2011 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

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

Driver information display
Engine oil pressure malfunction
~
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil-pres­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the
engine .
If the "t=:;r: symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the
[CHECK] button :
Switch off engine ! Oil pressure too low
Immediate actions
-Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check the engine oil level with the dipstick=> page 283.
Dipstick readings checks too low
- Top off oil to the proper level=> page 284 .
Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol "t=:;r:
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again.
Dipstick reading checks OK
- If the oil pressure warning symbol "t=:;r: starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
W Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol 't=1: is not an indicator for a low
engine 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.
• The yellow oil level warning indication "" requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning
't=1: starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning -. By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Steering malfunction i
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steering column
lock, the steering cannot be unlocked.
If the i symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic steering column lock . An additional driver
message can also be displayed by pressing the [
CHECK ]
button:
Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- Do
not tow your vehicle .
& WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event of a malfunction in
the electronic steering column lock because it cannot be steered due to the locked steering. If it is towed with the steering locked,
there is the risk of an accident. •

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

Driver information display
Engine oil sensor malfunction => page 31
._ --
Engine speed limitation* :::>page 32
-- -Adaptive Light* defective => page 32
Ignition lock malfunction =>page 32
--Windshield wiper defective => page 32
Tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem*
Loss of tire pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys ­
tem*
System not available
Battery in remote control key
--
=> page 315
=> page 315
:::>page 39
Electromechanical => page 115
parking brake
Automatic transmission mal­
function
Ap plies to vehicles: w ith Conven ience key
Key not in vehicle
Key not in vehicle
=> page 151,
=> page 158
-
-
This reminder appears along with the...., symbol if the master key is
removed from the vehicle with the engine running. It is intended to
remind you (e.g. when changing drivers) not to continue the journey
without the master key.
If the master key is no longer in the vehicle, you cannot switch off the
ignition after stopping the engine and you also cannot start the
•
engine again . What is more, you cannot lock the vehicle from the
outside. •
Light/rain sensor defective )
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
If the symbol illuminates, the light sensor has failed . For safety
reaso ns the low beams are turned on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off using
the light switch. In the case of a defect in the rain sensor, the wind­
shield wiper lever functions are still available. Have the light/rain
sensor checked as soon as possible at a dealership. •
Windshield washer fluid level too low 5
, Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield washer fluid to the washer
system and also to the headlight washer system=>
page 294. •
Fuel supply too low )
L Please refuel
When this symbol 1. illuminates for the first time, the fuel reserve in
your vehicles is still about 2 Gallons (7 to 9 liters). Refuel as soon as
possible =>
page 274.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is ample fuel in the tank, and
the text
Tank system malfunction! Contact workshop appears in the
display, there is a fault in the system . Contact a qualified workshop to
have the fault rectified.•