2011 AUDI S6 radiator

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

& 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

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. ..,_

-On the road .,,, ___________________ _
in. WARNING
• Never turn off th e engine until the vehicle has come to a
c omplete stop .
• The b rake booste r and servotronic only work when the eng ine
is running . With the ignition turned off, you have to apply more
force when stee ring or braking . Since you cannot steer and stop
normally , thi s can lead to accident s and serious in juries.
• For s afety reasons , you should always park your vehicle with
the selector lever in P. Otherwi se, the vehicle could inadvertently
roll away.
• After the engine has been switched off , the radiator fan can
continue to run for up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition
s witched off. It can also switch on again after some time if the
c oolant temper ature rises as the r esult of a heat buildup or if the
engine is hot and the engine compartment is additionally heated
by the sun's rays .
0 Note
If the eng ine has been under heavy load for a n extended per iod, heat
builds up in the engine compartment after the engine is switched
off
- there is a r is k of damaging t he eng ine. Allow the e ngine to run at id le
for about 2 min utes before switc hing it
off. •
Appli es to ve hicles : w it h Conve nience key
Driver messages in the instrument cluster
display
If a function is not present, a driver mess age appea rs .
No key identified
Th is message appears when the ! START ] button is p ressed if there is
no mast er key ins ide the veh icle o r if t he sys tem does not recogn ize
it. For examp le, the master key cannot be recognized if it is covered
by an o bject (e.g . al uminum br ie f c ase) w hich
screens the r adio signal. .Electronic dev
ices such as cell phones can also interfere with
t he radio signal.
Press brake pedal to start engine
Thi s message appea rs if yo u press the !STAR T] butto n to start the
eng ine and do not depress the brake pedal. The engine can on ly be
s t ar ted i f the brake ped al is dep ressed .
Engage N or P to start engine
This message appea rs w he n th e engi ne is started if the sele cto r lever
for the automa tic transmission is not in the P o r N position. The
eng ine can only be s tarted w ith the se lec tor in these pos itions.
? Key not in vehicle
Thi s message appea rs alo ng with the symbol if the master key is
removed from the vehicle with t he engine runn ing. It is intended to
remind you (e.g. w hen c hanging dr ive rs) not to con tinue t he journey
w ithout the master key.
If t he master key is no longe r in the ve hicle, yo u cannot switch of f the
ig nitio n after stopping the engine and you a lso cannot start the
engine again. Moreover, you cannot lock the vehicle from the outside
w ith the key.
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors do not lock if you
are not in P .
This message appea rs for safety reasons along with a warning buzzer
if the se lector lever for the automatic transmission is not in the P
position when t he ig nition is sw itched
off with t he !STOP] button and
t he d river's door is opened. Move t he selector lever to the P posit io n ,
otherwise the vehicle is not secured against rolling away. You also
c anno t lock the vehicle usi ng the lo cking but ton o n the door hand le
or using the remote key.
To engage steer ing lock, press and hold STOP button
Thi s message appears for safety reasons if the engine and the ignit ion
h ave bee n sw itche d off by p ress ing the
!S T O P) bu tton once, and t hen .,,_

-Cleaning and protection pn, _____________________ _
in. WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area.
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sure to read the information =>
page 271.
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel, always remove
the ignition key . Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could
unintentionally be switched on, possibly causing personal injury
from the moving wiper linkage.
• Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. The
auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
- even when the ignition is off.
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with the engine running.
Moving or hot parts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:> page 260. •

___________________________________________ C..:...._ h:....:e :....:c:..:. k.::..: i..:.. n .:..:g:!:....:: a....:. n..:.. d~ f:....:. i.:..ll :.:.i:....:n :.:g !....- __
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

lffl!I __ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued )
-Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting, and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
• Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards=:>
/1::..
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
W hen a dding fluids, a lways make sure that t hey are poured into the
pro per conta in er or filler op ening, oth erwise serious damag e to
vehicle systems w ill occur.
ci> For the sake of the environment
To detect lea ks i n time, ins pect t he vehicle floor pan from un derneath
re gu lar ly. If yo u s ee spots from oil or o ther vehicle f luids, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Aud i dea ler. •
Engine compartment
These are th e most importa nt it ems that you can ch eck .
Fig. 207 Typic al layout for container s, engine oil dip st ic k an d eng ine o il fill er
cap
©
@
®
©
®
J u mp start co nnector( +) u nder a cover,(-) w ith hex head
screw . .... . .. .... .. .. .. . ...... ......... . .. .. 292, 332
B rake fluid reservoi r ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
C oolant expa nsion tank
(J -) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 6
E ngin e oil fi ller cap
('1::r. ) . .... ....... ...... .... . .
Engine oil dipstick (o range) .................. ... .
© Powe r stee ring reservoir .................... ... . 284
2 83
2 4 7
294 ..
(j) Winds hiel d/head light washer conta iner ( O ) ....... .

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 ..