2011 AUDI A6 engine

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
tu rned off, the warning/ind icator light illum inates for abo ut 30
s e co nd s.
Th e warn ing/i ndicator lig ht w ill go out whe n the parking brake is
re lease d.
If the w arn ing/ indi ca tor li ght flas hes c ontinuou sly
after applying th e
park ing brake, braking force is not suffic ient to p revent the vehicle
fro m rolling unin te n ti onally. Pleas e note the following:
• If th e slope of the g round is too ste ep to pa rk the vehicle, the addi­
tional drive message ap pea rs
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep .
• In th e eve nt of a pa rk ing bra ke malfunc tion, t he yellow symbol
appea rs in the inst rument cluste r display a nd the dr ive r message
Parking brake auto release: system fault is displayed . Have the
ma lf u nctio n re paire d as soo n as poss ible by a qualified Audi
dea le rs hi p.•
Brake system BRAKE (USA
models)
/ {Q)) (Canada models)
The war ning/in dic ator li ght flash es i f br ake fluid le vel is
low , if t he re i s an A BS sys te m malfu nction or a pa rking
b rake malf unct ion.
The lig ht ill um inates when the ign it io n is tu rned on . It goes out afte r
t he engi ne has been st arted. This indicat es tha t the b ra k e war ning
light is functioning proper ly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking, there may be a malfunction in the electrical system. In
this case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the b ra ke sys tem w arning/i nd ic a tor light flashes, there is a br ake
system malfunction . By press ing the [
CHECK ] button, you can bring
up a driver mess age whi ch expl ain s t he m alfunc tion in mo re de ta il
=>page 26 .
If the ABS fa ils, t he ABS war ning/ indica to r li ght (USA
mod els)/ (Canada mo dels) fla shes toge ther wi th th e bra ke syste m
warni ng/ind icator light=> &.
(USA models):
If the warning light BRAKE and the wa rnin g light illu­
m inate toge ther, im media tely con tac t you r author ized A udi dealer or
qualif ied workshop to have all brake pads inspected=>
page 31.
When the ligh t comes on, an a udible w arnin g signal is also give n.
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the r i,~ 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 (CD) 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 di ately 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 m ind 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 distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident. •

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 information display
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Work with due care when handling the high- voltage section of
gas di scharg e (xenon ) light s. Failure to do so could result in death
or serious injury.
[ i J Tips
Have the bu lb replaced or the connection repa ired by your author ized
Audi Se rvice department. •
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when your next
service is due.
Fig . 14 Displ ay:
Se rvice inte rval disp la y
T he schedule for the next o il change or inspection is calc ulated auto­
matically and displayed accordingly. The display wo rks in two stages :
Service reminder
30 days before the next serv ice is d ue, a service reminder appears in
the display when you tur n on the ignition
=> fig . 14 .
After about 5 seconds the disp lay switches back to normal. The
distance and time rem aini ng a re updated each time the ig nition is
turned on until the da te due for service is reached .
Service due
When the due date for service is reached, the messa ge Service due !
appea rs in the instrument cluste r immediately afte r yo u turn on the
ign ition. Additionally, a warning tone soun ds. After about 5 seconds
t he display switc hes back to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspection is due, can be show n in the MMI
display by se lecting t he service inte rval disp lay i n the car menu. Select
function butto n
I CAR]> Sy stems *> Service interval display.
Resetting the service interval display
Your authorized A ud i dea ler will reset the co rrespond ing service
schedule after performing the appropriate se rvice o n your vehicle.
You a lso have the possibility to reset the oi l change sched ule after
having performe d an oil change accord ing to Audi spec ificat ions .
Select f unct io n butto n
I CAR]> Systems *> Service interval di splay >
Reset oil change interval.
0 Note
If you d isconnect the battery terminals, no calculat ions can be made
for the service interva l display d uring this t ime and no servi ce
reminder will appear. Remember that observing the proper service
in terva ls is vi tally importan t to extending the life of your ve hicle,
part icularly the engine, and maintaining its va lue. Even if the mileage
driven is low, the max imum perio d of one year from one se rvi ce to the
next must not be exceeded .
[I] Tips
• Do not reset the d isp lay between oi l changes, ot he rw ise the
display will be incorrec t.
• The informat ion in the Service Reminder rema ins stored eve n
w hen the ve hicle ba ttery is d isconnec ted. •

On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) in the instrument cluster
~ page 12, fig. 7 is part of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warn ing/ind icator light illuminates when the ignition is switched
on and goes out after the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicat es that the MIL is working properly.
If the light does not go out after the engine is started, or illuminates
while you are driving , a malfunction may exist in the engine system.
If the light illuminates, the catalytic co nverter could be damaged .
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoiding sustained high
speeds and/or rapid accelerations) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer .
If the light illuminates, the electronic speed limiter may also be
malfunctioning. For more information~
page 23, "Electronic speed
limiter".
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also cause the MIL light to
illuminate ~
page 275. •
On-Board Diagnostics
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t
Fig . 15 Locat ion of
Data Link Connector ( DLC )
Vehicle OP-eration
Driver information display
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the components of your emission
control system. Each monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code. In case of a malfunction, the component
will be identified and the fault stored as a code in the control module
memory .
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a leak in the on-board fue l
vapor recovery system. If the light illuminates after a refuelling, stop
the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler cap is properly closed
~ page 275 .
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the stored data can only be
displayed using specia l diagnostic equipment (generic scan too l for
OBD).
In order to connect the special diagnostic equipment, push the plug
into the Data Link Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the right of
the hood release~ fig . 15.
Your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service station can inter­
pret the code and perform the necessary repair.•
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires that are rated for a
maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle . To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operated at excessive
speeds, your vehicle also has an electronic speed limiter. The elec­
tronic speed limiter prevents your vehicle from going faster than the
tire speed rating. For more information ~
page 307.
If the engine con trol unit receives faulty vehicle roadspeed signals,
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) will illuminate. If this
occurs, contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for ass istance . .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Driver information display
in. WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and adjust your speed to
s uit prevailing road, traffic and weather condition s. Never drive
your vehicle fa ster than the maximum speed rating of the tires
installed. •
Auto Check Control
Introduction
The Auto-Check control monitors the function o f ce rtain vehicle
featu res and components.
It simp ly makes su re t hese featu res and
components are work ing properly. The Auto-Check control works as
long as the ignition is on, as we ll as whe neve r th e veh icle is d riven.
If a component is malfu nctioning or if the need for an urgent repair
has been de tected, this wi ll appear in t he instrument clus ter display .
Yo u will also hea r an a udible warning to ne. The disp lays are colo r
coded in e ither red or yellow depend ing on their level of prior ity.
A red symbo l me ans
Danger , a yellow sym bol indic ates Warning . In
certain situations, information message for the driver appear in addi­
t ion to the red and yellow sym bols.
Function test: automatic transmission
T he Auto-Check Contro l w ill a uto matic ally perform a test each t ime
you switch on the ignit ion. W ith the selector lever in
P or N , the
f ollowin g messa ge a ppears in the displ ay :
When stationary apply foot brake while selecting gear .
When you a se lect a d ifferent gear (for example : R, D , etc .), the
message w ill disappea r and the Au to-C hec k function is d isp layed.
If there is a ma lfunction, then the malfunct ion message will appear
a bou t 15 seco nds after t he you st art the vehicle . At t he same time
you will hea r a wa rn ing tone .•
Driver information messages
Dr ive r inf orm ation messa ges a re show n in the instru ­
men t clust er dis play i n addition to the red a nd yell ow
sym bols .
Fig . 16 In st rument
cluste r: CHE CK button
For examp le, if the transmiss ion se lector lever is not in the P position
w hen the eng ine is tu rne d off, the following mess age app ears :
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors do not lock if
you are not in P
Th e ig nit io n key can on ly be removed w ith t he selecto r in this posi­
tion. This and other messages are brought up if a funct io n cannot be
c arr ied out.
Driver messages and red symbols
If a red symbol appears in the disp lay, a dr ive r message can be s hown
by pressing the [ CHECK] button .
F or e xample, t he symbol for a prob lem w ith e ngine oil press ure
'l:::r.
appea rs in the display. If you t hen p ress the I CHECK ] b utton, the
f ollowi ng dr iver me ss a ge ap pea rs in t he disp lay:
Switch off engine ! Oil pressure too low
The driver message in the display goes out afte r abo ut 5 seconds . The
dr ive r mes sage can be di spla yed a gain by b riefly p ressing the
[CHECK ] button. .,,.

Driver m essages and yellow symbols
If a y ellow symbol appears in the display, a dr iver message is a lso
displayed automatically .
For example, the symbo l appears in the display, ind icating low
windshield washer flu id level. The following message also appea rs:
Please refill washer fluid
Th e d river message d isappears after a few seconds . The d rive r
message can be displayed again by briefly press ing the
I CHECK ]
button.•
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER.
-Pu ll off the road.
- Sto p the veh icle.
- Turn off t he eng ine.
Fi g. 1 7 Disp lay:
e ngine c oolan t le vel
warn in g { priority 1 )
- Check th e ma lfu nct ioning system . Contac t your au tho-
rized A ud i dea ler or a qualified works hop fo r assistance .
Red symbo ls indi ca te a pr io rit y 1 malfu nction - D ange r!
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
With a prior
ity 1 malfunction , a large symbol appears i n the center
area of the display :::> fig . 1 7 . When the symbol app ears,
three
warning tones sound in s uccession . The symbol conti nues to bli nk
until the ma lfunction has been repaired.
If the re a re
more than one pr io rit y 1 ma lf u nctions, t he sy mbols
appear one after the other for about 2 seconds.
An addi tion al dr iver mes sage can also be displayed by b rie fly pressing
the [
CHECK ] button.
T he red symbols mean:
0
BRAKE

Al ternator malf unc tion
USA models:
Brake system malfunction
Canada models:
Bra ke system malfu nction
=:> page 2 6
=:> page 26
=:> page 26
Engine coolant level too I[:::> page 2 7
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
c:e::,, Engine oil press ure too low
Faulty steering
Faulty ignit ion sw itch
(I] Tips
=:> page 28
=:> page 28
=:> page 29
• If the wa rning/ind icator ligh t BRAKE (USA models)/ {(])) (Canada
mode ls) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a b rake system
ma lfunction . By p ress ing t he
I CHECK] button, yo u can br ing up a
dr iver message which exp la ins the ma lfunction in mo re deta il. Please
no te :::,
page 26. ~
Vehicle care Technical data

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