2011 AUDI A6 technical data

Driver information display
Introduction
General notes
The driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you, the driver, with much useful infor­
mation .
Fig. 8 Instrument
cluster: center display
Informat ion from the Driver Information System is shown in the
display in the center of the instrument cluster.
When you tu rn on the ignition and while you are driving, some func­
tions and vehicle components are scanned for their operating status.
Malfunctions or required service procedures are signalled audibly and
shown by red and yellow lighted symbols and reminders to the driver
in the display .
Th e driver is also shown information about radio and CD operat ion
and directions for the navigation system. You can find additional
information on these subjects in the MMI manual.
The Driver Information System provides the follow ing functions:
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Driver information display
Sound system display ~page20
Outside a ir temperature ~page20
Digital speedometer ~ page21
Door open indicator ~page21
Defective light bulb ~page21
Service interval display ~page22
Auto Check system ~page24
Driver information ~page24
Speed limiter ~page23
Trip computer ~ page3 4
Tire pressure monitoring ~page314
Selector lever position ~ page 147
(I] Tips
In the event of a malfunction either a red or yellow icon appears in the
display . Red symbols indicate
Danger ~ page 25. Yellow symbols
indicate a
Warning ~ page 29. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Digital speedometer
Fig. 11 Display:
Digital speedomete r
Current speed appears in the display. Speed is shown in 1 mph
measures (USA models) or 1 km/h measures (Canada models) .
You can switch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa via
the MMI. •
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the rear lid have
been left open.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t
Fig . 12 Display: open
door or rear lid
warning
Vehicle OP-eration
Driver information display
With the ignition switched on, the open door or rear lid warning illu­
minates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
closed . The symbol also shows you
which door(s) or lid is not closed.
In the illustration ~ fig. 12 it is the driver's door, the left rear door
and the rear lid. As soon as all the doors, the hood, the rear lid and
the fuel filler cap are properly closed, the door and rear lid warning
turns off and the Driver Information System functions selected are
displayed again. •
Defective Light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bulb has become defective.
Fig. 13 Display: defec ­
tive light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of the light
bulbs.
If this symbol illuminates, a brake light, a turn signal (front
or rear), a headlight, the backup light, a fog light or a rear fog light
has failed .
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could explode while they are
being changed causing serious personal injury. .._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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 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

& 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

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

Speed warning 2
Storing war ning 2 is recommended i f you o/woyswantto be reminded
of a certain speed, fo r example when you are travel ing in a country
that has a genera l maximum speed limit, or if you do not want to
exceed a specified speed fo r winter tires .
The speed warning 2 symbol,
8 , (USA mode ls)/ 8, (Canada models)
appears in the display when you exceed the stored speed limi t. Unlike
warning 1, it will not go out until the vehicle speed drops below the
sto red speed limi t.
Setting speed warn ing 2
=> page 33 .
(I) Tips
Even though your ve hicle is eq uipped with a speed war ning system,
you should st ill watch the speedometer to make sure you are no t
dr iv ing faste r th an the speed lim it. •
Speed warning 1: setting a speed Limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the [ CH ECK] button .
Storing the maximum speed
-Drive at the desired max imum speed .
Fig. 19 CHE CK butt on
in the i nstrument
clu ste r
- Briefly pre ss the [CHECK] button ~ fig. 19.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Driver information display
Resetting the maximum speed
- Drive the vehic le at a speed of at leas t 3 mph (S k m/h)
- Press the [ CH EC K] button for more t han 2 seconds .
The speed warning symbo l 8 (USA models)/ 8 (Canada models) will
appea r briefly in the d ispl ay when you release the bu tton to indica te
that the maximum speed has been stored successf ully.
Th e maximum spee d rema ins s tored until it is cha nged by p ressing
the button again briefly or until it is deleted by a lengthy push o n the
bu tton .•
Speed warning 2: setting a speed Limit
Warning threshold 2 is set, changed and deleted in the
fv1fv1l.
- Select: Funct io n button [CAR ]> Systems* > Instrument
cluster > Speed warning .
Warning threshold 2 can be set in the speed range starting from
20 mph to 150 mph (30 km/ h to 240 km/h). Settings can each be
adjusted in intervals of 5 mph (10 km/h). •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data