2011 AUDI A6 oil level

Driving and environment
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a f ull braki ng
e ff e ct during the first 250 miles (400 kilometers) after they
are i nsta lle d.
New bra ke pads have to be "b ur nished in " before they have opt ima l
grab=> &.
Dur ing the break -in period, you sho uld avoid putting severe loads on
the brakes . Severe loads incl ude, for example, sudden hard braki ng,
in particu lar at very high s peeds or, for examp le, on mountai n passes.
& WARNING
New brake pads don 't have the be st stopping power and must be
" broken -in " during the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo­
meters ) of normal cit y driving. You can compensate for thi s by
pressing th e brak e pedal more firmly. This also applies lat er wh en
new pad s are installed. n
Avoid damaging the vehicle
W hen yo u are d riving on poor roads, or over c urbs, steep ram ps, etc.,
ma ke c ert ain that low-lying pa rts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damage d.
Thi s is espe cially t rue for veh icle s wi th low-slung chass is (spor ts
chassis)* and fully loaded vehicles.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when driving throug h
water, fo r example on flooded roads: •
The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle
body .
• Do not dr ive faster than wa lking speed.
& WARNING
After driving through water , mud, slush , etc. , the brake s may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads.
Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to restore the full b rak ing effect.
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmission, suspension o r
elect rical sys tem can be seve rely damaged by dr iv ing t hrough w ater.
[ i ] Tips
• Check t he de pth of the wa ter bef ore dr iv ing thro ugh it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off
when drivi ng throug h wate r.
• Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves t hat raise
t he wate r level a nd make i t too deep fo r yo ur veh icle to drive th ro ugh
safe ly.
• Avoid dr iv ing through sa lt water because i t can cause corros ion. •
Catalytic converter
--
It is very impor tant that your emission control system
(catalyti c converter) is functioning properly t o ensure
that y our vehicle i s run ning i n an en viro nme ntally sou nd
man ner.
- A lways us e lead-fr ee gasoline=> page 273, "F uel supp ly".
- N ever run the tan k down all the way to empty. .._

Driving and environment
------------------------------------------------'
-Nev er p ut too much motor oil in yo ur eng ine=:> pag e 284 ,
"A dd ing eng ine o il 't=:r.".
- N ever try to push- or tow-star t your ve hicle.
Th e catalyt ic conve rter is an eff ic ient "clean-up" device built into the
ex ha ust system of the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns many of
t he pollu tan ts i n the exhaust gas be fore they are re leased into the
atmosphere.
Th e excl usive use o f un leaded fuel is crit ic all y import ant for the lif e of
the catalytic converter and proper funct io ni ng of the engine.
& WARNING
• Do not park or ope rate the vehicle in areas where the hot
exhaust sy stem may come in conta ct with dry grass, bru sh, fuel
spill or othe r materi al which can cause a fire .
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the exhaust manifold , exhaust p ipes , catalytic converter or
heat shi eld s. During driving, the sub stance u sed for und ercoating
could o verheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
• Be aware that just one tank filling w it h leaded fuel will already
ser iously degr ade the performance of the catalyt ic converter.
• Do not exceed the correct engine oi l level =>
page 284.
• Do not dr ive until t he fuel tank becomes com plete ly em pty. The
engine could misfire. Unbu rned fue l co uld also get into the exhaust
sys tem and t his co ul d cause t he ca talyt ic converter to ove rheat.
• Do not turn off the ignition while the vehicle is moving.
• Do not continue to operate your vehicle under these conditions, as
otherwise fuel can reac h the cata lyti c conve rter. This co ul d res ult in
over heat ing of the converter, requir ing its rep lacement.
• T o ass ure eff icient operat ion of the Emission Cont rol System:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
t he se rvi ce recom menda tions i n your W arran ty
& Mai ntenan ce
booklet.
- Lac k of proper mai nte nance as well as im proper use o f th e
veh icle w ill impair the function of the emiss io n cont rol system and
c o uld lead to d amage.
~ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Contro l System is operating properly, the
exhaust gas can have a s ulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some
operating states . This depends on the sulfur content of the fue l being
used. Using a differe nt brand of fuel may help, or filli ng the tank with
lead-free super g rade gasoline. •
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution
General
Yo ur p ersonal sty le o f driving will determine the eco nom y
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, envi ronmenta l impact, and wear on your engine,
bra kes and tires la rgely depend on t hree fac to rs:
• your persona l dr iv ing style
• operati ng conditio ns
• technical limitations
If you an tici pat e wh at yo u nee d to do nex t an d drive eco no m ic ally,
you can easily cut your fuel consumpt io n by 10-15 percent. This
se ct io n w ill give you s ome tips on how yo u can he lp the env ironme nt
and your pocketbook .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving and environment
------------------------------------------------'
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest value after a certain mileage has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers)
before you can properly assess oil consumption.
This also applies to fuel consumption and engine output .
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with the
service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Lack of proper maintenance as well as improper use of the vehicle w ill
impair the function of the emission control system and cou ld lead to
damage.
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System un less approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not a lter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches,
ignition wires, valves, which are designed to protect your vehicle's Emission Contro l System and other important vehicle components. •
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips .
-Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold engine.
The eng ine and catalytic converter have to reach thei r optima l oper­
ating temperature
to reduce fuel consumption and noxio us em is­
sions effectively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid -size car only achieves a fuel
economy of 6-8 miles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). After about a half
a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100 km). After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the engine is at its proper operating temperature
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
and fuel economy has
reached a normal level. So you can see that you
should avoid short trips whenever possible.
The
outside temperature is also cr it ical in th is regard . Your car
consumes more fuel in the winter than in the summer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service 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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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 251) 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 283. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ~
page 284.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 279.

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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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Oil level within range
©
- You must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be
within range@.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular intervals . The best times
to do this are whenever you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating condi­
tions, oil consumption can be up to 1 quart per 1.200 miles
(l liter
per 2,000 km). Consumption may be higher within the first 3 ,000
miles (5,000 km) .•
Adding engine oil 9=::11
Fig . 210 Engine
compa rtment: Oil filler
cap locatio n
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS =>
& in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 279.
-Unscrew the cap => fig. 210.
- Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in 0.5 liter doses.
- Check the oil level again after two minutes=>
page 283.
-Top off the oil again, if necessary . -
Screw the cap back on the filling hole and slide the oil
dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts -fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and ex haust system when the
engine is running -fire hazard!
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil, you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
• The oil level must not be above range@- danger of converter or
engine damage! Contact an authorized dealership to draw off oil, if
necessary .
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
• Under no circumstances can the oil come in contact with the
sewage network o r the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when disposing of empty oil
containers. •

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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 ..