2011 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_ n -=g=-- a_ n_ d_ f_ i_ll _i_n -=g "-- _lffllll
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

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
& 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 .•

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '-- ........
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The b rake f lu id l eve l can be checke d wit h a qui ck g lanc e.
Fig . 212 E ngine
compartment : Br ake
fluid re se rv o ir
Before you c heck a nythi ng in the eng ine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the e ngi ne comp art ment" on
page 279.
- Read t he bra ke flu id level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ page 289, fig . 212. The brake flu id level must be
between the " MIN" and " MAX" mar kings.
The brake fluid reservoir is locate d at the rear pa rtition of the engine
compartmen t on the left s ide=>
page 280 .
The f luid leve l may drop slightly after some time d ue to the auto ­
m atic a dju stment of t he b rake pads. This is not c ause for ala rm.
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be low the "M IN" mark, the
brake warni ng/ind icator light (U .S. models :
BRAKE, Canadia n mo dels:
(0) ) will come on=> page 18 and=> page 26. Do not continue to
operate t he vehicle. The complete brake system sho uld be thoroug hly
chec ked by an au thor ized A ud i d eale r or othe r qualified fac ility and
the cause corrected.
If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
Vehicle OP-eration
warning/ind icator light will illum inate . Contact an au thoriz ed Aud i
de aler
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H av e the b rake fluid chang ed by an expe rie nc ed t echni ­
CJ an.
B ra ke flui d abso rb s moi stur e from the air. If the wa te r c on ten t in t he
brake fl uid is too high, corros ion in the b rake system may res ult after
a pe riod of time. The boili ng po int of the brak e flu id will also decrea se
co nsiderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
Th erefore, the brake f lui d m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new brake fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle Stan ­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DOT 4" .
Th e br ake f luid reserv oir can be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authori zed
Audi dealer . Your deal er h as th e correc t tools, the rig ht bra ke flui d
and the know-how to do th is for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake
failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid .
Observe these precaution s:
- Use only b rake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Alway s check
with you r authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The corre ct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid rese rvoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of the brakes can
c ause a vapor lo ck if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

-L~C~ h~ e~c ~k :..!_i ~ n ~g ~ a~n ~d~ f~il ~l~in ~ g[_ ________________________________________ _
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle.
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating condit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level checked by
a service facility. The electrolyte level should also be checked each
time the battery is charged~
page 292.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types of a irbag deployment, the battery is disconnected
from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 211.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected aga in. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your veh icle over a period of severa l days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period~
page 249.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
power seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience func­
tions will be available again when you turn on the ign ition and start
the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, particu larly in city traffic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before w inter sets in
=> page 292. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longe r.
(I] Tips
If your veh icle is left standing for several weeks at extreme ly low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced.•

_____________________________________________ C_h _ e_ c_ k_in --= g'-- a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g ::;__ ____..
Working on the battery
Be es peciall y careful when wor kin g on or near the
ba ttery .
Fig. 213 Luggage
compartment : Battery
T he b atte ry is loc ated in th e lugg age co mpartmen t under the
flo or. Before you check an ything i n the lu~ga ge compart­
m ent , read and heed all WARNINGS~
&-
- Li ft the fl oor by the plastic handle .
- Hook the ha nd le i nto the lugga ge com partm ent weat her
s tri p.
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the veh icle
b att ery o r the vehi cle elec trical sys te m t o pr even t injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre­ cautions when working on the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection. I
Vehicle OP-eration
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking .
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil­
dren.
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire . Read and heed
the following WARNINGS:
• Always wear eye protection. Do not let battery acid or any lead
particle s get on your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfuric acid can cause
blindness and severe burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do not tilt the battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation open ­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, immedi­
ately rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attent ion.
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame, electric sparks or
an open light. • Do not smoke.
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cable s.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

--~C:!h ~e~ c~ k~ i~ n ~g~ a~n~ d~ f~il ~l~in ~ g ~ ----------------------------------------
& WARN ING (con tinu ed)
• When working on the batter y, be su re not to short-ci rcuit the
terminal s with tools or other metal object s. This would cau se the
battery to heat up very quickly , which could lead to damage or
e xplo sion and per sonal injury .
• When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen gas which i s
explo sive and could cau se p ersonal injury .
• Alway s keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the electric al system, di sconnect the
negative ground cable.
• Before perfo rming any work on the electrical system , switch
off the engine and ignition a s well as any electrical equipment .
The negative cable on the battery mu st be disconnected. If you are
just g oing to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the l ights.
• Before dis conne cting the battery, swit ch off the anti -theft
ala rm system! Otherwise you w ill set off the alarm .
• When d is connecting the battery, first di sconnect the negative
cable and then the positive cable .
• Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off. Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cabl e. Never interchange th e cables· this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery . It could
e xplode! If a battery has frozen , then it must be replaced. A
dis charged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C ).
• Make sure the vent ho se is always atta ched to the opening on
the side of the battery .
• Never use batteries which are damaged. There is the danger of
an e xplosion! Always replace a damaged battery.
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts , terminal s and r elated ac cessorie s cont ain lead
and lead compounds, chemi cals known to the State of Cal ifornia
to cause cancer and reproductive problem s. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disco nnect the vehicle battery when the ign ition is
switched on or whe n the engine is runni ng, otherwise, you wi ll
damage electronic compone nts in the electr ical system .
• If you r ve hicl e is go ing to s ta nd for a long pe riod of time wit ho ut
being driven, protect the battery from "freezi ng", ot herwise it w ill be
damaged and will then have to be replaced .•
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
Fi g. 2 14 Engin e
c omp artm ent : Connec ­
to rs for charger an d
jumper cables
Always read and heed all WARNINGS be lo w => & and => &
in "Work ing o n the bat tery" on pag e 291.
- Turn o ff the ign it ion and all electrical consumers. ~

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c _k_ i_n ~g_ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _i_n _g __ _
- Mak e su re the a rea is w ell ventilated when you charge the
battery .
- Open the hood~
page 2 78.
- Open the red cover on the positive pole~ fig. 214.
- Connect the charger connectors according to the instruc- tions to the
jump start bolts . (Bolts under the red cover =
"positive", Bolts wit h hex head = "negative").
- Only now p lug the ma ins lead for the charging equipment
into the wall outlet and turn it on
~ &,. .
- Make sure the charging rate is not over 30 amps /14.8
Volt.
- When the batte ry is fully charged : Turn the charging
equipment off and remov e the ma ins lead from the wall
ou tlet.
- Now remove the clamps for the charging equipment .
- Close the red cover on the posit ive pole .
- Clos e the hood ~
page 279.
A discharged battery can freeze at tempe rat ures of only O 0C. Allow a
frozen battery to thaw completely before attemp ting to charge it
~ ,&. . However, we recommend not using a thawed battery again
because the battery casing can be cracked due to ice formation and
can leak battery acid.
B atter y charging (Ma ximum charging rate of 30
amps /14.8 Volt )
When charging at low voltages (e.g. w ith a trickle charger ), the
ba ttery cab les do not have to be disconnec ted first. The battery caps
should
not be opened when charging a battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from the luggage compart­
ment.
Safety first
Fa st charging the b atter y (charging rat e above 14 .8
Volts)
For technical reasons do not use a batte ry c ha rger that uses voltage
greater t han 14.8 Volts to charge your veh icle's battery .
& WARNING
Charging a batter y can be dange rou s.
• Always follow the ope rating instruct ions p ro vi ded by the
batt ery c harger manufa cturer when charging your battery .
• Never cha rge a frozen battery. It ma y explode be cause of gas
trapped in the i ce. Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
• Do not reu se batter ies which were frozen. The battery housing
may have cracked and weakened when the batt ery froze.
• Charge the battery in a well ventilated are a. Keep a way from
open flame or el ectr ica l spark. Do not sm oke. Hydrogen gas gener­
ated by the battery i s ex plosive.
• To r educ e th e danger of e xplosion , nev er conn ect or dis conne ct
c harger cable s while the charger i s operating.
• Batt ery acid that may spill during charging should b e washed
off with a solution of warm water and bakin g soda to neutralize
the acid .
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine . This will seri ­
ous ly damage sensitive electronic components , such as control units,
re lays, rad io, etc., as well as the battery charger. •
Vehicle care Technical data

___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifications and
dimensions as the original equipment battery.
Inte lligent energy management in your veh icle is responsible for
dis trib uti ng the elect ric al ene rgy throughout yo ur vehi cle
::} page 249. The intelligent energy management system will keep
t he e ngine battery charged be tter then vehicles withou t this system.
To make sure the additional e lectrical energy is available once again
after you have changed the ba tte ry, we recom mend that you in sta ll
batter ies of the same type and manufacture only (the same as those
installed at the t ime your vehicle was delivered). Specifications are
listed on the battery hous ing. You r authorized dealer must code the
battery in t he energy ma nageme nt system to enab le yo u to use the
energy management functions corre ct ly aft er replac ing the battery.
If it is not poss ible to use a battery of this type, the new battery must
have the same capacity, vo ltage ( 12 volts), ampe rage, co nstr uction
and plug sea ling.
When install ing the battery, make sure the ign it ion and a ll electrica l
c ons umers are tur ned off.
0 Note
Make s ure the ventilation hose on the sid e of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid ca n leak o ut.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Beca use of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
me nd your authorized Audi de aler change the ba ttery for you.
Batte ries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be d isposed
o f prope rly in com pliance wi th all environmen tal regula tions.
Disposing of vehicle batteries imprope rly is very dangerous to the
envi ro n ment .•
Windshield/headlight washer
container
Fig. 215 En gine
compartm ent: Wind­
s hie ld and head lig ht *
w as her flu id co ntainer
Th e washe r fluid contain er is mark ed with the symb ol O on
its cap .
- Bef ore you check anything i n th e engin e compartm ent,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working
in th e e ngine com partme nt" on
page 279 .
-Lift t he filler cap tongue to add washe r fluid. You can fill
the conta iner to the top.
- Press the cap bac k onto the f iller neck af ter filling the
container .
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in::} page 343.
To preven t lime res idue from bui ldi ng up on t he spray jets, use
distilled water when refilling. Always add a glass cleane r so lution
(with frost protection in t he winter).
0 Note
Do not mix engine coo lant antifreeze or any othe r additives to fi ll up
the windsh ield washe r rese rvo ir .•