
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the engine
oil in your vehicle your self:
• Wear eye protection.
• To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine oil, let the engine
cool down to the touch.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers , stay as far
away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground
to help prevent hot oil from running down your arm .
• Drain the oil into a container designed for this purpose, one
large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your
engine .
• Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of the reach of chil­
dren.
• Continuous contact with used engine oil is harmful to your
skin. Always protect your sk in by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and w ater.
(D Note
N ever m ix o il additives w it h your engine oil. These a dditives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi L imited New
Vehicle Warranty .
For the sake of the environment
• Before changing yo ur oil, first ma ke sure you know w he re you ca n
pro pe rly dispose of the use d oil.
• Always dispose of used eng ine oil prope rly . D o not dum p it on
garden soi l, wooded a reas, into open st reams or down sewag e drains .
• Recy cl e used en gine o il by taking it to a use d eng ine oil collection
facili ty in your area, or contac t a serv ice stat io n.•
Vehicle care Technical data