2011 AUDI A6 engine coolant

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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
-Open the driver's door.
Fig. 205 Driver's side
footwell: engine hood
release lever
- Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel => fig. 205 in the direction of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure. •
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 206 Release lever
under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that the wind­
shield wipers are flat against the windshield. Otherwise, they
could damage the paint on the hood.
Pull up on the release under the hood=> fig. 206. This
releases the catch =>
&.
- Open the hood all the way.
& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
• 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. •

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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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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 ant ifreeze 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 279.
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 ..

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Before you c hec k anythi ng in the engine compartment,
alwa ys r ead and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 279.
- Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank==>
page 286, fig. 211. With a cold engine, the
coolant level should be between the "min" and "max"
markings . When the engine is wa rm, the level may be
sligh tly above the "max" marking .
The locat io n of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment ill ustration ~
page 280.
To obta in an accurate reading, the engine must be sw itched off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equ ipped with an electric coolant
level sensor .
When the coolan t level
is too low, the warn ing light i n th e Au to-Che ck
System ~
page 2 7 will blink until you add coo lant and the level has
bee n restored to normal. Even though the re is an elect ric coolan t
level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may ind icate a leak in the cooling system. I n the even t of
coo lant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immed iately by
yo ur au tho rized A ud i dea le r.
It is not enough mere ly to add coolant.
In a
s ealed system, losses can occur only if the bo iling point of the
coo lant is exceeded as a resu lt of overheating .
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coo lant. Add ing radiator repa ir fluid may adverse ly affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warra nty. •
Safety first
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
B efore you check a nything in t he engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 279.
- Turn off the engine.
- Let the engine cool down .
- Place a th ick rag over the coolant expansion tank
==>
page 286 , fig. 2 11 and carefully twist t he cap counter­
clockw ise ==>& .
- Add coolant .
- Twist the cap on again
tightly .
Replacement eng ine coolant must conform to exact spec ifications
~ page 286, "Coolant". Even in an emergency, if coolant additive
G 12++, G12+ or G12 is not available, do
not use a different addi tive .
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correc t ratio. This should be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coolant, then you should
add co ld antifreeze and cold water only when the eng ine is co ld .
Always use
new engine coo lant w hen refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
forced ou t th rough the p ress ure relief v alve in the cap when the
engine becomes hot .
& WARNING
• The cooling sy stem i s under pres su re and can get very hot.
Reduc e the ri sk of scalding from hot coolant by following the se
steps.
-Tu rn off the engine and allow it to co ol down . _,.
Vehicle care Technical data

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& WARNING (conti nu ed )
- Prote ct your face , hand s and arms from escaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a larg e, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and ver y carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction while applying l ight, downward pre ssure on the top
of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill ant ifreeze or coolant on
the e xhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire .
• Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the reach of children .
• If you drain the coolant, it mu st be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poison ".
0 Note
• Coolant pollutes the environme nt and could cause an eng ine fire.
Excess coo lant w ill be forced o ut throug h the pressure re lie f va lve in
the cap when the eng ine becomes hot .
• If , in an emergency, only wate r can be ad ded, the co rrect ratio
between water and antifreeze=.-
page 286 must be restored as soon
as possib le .
~ For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolan t should no t be reused. A lways dispose of used coolant
w hile observ ing a ll enviro nmental regula tions .•
Radiator fan
The radiat or fa n sw itches on aut oma ticall y by itself .
The radiato r fa n is d rive n by t he eng ine v ia the V-bel t. T he viscous
cl utch regu lates the speed of t he fan according to the tempe rature of
the coolant . An auxiliary e
lectric rad iator fan* sw itches on and off depend ing o n
c oo lant tempe rature and other vehicle o per at ing condi tions.
After you sw itch the eng ine off, the aux iliary fa n can con tinue running
for up to 10 m inutes -even w it h the ignition off. It ca n even switch on
agai n later by itse lf ::::.- & , if
• the tempera ture of the engine coolant rises due to the heat build­
up fro m the eng ine in the eng ine comp artme nt, or
• the engine compartment heats up because the vehicle is par ked in
in tense s unligh t.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops .•

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• oil cha nges, and
• cl ea ning or re placing th e air fi lter.
W For the sake of the environment
By regu larly ma intaini ng yo ur vehicl e, y ou h elp m ake su re th at em is­
sion standards a re mainta ined, t hus mi nimizing adverse effects o n
t he enviro nmen t. •
Important considerations for you and your
vehicle
Th e increas ing use of elect ronics, s ophistica ted fuel inje ct io n and
em ission cont rol systems, and t he generally increasing tec hnical
c omplex ity o f today' s automobile s, have s tea dil y re duced t he s cope
of maintena nce and repairs w hic h can be carr ied out by ve hicle
ow ners.
Also, safety and environmental c o nce rn s plac e very s trict
limits o n the nature of repa irs and adjustments to engine an d tra ns­
mission parts w hich an owner can pe rform .
M ain te nance, ad justm ents and r epairs us ua lly re quir e spec ia l t ools,
test ing devices an d other e quipment availab le to s pecia lly trained
wo rksh op pe rsonnel in order to assure pro per perfor mance, re li­
ability and safety of the vehicle and its many systems.
Impro per ma inte nance, adjustments and rep airs can im pa ir the ope r­
ation and reliability of your ve hicle and even void your veh icle
wa rranty . Therefo re, p ro of of se rvicing in a ccordance wi th t he ma in ­
t enance sch edul e may be a co nd it io n fo r u phold ing a possib le
wa rranty claim made w it h in the wa rranty pe riod.
Above all, operat io nal safety ca n be adve rsely affec ted, c reat ing
unnecessary r is ks for you and your passe ngers.
If in doubt abou t any serv ic ing, have it done by your authorized Audi
dealer or a ny o ther pro perly equipped a nd qualified workshop . W e
st rong ly ur ge you to give yo ur auth oriz e d Aud i dea ler the opportu nity
t o pe rform all sc heduled mainte na nce and necessary repairs. Yo ur
Safety first
dealer has the facilities, o rigina l parts and trained spec ia lists to keep
your vehi cle runni ng properly.
Performing limited maintenance yourself
The foll ow ing page s descr ibe a lim ite d num ber of proced ures whi ch
can be perfo rmed on your vehicle w it h ordina ry tools, shou ld the need
ar ise and tr ained pe rsonnel be u navailabl e. Befo re pe rforming any of
t hese p rocedures, always t horoughly read all of the applicable text
and ca ref ull y follow the ins tru ction s given . Alw ays rigoro usly o bserve
t he
WARNINGS prov ided .
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS=>
& and=> & in "W orking in the engine
compartment" on
page 279.
& WARNING
• Serious personal injury may occur as a result of improperly
performed maintenance, adjustments or repairs.
• Always be extremely careful when working on the vehicle.
Always follow commonly accepted safety practices and general
common sense . Never risk personal injury .
• Do not attempt any of the maintenance, checks or repairs
described on the following pages if you are not fully familiar with
these or other procedures with respect to the vehicle, or are uncer­
tain how to proceed.
• Do not do any work without the proper tools and equipment .
Have the necessary work done by your authorized Audi dealer or
another properly equipped and qualified workshop .
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area. Never reach into the area around or touch the
radiator fan. It is temperature controlled and can switch on
suddenly -even when the engine is off and the ignition key has
been removed. The radiator fan switches on automatically when
the coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to run until the coolant temperature drops. ..
Do-it,yourself service Technical data

___ A_l_,_ p _ h_ a _ b_e _ t_ i_c __ a _l _i_n :...::d __ e::..: x:...::...,_ _________________________________________ _
A Temporarily turning off .......... . 124
warning/indicator lights .... ...... . 127
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on the
front passenge r seat ............
199
Accessories ..... ................... 348 Adaptive Light ......... ....... .. .. .. 61 Disposal .................. .. .... 211
Adapter for cupholder ................ 89 defective ........................ 32 Front airbags ......... ... .... 201, 202
Adaptive Air Suspension ............. 168
Automatic mode .. .. ... .... ...... 169
Comfort mode ................... 169
Description ..................... 168
Dynamic mode ... .. ... ...... .... 169
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire ...
170
Lift mode ....................... 169
Setting the driving modes ......... 169
Trailer towing mode .............. 170
Warning/indicator lights .... ....... 16
Adaptive Cruise Control ......... ... .. 119
Changing speed ....... ........... 123
Driver information .............. .
Driver intervention prompt ...... . . Adding
Engine coolant ........... ...... .
287
Engine oil ............ ...... ..... 284
Windshield washer fluid ........... 294
Additional accessories ............... 348
Additives
Engine oil ............ .. .........
284
Adjusting
Instrument cluster illum ination .....
11
Steering column electrically ........ 107
Steering column manually .. .. .. .. . 106
Adjus ting front seats ................. 75
Air conditioning
See Climate controls ...............
96
Air distribution How do the front airbags work?
.....
206
How many airbags does my vehicle have? .
204
How the Advanced Airbag System compo-
nents work together ............
205
Important things to know ... .. .. .. 197
Indicator light ................... 208
Monitoring ... .................. 208
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... 209
Repairs ............ .. .. .. ...... 211
Safety instructions ............... 210
Side airbags .... .... ............. 213
Side curtain airbags .............. 216
Weight-sensing mat ..............
220
When must the system be inspected? 208
All Wheel Drive ... ... ............... 248 Dr iv ing in traffic ................ .
Driving program .. ...... ........ .
127
130
120
131
Climate controls 100 Alloy wheels ................. .... .. 265
Error messages . .. .. .... ........ .
Open road ... .. .. .. .. ....... ... . 129 Air pollutants filter
120 Climate controls .................. 96
All-wheel drive
Winter tire s .....................
311
Override ...................... .. 120 Airbag
Alternator
Request for driver to assume control
120 Warning/indicator lights ..... ...... 14 Malfunction ........ .............. 26
Save speed . ...... .. .. ........... 122 Airbag system .................. 197,214 Ambience lighting
Setting distance .. ...... ...... .. .
125 Advanced Airbag System .......... 201 Lighting profiles .. .. .............. 64
Setting time interval .............. 125 Advanced Airbag System components 204 Anti-freeze
Settings ...................... ..
131 Care ... .. .......... ....... .. .. . 211 See Engine coolant system ......... 286
Special driving situations .......... 131
Status messages ................. 129
Switching on and off .............. 122
System limits ................... 131
Child restraints .................. 221
Children ........................ 220
Components (front airbags) ... ..... 204
Anti-glare inside day-night mirror .... 69, 70
Anti-lock brake system
How the ABS system works ...... ..
246
Warning/indicator lights ........... 17

___ A_ l_. p_ h _ a_b_ e_ t_ic _a_ l_ in_ d_e _ x ____________________________________________ _
Capacities .... ..................... 343
Car -Systems
Ambience lighting ... .............. 64
Lighting profiles . ................. 64
Car care .. .. .. ..................... 260
Interior ..... ............. .... .. 267
Plastic and vinyl .. .. .. .. ......... 264
Weatherstrips ................ ... 26S
Care of exterior .. .... .. .. ..... ... ... 260
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment ..
183
Cargo net .. .. ...... .... .. .. .. ..... . 85
Catalytic converter .................. 252
CD changer ............ .... .. .... ... 94
Center armrest adjusting .. .... .. .. .... .......... 82
Storage compartment ... .......... 82
Centra l locking
Emergency locking ............ .... 45
Cert ification .... ...... .... ......... 349
Changing a flat tire .. .. .. .. ......... 320
Changing a wheel ........... ...... .. 320
Changing engine oil .. .. ... ....... .. . 285
Chassis Undercoating . ................. .. 266
See also Adaptive Air Suspension . .. 168
CHECK button . .. .. ........ .......... 11
Checking Engine coolant level . ........... .. 286
Checking tire pressure ............ ... 302
Child restra int system anchors . ... .... 232 Child restraints
Danger of us ing child restraints in the front
seat . ... ............... .. ... .. 199
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? .. .
239
Child safety ....... ...... ... . .. .. .. . 219
Convert ible locking retractor .... .. . 229
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
235
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats ......... ... .. . 222
Important things to know when driving with children ............ .. .. .. . 219
Installing a child restraint using the LATCH
system .................. ..... 236
Mounting and releasing the anchorage hook .............. .... ....... 236
T ether anchors ...... ... .. .. .... . 237
Tether straps .............. ... .. . 23 7
Child safety lock rear doors (power) ........ .. .. .. .. 47
Child safety seats ............ .. ..... 224
Booster seats .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 22 7
Convertible child seats .......... .. 225
Convertible lock ing retractor ....... 229
Danger of us ing child restraints in the front
seat .. .... .. ........... .. .. .. . 199
How do I properly install a child safety seat in my vehicle? ........... .. .. .. . 222
In fant seats .............. .. .... . 224
Insta lling ...... .... .. .. .. ....... 229
LATCH system ....... ..... ....... 236
Safety instructions . ... .... ....... 222 Child seats
Lower anchorages . ...... ........ . 234
Cigarette lighter ................... .. 92
Cleaning Alcantara (synthetic suede) .. .. .. .. 270
Engine compartment .......... ... 271
Exhaust tail pipes . .. .. .. ......... 266
Fabrics and fabric coverings . ....... 267
Instrument pane l ... ............. 268
Interior ............. .... ..... .. 267
Leather ....... ... ... ... ..... ... 269
MMI control console .............. 267
MMI display .. .... .. ......... .... 267
Plastic and vinyl .. .. ............. 264
Plastic parts ... .. .. .......... ... 268
Safety belts .............. ... .. .. 2 71
Trim strips ..................... . 263
tr im strips . .. ................. .. 264
Cleaning and protection ....... .. .. .. 260
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 . ............... .... 105
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Defrosting/defogging ............ 100
Description .. .. ... ...... ..... .. .. 96