2011 AUDI A6 check engine light

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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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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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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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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

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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.•

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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 .•

___ 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

ffl Alphabetical index ------',.__ ___________________________________ _
Driv ing messages ...... ...... .. .. .. .. 24
Dr iv ing safely ..... .. .. .. .. ...... ... 176
Dr iving through water ... ... ... .. .. .. 252
Dr iv ing time .. ............ .......... 34
Duplica te key . .... .... .. .. .. ........ 3 7
Dust fi lter
Climate controls .. .. .. .... .. .. . ...
96
DVD player for navigation system . .. . .. . 86
Dynam ic shift program ............ .. 1 56
E
Easy entry feature . .. .. .. .. .... ..... 1 08
Electric seat adjustment
See Power seat ................... 76
Electromechanical parking brake
Emergency braking . ... .. .. .... .. .
11 5
Ma lf u nct ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Park ing .................... .. .. 114
Releasing and app ly ing ... .. ... .. .. 113
Starting off w ith a t railer ......... . 115
Warning/ind icator lights . .......... 17
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
How the system works ... .........
243
Warning/ind icator lights . .......... 17
Electroni c immobili ze r ... .... .. .. .. .. . 4 0
Electronic powe r control
(EPC) war ning/ indicato r light .. .. ... .
14
Electronic speed limiter ........ .... .. . 23
Ele ctro nic s tabiliza tion p rogram ( ESP)
How t he system wor ks ... .........
2 4 2
W arning/ind icator lights . .......... 14
Emergency braking ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. 115
Emergency closing
Power su nroof ... ... .. .. . ... ...
55, 56
Eme rgency flasher ................ ... 61
Wa rning/ind icator l ights . .. .. .. .. .. 15
Emergency locking of doors . .. .. .. .. .. 45
E mergency sta rt ing .... ..... ... .. .. . 332
Emergency towing .................. 335
Energy management ................ 249
Battery power .. .. .. .. .. .... ..... 250
Dr iver not ification ............... . 250
Engine
Compartment . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ...
280
Coolant .. ... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. . 286
Hood . ... .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .. . 278
Starting ....... .. .. ........ . 108, 109
Starting with jumpe r cab les . .. .... . 332
Stopping ...... .............. ...
110
Engine compa rtment
Sa fety instructions . .... ... .. .. .. .
2 79
Working the eng ine compartment .. 2 79
En gine coolant system ........ .. .. .. . 286
Add ing coolant ................. . 287
Checking coo la nt level . ..... .. .. .. 286
Checking the engine coo lant level . .. 286
Ma lfu nction ... .. ..... ..... .... .. . 27
Radiator fan ....... .. ... . .. .. ... 288
E ngine coo lant tempe rature
T emperat ure gauge ............. .. . 8
Engine data ....... ...... .... .. .....
343
Engine hood
Closing .... ..... ..... .... .. .. .. .
2 79
How to re lease the hood ..... .. ... . 278
Engine oil .. ... .... ... .. . ... ... .. .. 281
Add ing .............. .... ... .. .. 284
Add itives .................. .... . 284
Changing .. ..... .......... .. .. .. 285
Checking the engine oil leve l ..... .. 2 83
Indi cat io ns and conditions requiring extr a
check ing . .. .. .. .. .............
283
Oil consumption .... ............. 282
Oil grades . .. .. .... ..... ....... . 281
Recommended oil check intervals ... 283
Specification and viscosity ..... .. .. 28 1
Engine oil leve l .... .. .. ............. . 31
Engine oil p ress ure
Mal fu nct ion .. .. .. .. .... ..........
28
Engine oil sensor defect ive . ...... ... .. 31
Engine speed limitation ....... ... .. .. . 32
Environmen t
Bre ak-in per iod ...... ...... .. .. ..
2 51
Ca taly tic converte r .. .... ......... 2 52
Disposing o f you r vehi cle bat tery .... 29 4
Driving at hig h speeds ..... ... . ... 254
Driving to minimize poll ution and noise . .
253
Fuel .. .. .... ....... ...... .... .. 27 5
Fue l economy .. .. .. ....... .. .. .. 2 53
Leaks unde r yo ur vehicle ... .. .. .. . 2 79
Lett ing the vehicle stand and warm up .. .
254
Proper disposa l of dra ined brake fluid 289
Prope r disposal of dra ined engine coo la nt
287
Proper disposal of drained engine oil 284,
285
Recy cling used e ng ine o il .......... 2 8 4