2011 AUDI S6 coolant temperature

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. _,.

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

Warm and cold
Warm and cold
Climate control
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle.
We recommend the following settings:
- Set the temperature to 75 °F (+23 °C).
- Press the [AUTO] button.
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
of time. Change this setting , as desired, to meet your personal needs.
The climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilation and cooling systems, which automatically reduce humidity and cool the
air inside your vehicle.
The air temperature, air flow and air distribution are automatically regulated to achieve and maintain the desired passenger compart­
ment temperature as quickly as possible .
The system automatically compensates for changes in outside
temperature and for the intensity of the sunlight entering the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode=> page 99 for
year-round comfort .
Please note the following:
Turn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle. This also
prevents the windows from fogging up .
When the outside temperature is high and the air is very humid,
condensation from the evaporator may drip under the vehicle. This is
normal and does not indicate a leak. If the outside temperature
is low, the fan normally only switches to a
higher speed once the engine coolant has warmed up sufficiently .
The air conditioner temporarily switches off when you drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
The compressor also switches off if the coolant temperature is too
high, so that the engine can be adequately cooled under extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
The air pollutants filter (a combined particle filter and activated char­
coal filter) reduces or prevents outside air pollution (dust, or pollen)
from entering the vehicle. The air is also filtered in air recirculation
mode.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at the intervals specified in
your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet, so that the air conditioner can
properly work .
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high air pollution, the filter
may need to be changed more frequently than specified in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If in doubt, ask your authorized
Audi Service Advisor for advice .
Key coded settings
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used. When the vehicle is started, the air
conditioner automatically selects the settings assigned to that key.
This way every driver will maintain his/her own personal settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
If a different driver uses your key and changes the air conditioner
settings, the latest adjustments will erase and replace the settings
you have stored . _.,

ffl..__O_ n_ t_h _ e_ r_ o_ a_ d _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Never start or let the engine run in a confined or enclosed area.
Exhau st fume s from the engine contain carbon monoxide, a color ­
less and odorless gas. Carbon monoxid e can be fatal if inhal ed.
• Never leave the engine idling unattended . An unattended
vehicle with a runn ing engine poses a danger of personal injury or
theft .
0 Note
Avoid high eng ine speeds, fast acce lerat ion or heavy eng ine loads
w hile the engine is still cold. This cou ld damage the eng ine .
~ For the sake of the environment
To avoid unn ecessary engine wear and to reduce exhaust emiss io ns,
do not let your vehicle stand and warm up. Be ready to dr ive off imme­
diately after starting your vehicle . Maintain mo dera te speed unt il the
engine is comp letely warm . Remember, the engine performs best at
operat ing temperature. •
Stopping the engine
- Turn the ignition key to position @ => page 109 , fig. 101 .
& WARNING
• Never turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
compl ete stop .
• The brake boos ter and servotronic only work when the engine
is running. With the ignition turned off , you have to apply more
for ce when steering or braking. Since you cannot steer and stop
normally, this can lead to accidents and serious injuries .
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minute s even
a fter you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key.
The radi ator fan can also tur n on agai n if the engine coolant heats
up be cause of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
compartment.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immed iate ly after hard or extended driving.
Keep t he engine run ning for approximate ly two minutes to prevent
excessive hea t build-up .•
Starting and stopping the engine
with Convenience key
A pplies to vehicl es: w it h Con ven ience key
Starting the engine with the !START ] button
This button s witch es on the ignition and sta rts the
engine .
Fig. 10 2 Convenien ce
ke y: ENGINE START
bu tton
The [S TA RT] button is provided wit h two-stage operation
=> fig. 102. ..,_

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not dr ive at the max imum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icu larly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the tra iler shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lower than for regu lar vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driv ing dow nhill, shift in to a lower
gear to use the eng ine braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
Th e coolant temperature gauge~ page 8 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
_f_ , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi.•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor- mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopp ing and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer comb i­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action oppos ite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trai ler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load . Make sure you have
enoug h room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky sta rts, sharp tur ns or rapid lane changes.
W Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in per iod of your veh icle.
• If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load
~ page 346. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels . ._

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Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=:> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• 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.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire. • Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
-Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever to
"P" (Park). .,
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 .•