2011 AUDI A6 check engine light

Driver information display
Sound system display
Fig. 9 Displa y: soun d
system
If prior ity 1 or priority 2 fau lts are not show n by the A uto Check
C on tro l, t he name of the ra dio s tat ion you are tuned to or the
frequency and the reception range are shown in the upper area o f the
display.
W hen the C D is in use, t he tit le of th e track bei ng played is show n. The
num ber of t he CD (CD l to CD6) current ly being played is a lso
show n.•
Outside temperature display
Fig. 10 D isplay:
outs ide temperature
At temperatures be low 41 °F ( +S °C) a snowflake symbol appears
a he ad of the te mp eratu re di splay.
It is in te nded to rem ind the driver
to pay special attent io n to
ice on the road .
If you have selected the °C ( degrees Celsius) u nit for tem perature i n
t he
MM I, the ou tside te mpera tu re di sp lay also appe ars automatic ally
in
°C.
& WARNING
• Never rely exclusively on the outside temperature display to
determine if a road surface is icy or not . Keep in m ind that road
su rfaces , especially bridges and overpa sses, could be ice covered
and slippery even at an outside temperature above 41 °F (+5 °C ).
• Always remember , even if the "snowflake" symbol (ice
warning ) does not appear in the di splay, black ice could be on the
road.
• Always reduce your speed and drive with special care in cold
weather conditions when the chance of encountering icy road
surfaces increases.
(I] Tips
If the vehi cle is stat io na ry, or if yo u are driv ing at a very low speed, the
temperature shown in the display m ight be slightly higher than the
a ctu al outside tempe ra t ure. This is ca used by the he at being radi ated
from the engine .•

Driver info rmation d isplay
• Speed warnings threshold 1 B (USA models)/ 8 (Canada models)
and thresho ld 2
9, (USA mode ls)/ 8, (Canada models) are also shown
as red symbols . The warning is always shown as a small symbol in the
upper area of th e display ~
page 32. •
Alternator malfunction 0
If the D symbol in the instrument panel d isplay 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
[CHECK] button again .
Us ua lly, you can still drive to the next dea lership. Tu rn off all but the
mos t necessary elec trical consumers, since these drain the vehicle 's
battery.
0 Note
If the _ f_ warning symbol (coolant system malfunction) a lso lights up
on the instrument panel during the trip~
page 27, then you have to
stop immediate ly and turn off the engine. The coo lant pump is not
work ing 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 /indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ (©)
(Canada models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a
brake system malfunction . By pressing the [CHECK] bu tton,
you can bring up a driver message which expla ins the
malfunct ion in more deta il.
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle .
- Turn off the engine .
- Chec k the bra ke fluid level=>
page 289 .
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if neces-
sary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Conta ct
workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized repair facility and
have the malfunct ion corrected=> &,.
Parking brake! Please contact workshop
-If the warning/indicator light flashes when the vehicle is
statio nary or afte r the ignition is turned on, check to see if
the parking brake can be released. Drive to an authorized
repair facility as soon as possible and have the malfunc ­
tion corrected . If the parking brake cannot be re leased,
contact your neares t authorized repa ir facility .
If the warning/indicator light flashes while you are
dr iv ing , it is possible that the traction control or the emer ­
gency brake has malfunctioned. It is poss ible that the
park ing brake cannot be applied . It is also poss ible that
the parking brake cannot be released after it has been
applied . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer to have the
ma lfunction corrected .
If the ABS system malfunctions, th e ABS warn ing/indicator light i llu­
m inates together w ith the brake system malfunction warning/indi-
cator light~& . .,_

& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in~ page 2 71, "Engine compart­
ment ", before opening the hood and che cking the brake fluid.
• Driving w ith low brake fluid is a safety haza rd. Stop the car and
get profe ssional a ssistan ce.
• USA models : If the BRAKE warning light and the warning
light come on tog ether, the rear wheel s could lock up fir st under
hard b raking. Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of vehicle cont rol
and an a ccident . Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake application s.
• Canada models : If the brake warning light((])) and the ABS
warning light come on together , the rear wheel s 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 engin e cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When t he J_ symbol in the disp lay blinks , th en e ither the
engine coola nt
temperature is too high, or t he coolan t level
is too low. A n add itiona l dr iver messa ge ca n also be d isp layed
by pressing t he
[CHECK) bu tton :
Switch off engine and check coolant level
-Pull off the road.
- S to p the v ehicl e.
- Turn off the eng ine .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first Driver information display
- Ch
eck coolant level => page 286 .
- Add coola nt if necessa ry=> page 287.
- Continue driv ing on ly after the eng ine coolant
war ning/i ndica tor light goes ou t.
- Contact your authorized Audi dea ler for assistance if
necessary.
If the eng ine coolan t leve l is correct, then the radiator fan may be the
cause of the malfu nction .
If the
D wa rning symbol (alternator ma lfunction) also lights up on
t he ins trumen t pa ne l~
page 2 6, the n th e fan b elt may be d amaged .
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving t raffic , turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights~
page 61, "Emer­
gency fl asher
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 wo rk in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
~ page 2 71, "Engine compartment" .
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the -F-symbol illum inates. There is a
m alfu nct ion in the engine cooling system -yo u co uld da mage yo ur
engine. •
Vehicle care Technical data

Ignition Lock malfunction ~
A malfunction in the ignition lock must be repaired imme­diately .
If the .Pe symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver message
can also be displayed by pressing the
[CHECK ] button:
Ignition lock defecti ve . Contact wor kshop!
- Do not turn the engine off.
- Drive immediately to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunct ion correc ted.
If the re is a malfunction in the e lectronic ignition lock, the ignit ion
cannot be turned
off . Drive immediately to an authori zed Audi dealer
to have the cause of the mal function corrected.
On vehicles with Convenience key* , the eng ine should not be switched
off using the [STOP] button because the engine cannot be started
again afte r the ign ition is switched off .•
Yellow symbols
Ayellow symbol means WARNING.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Fig.
18 Disp la y : lo w
f u el l evel warning
(p rio ri ty 2)
Dri ver information display
Yellow symbols ind icate a prior ity 2 malfunct ion - Warning!
When a yellow warning symbo l appears,
one warning tone sounds. A
dr iver message appears as well to expla in the malfunction in more
detail. The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up again a t any time by pressing the
I CHECK] button .
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If
more than one
pr iori ty 2 malfunction is detected, all symbo ls will appear one after
the other for about 2 seconds.
Yellow symbols mean:
Convenience key*
=> page 112
Key not in vehicle
-
USA models : => page 21
Defective brake light
Canada models : => page 21
Defective brake light
Defective light bulb
=> page 21
L ig ht/rai n sensor defective :::>page 30
Windshield washer fluid =:>page 30
level low
Low fue l level
=:> page30
II Battery voltage => page 31
-
Worn brake pads => page 31
II Dynamic headlight range => page 31
control defective
-
Check engine oil leve l => page 31
=>page 283
...
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
Engine oil sensor malfunction => page 31
._ --
Engine speed limitation* :::>page 32
-- -Adaptive Light* defective => page 32
Ignition lock malfunction =>page 32
--Windshield wiper defective => page 32
Tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem*
Loss of tire pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys ­
tem*
System not available
Battery in remote control key
--
=> page 315
=> page 315
:::>page 39
Electromechanical => page 115
parking brake
Automatic transmission mal­
function
Ap plies to vehicles: w ith Conven ience key
Key not in vehicle
Key not in vehicle
=> page 151,
=> page 158
-
-
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) not 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 )
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
If the symbol illuminates, the light sensor has failed . For safety
reaso ns the low beams are turned on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. 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 wind­
shield wiper lever functions are still available. Have the light/rain
sensor checked as soon as possible at a dealership. •
Windshield washer fluid level too low 5
, Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield washer fluid to the washer
system and also to the headlight washer system=>
page 294. •
Fuel supply too low )
L Please refuel
When this symbol 1. illuminates for the first time, the fuel reserve in
your vehicles is still about 2 Gallons (7 to 9 liters). Refuel as soon as
possible =>
page 274.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is ample fuel in the tank, and
the text
Tank system malfunction! Contact workshop appears in the
display, there is a fault in the system . Contact a qualified workshop to
have the fault rectified.•

Battery voltage 1• i
If the battery's state of charge is not in the optima l range, the
symbo l is show n in the di splay and the d river me ssage
Low battery
charge: battery will be charged while dri ving
appears.
Whi le this d river notification is displayed, you have to be prepared for
limited starting capability .
Driver message appears and goes out again
If this driver message appears after the ignition is turned on or while
driving and it goes o ut again afte r a while, the ba ttery has been
adequate ly recharged.
Driver me ssage appears and does not go out again
If th is dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
wh ile driving and does not go ou t aga in, the battery 's state o f charge
is not in the opt imal range . Starting capability is restricted. Have the
bat tery checked by an au thor ized A udi dea le r as soon as possible. •
Worn brake pads U
._ Brake pads!
If the war ning lig ht ill um inates, immediately co ntact your au tho rized
Audi dea ler or qualified wor kshop to have all brake pads inspected.
On USA mode ls the warn ing light comes on together w it h the
warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must a lways
be re placed at th e same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• If the warning light... and the warning light BRAKE1l with the
mes sage Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster di splay,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary. •
Headlight range control defective ((
~ ~ Headlight range control defective
If the symbo l illumina tes, the dynam ic he adlig ht r an ge con tro l is no
longer working properly. Have the system checked and repaired at
your Audi de aler. •
Engine oil Level~
Please che ck oil level
Whe n the symbol i llumina tes, check t he engine o il level as soo n as
poss ible => page 283 . Top off the oil at yo ur earlies t oppor tunity
=>page284 .•
Engine oil sensor defective _t..
Oi l level! sensor defective
If the symbo l illuminates, contact your author ized A udi dealer and
have the oi l senso r inspected. Un til you have t his don e, check the oil
level each time you refue l just to be on the safe side => page 283. •
ll BRAKE : USA mode ls only
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
Applies to veh icles : w ith eng ine s peed limitat ion
Engine speed limitation .?i
11'1 Do not exceed max. engine speed of XXXX rpm
The -symbol illuminates when there is an engine control malfunc­
tion. The indicator light in the instrument cluster also illuminates.
The engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the driver infor­
mation system. Keep in mind that the engine speed will not exceed
the value d isp layed in the drive r informat ion system, for example
when downshifting.
Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop to
have the malfunction repaired.•
Applies to vehicles: wi th Adap tive Light
Adaptive Light defective
adaptive light defective • r
When this symbol illuminates, it means that Adaptive Light is
defective. Go to an authorized dealership to have the headlights or
the control unit for the Adaptive Light repaired. •
Ignition lock malfunction ..e
If the symbol in the display comes on, there is a malfunc-
t ion in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver
message can be displayed by pressing the [CHECK] button:
Defective ignition switch
-Drive to an aut horized service facility at your earliest
convenience to have the malfunction corrected.•
Windshield wipers faulty , . .>
.... Windshield wiper malfunction
When this symbol . illuminates, it means that the electronics for
the windshield wipers are defective . Please go to an authorized deal­
ership 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.
Th e speed warning system warns the driver if he exceeds a previously
stored maximum speed. A warning tone will sound as soon as the
vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 3 mph (3 km/h). At the
same time, a warning symbol appears in the display.
The speed warning system has
two warning thresholds that function
independently of each other and that have somewhat different
purposes :
Speed warning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum speed while you are
driving. This setting w ill remain in effect until you turn off the igni­
tion, assum ing that you have not changed or reset the setting .
Th e speed warning symbo l
'8 (USA models)/ 8 (Canada mode ls) in
the warning 1 display appears when you exceed the maximum speed.
It goes out when the speed falls be low the stored maximum speed.
Th e speed warning symbol will also go out if the speed
exceeds the
stored maximum speed by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed is deleted.
Sett ing speed warn ing 1
=> page 33. ~

• If the central locking system fails (power supply), you can also
open the rear lid using the trunk escape handle from the inside
~page318. a
Child safety lock
Power child safety lock for the rear doors t
The power child safety lock prevents the rear doors from
being opened from the inside.
Fig. 35 Section from
driver's door: controls
The rear doors are equipped with a power child safety lock. It
is operated with the two safety buttons(!) in the driver's door
~ fig. 35.
- Press the left and/or right safety button to disable the
rear power window(s) and prevent the respective rear door
from being opened from the inside. The LED in the button
will light up when the child safety lock is turned
on.
- Press the illuminated button again to turn the child safety
features
off.
When the child safety lock is activated, the interior door opening
lever is inope rative; the door can only be opened from the outside. In
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Opening and closing
addition, the window regulator for that door is also 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 check light comes on in the corresponding
safety switch when the child safety lock is activated. •
Convenience key
Ap plies to v ehicles: w ith Con ven ience key
Description
Access and vehicle operation based on: Master key
remains in driver's pocket.
Th e Convenience key vehicle authorization system allows keyless
unlocking, locking and starting of the vehicle . You only have to carry
the master key on your person.
It makes nod ifference whether the master key is in your jacket pocket
or in your brief case. As soon as you approach your vehicle, the Conve­
nience key recognizes the request for access , checks for authorization
and enables the following functions:
• Unlocking the vehicle~
page 48.
• Locking the vehicle~ page 49.
• Switching on ignition and starting the engine by pressing the
[START ) button; the master key does not have to be in the ignition
switch ~
page 110.
& WARNING
• When you lock your vehicle from outside, nobody -especially
children -should remain inside the vehicle. Remember, when you .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data