2011 AUDI S6 coolant level

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of informa ­
tion.
F ig. 2 Overview of th e ins trument cluste r
CD Coolan t temperature ga uge ..... .. ...... ... .. ... .
@ T achomete r with t ime and da te d isplay . .... .. .. .. .
@ Warning/indica tor lights ....................... .
© Driver information system .................. .. .. .
© Speedometer with odometer .................. .. .
© Fuel gauge . ... ... .. ... ...... . .. .. .. ... ... . ... .
0 Instr ument cluster i llum ination . .. .............. .
8
9,9
12
19
10
10
11
@ !CHECK] button .... ...... ..... ......... ...... .
® Reset button for trip odometer ................. .
(I) Tips
11
10
The illuminat ion for the instrument cluster lights up whenever you
switch on the ignition with the
v ehicle headlight s off. As the daylight
fades, the instrument cluste r illum ination likewise d ims automati­
cally and w ill go out completely when the outside light is very low .
T his featu re is mean t to remind you to switch on the headligh ts when
outs ide light conditions become poor. •
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge ~ fig . 2 CD only works when the ignition is
on. To p revent damage to yo ur engine, ple ase note the following
important points:
Engine cold
As long as the needle rema ins at or close to the bottom of the gauge,
t he engine s till has not rea ched its operat ing tem perature. Avo id hig h
eng ine speeds, heavy eng ine loads and heavy t hrottle app lications.
Normal temperature
When the eng ine has reached its ope rating temperature, the needle
w ill move into the midd le of the gauge and remain t he re.
If the
eng ine is working hard at high outs ide temperatures, the needle may
r ise up. This is no need to worry as long as the
_t_ warning light in th e
instr ument cluster does not illuminate.
Warning light in the instrument cluster -t
When the _L warning light in the instrument cluster starts to flash,
this can mean one of two things: e ithe r th e coolan t
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low=> page 27. _,.

If the needle is well in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
tempe rat ure is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the engine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized dealer.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe th e warning in => page 271, "Engine comp art ­
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting additiona l lights or accessories in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
t ur es o r high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spo iler has bee n des igned to prope rly d istribute the
coo ling air when the vehicle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
cou ld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your author ized A udi dealer for assistance .•
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicat es th e engine RPM (revolutions
per minutes).
Th e tac home ter @ => page 8, fig. 2 is the left of the two large cloc k­
type displays.
Th e engine tu rns at a speed
1,000 times the si ng le dig it in the
display, e.g. if the need le is po int ing at the "2 " the engi ne is t urning
at 2,000 RP M.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If e ngine RPM drops below 1,500, you s hould dow nsh ift to t he next
lower ge ar. T he re d area at t he e nd of the s cale i ndic ates m aximum
permissible e ngine RPM after the break-in per iod . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to posit ion "D (Drive)" or ease yo ur
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachome ter needle s houl d not move into the red range. If it does,
then only fo r a very short period of time . You could damage your
e n g in e by driv ing at h igh RPM .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel a nd reduces e ngine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in the MM I.
Fig. 3 Instrumen t
cluster with digital
clock
Th e d ate, t ime o f day, and time and date fo rmat c an be se t in the
MMI. You can find o ut more in the MMI manual.
Vehicle care Technical 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

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

lffll __ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g ,.,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g:,_ __________________________________________ _
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 ..

___________________________________________ 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

___ 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