2012 AUDI A6 fuel cap

Safet y fir st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 124
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 128
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
R eport ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Why safety bel ts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Safety belt p re tens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 140
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
I mpor tant th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 1 42
Fr ont airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
M onitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Side curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Ch ild Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 168
C hi ld safety seats ............ .... . 174
Install ing a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . . . 179
L A TC H L ower ancho rages and tethe rs
fo r ch ild ren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2
Addit io nal Informa tion 186
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Pr even ta ti ve passe nger p rotec tion 18 7
Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . 189
N ot ice about da ta re corded by vehi cle
con trol mo dules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Electronic stabilization program (ESP) 189
Bra king . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Electro-mechanical power assist . . . . . 193
Driving w ith your quattro ® . . . . . . . . . 193
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Table of contents 3
Driving and environment . . . . .
196
T he first 1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) and
afterwa rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 197
Drivi ng throug h wate r on roads . . . . . 198
Operate your vehicle eco nomically and
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
D riving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
T ra ile r tow ing t ips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 204
General infor mation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4
C are of ex ter ior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4
Care o f inte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .
215
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
F uel tank. ... .. .... . ... ...... ... . 216
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Battery . .. .. .. .... .. ........ ... . 230
Windsh ie ld/headlight washer
c onta iner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
T ire pressure mo nitoring system 253
Do-it -yourself s ervice . . . . . . . . . 256
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
T ru nk escape h andle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
E mergency warn ing triangle . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Changi ng a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
•
•

20 Instrum ent s a nd w arn in g/i ndic ato r light s
malfunction in the EDL system c> page 189 .
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as possib le.
A WARNING
- If the 9 (USA mode ls)l ii] (Canada
models) warning light does not go out,
or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly . The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only with the
standard brakes (without ABS). You will
not have the protection ABS provides.
Contact your Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning l ight,
the
ljJ warning light and the m warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident .
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Aud i dealer or a quali ­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard bra ke applications.
- Canada models:
If the brake warn ing
light ., the
DJ wa rning light and the
ABS warning light
ii] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up fi rst under
hard bra king. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­ dent. Have your vehicle repaired immedi ­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
{0) Worn brake pads
El Brak e pad s!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authori zed Audi dealer or quali ­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­ ed . On USA models the warning light
El
comes on together with the warn ing light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time.
l ) - : USA m od els only
A WARNING
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal injury .
- If the warn ing light
El and the warning
light
- l) with the message Brake
p ads!
comes on in the instrument cluste r
d isp lay, immediately contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
replaced if necessa ry.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/ind icator light (Electronic
Power Cont rol) illuminates when you sw itch
the ignit io n on as a function check.
-
© Tips
If this warn ing/ indicato r light illum inates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
fun ct io n in the engine electronics. Have
the malf unct io n corrected as soon as pos­
s ib le by your au thorized A udi dealer or
qualified repa ir facility .
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL )
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
f• lights up when the ign ition is
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electron ic system .
Contact your authorized Audi dea ler and have
the malfunction cor rected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may a lso
cause the MIL light to illuminate
c> page 217 .
For more information
c> page 28.

28 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Display content
In the MMI, you c an specify which informa tion
shoul d be displayed :
- Cru ise cont ro l system*
- Nav igat ion information *
- Audi adaptive cruise control*
- Night vision assistant* (pedestrian warning)
The speed display and some of the red indica­
tor lights cannot be hidden in the MMI.
Display brightness
You can adjust the display b rightness in t he
M MI. The display bright ness decreases auto­
mat ic all y as the amo unt of light decreases.
The basic leve l of bright ness is adjusted with
the instrument illumination ¢
page 44.
(D Note
To preve nt scratches on the g lass coverin g
the Head -up Display, do not place any ob ­
jects i n the projection opening.
(D} Tips
- S ung lasses w ith pol ariza tion filters an d
u nfavorable ligh ting co ndi tions can af ­
fect the display.
- Vehicles wi th sea t memory *: yo ur Hea d­
up D isplay setting s are stored automati­
ca lly and assigne d to the remote cont ro l
key that you are using .
- A specia l w indshield is needed for the
Head-up Display funct io n.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction In dicator Lamp (MIL) I! in
the instrument cluster is part of the On-Board
Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warning/indicator light illumina tes when
the ign ition is switc hed o n and goes o ut afte r
the engine starts and the idle has stab ilized .
This indicates that the MIL is working proper­
ly .
If the light does not go out after t he e ngine
is started, or illuminates wh ile you are dr iv­
i ng, a mal funct ion may exist in the eng ine sys ­
tem . If the light illuminates, t he catalytic con­
verter could be damaged .
Contin ue driving
with reduced power (avo id­
i ng s ustained high speeds and/o r rap id accel ­
erations) and have the cond ition corrected.
Co ntact your a uthorized Audi dea ler.
If the light i llum inates, the e lectronic speed
li miter may also be mal funct ion ing. Fo r more
information ¢
page 29, Electronic speed
limiter.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
¢ page 217.
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 15 Locat io n of Data Li nk Co nnector (D LC)
On- Boa rd Di agnost ics monitors the compo ­
nents of your emissio n contro l system . Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been ass igned a code. In case of a mal­
funct ion, the component will be identified
and t he fault stored as a code in the control
modul e memo ry.
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a leak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery sys·
tem. If the light illumi nates afte r a refu elling,
stop the vehicle a nd make sure the fuel fille r
cap is prope rly closed ¢
page 217.
In order to make a n accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can o nly be displayed using spe­
c ial d iagnost ic equipment (generic scan tool
fu rOBD) .
~

58 Seats and storage
for your vehicle. Contact the nearest Audi
dealer for information on approved modu lar
roof racks for your vehicle.
- Only use roof racks approved for your vehi­
cle. These approved roof racks are the basis
for a complete roof rack system. Additional
attachments or carrier systems are needed
to transport luggage and sports equipment.
We recommend using roof racks from the
Audi original accessories program.
- The support feet of the roof rack must al­
ways be installed in the holes in the roof
frame ¢
fig. 59. The holes are only visible
when the doors are open. In the case of roof
racks with pins, the pins must be secured in
the holes during assembly.
- We recommend that you keep the installa­
t io n instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
When should the roof rack be removed?
-Before going through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fuel consump­
t io n, w ind no ise and to guard against theft.
.&_ WARNING i.c
-Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor-
rect mounting of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack or the items at­
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the
road.
- Objects fall ing from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and personal injury.
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations on the roof¢
fig. 59.
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided.
- When driving w ith a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the veh icle han­
dling and lead to a collision . Always
adapt your driving and your speed to the
current conditions.
(D Note
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using
roof racks or mounting structures not
approved by Audi for your veh icle. The
same applies to damage resulting from
incorrect roof rack installation.
- Always check the roof rack mountings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
ing a trip to make sure everyth ing is se­
curely tightened.
If necessary, retighten
the mountings and check the entire sys­
tem from time to time.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
o f you r vehicle, the height of the vehicle
is naturally increased . Be careful when
driving under low bridges or in parking
garages for example. This cou ld cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself.
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roof* do not come into contact with the
roof rack.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down.
.,. Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
even ly.
.,. Always attach items to the roof rack secure-
ly before you drive off.
The maximum permissible roof weight is
220
lb (100 kg).
The roof weight is the total of
the weight of the roof rack, the attachments
and the cargo you are carrying. You must also
not exceed the maximum load weight for the
roof rack you are using.
When using a roof rack system which has a
lower load carrying capacity, you must not use
up the total maximum permissible load carry­
ing capacity specified above. Instead, you
should load the roof rack system only to the .,..

maximum capacity specified by the
manufacturer of the roof rack system.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail during hard braking or in a collision and
cause serious personal injury .
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exact­
ly as specified above¢
page 57 .
- Always use suitable mounting straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from shifting or fly ing for ­
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be
securely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negatively af­
fect the way a vehicle handles . Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of
gravity and overall handling . Always
dr ive slowly, avoid sudden braking and
maneuvers when transpo rting cargo on
the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the maximum permissible
load carrying capacity of the roof of your
vehicle , the permissib le axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your veh i­
cle ¢
page 274, Weights.
-Always drive slowly, avoid sudden brak­
ing and maneuvers when transporting
cargo on the roof of your vehicle .
@) For the sake of the environment
Sometimes it may be easier to leave a roof
rack insta lled even though you are not us­
ing it . Due to the increased air resistance
your veh icle will unnecessar ily use more
fuel. Remove the roof rack if you are not
going to use it .
.
Sea ts a nd s to rage 59
Luggage compartment
Loading luggage compartment
Items of luggage must be stowed securely.
Fig. 60 Pla ce hea vy o bject s as far forward a s possible .
Note the following to preserve the vehicle's
good handling charac teristics.
.,.. Distribute the load as evenly as possible .
... Place heavy objects as far forward as poss i­
ble ¢
fig. 60 .
... Secure the items of luggage w ith the cargo
net* or w ith non -elastic retaining straps to
the tie-down rings * ¢
page 61.
A WARNING
- Loose objects in the l uggage compart­
ment can slide about suddenly and a lter
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Loose objects in the passenger compart­
ment can fly forward during abr upt ma­
neuvers or accidents and injure occu­
pants .
- Always store objects in the luggage com­
partment and use suitable straps, partic­
ularly with heavy objects .
-
-When you transport heavy objects, al­
ways remember that a change in the cen ­
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Follow all warnings¢
page 123, Driving
Safely .
(D Tips
The tire pressure must be ad justed to the
load - see the t ire pressure sticker located
on the dr iver's side B -pillar .

216 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driv ing.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
(CT) Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If yo u are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel sup plier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manufacturer to another, they have certain
things in common. All gasoline g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to co llect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and fuel
systems clean, they a re not equally effec­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
f uels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
'
Damage or malf u nct ion due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
s ide panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually- for detailed
instructions see
¢page 218.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 276.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your veh icle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see
¢ page 215.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on board refuel­ li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly wh ile protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
.8, WARNING
Under normal operating cond itions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must

transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F8S2 -86) .
@ Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 165 Right rear vehicle s ide: Opening the fuel filler
flap
Fig. 166 Fuel filler flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
f ill er flap is automatically un locked or locked.
Refuel the vehicle with the ignition switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
• Press the left side of the fuel filler flap to
open it¢
fig. 165 -arrow-.
• Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap
~ fig. 166 .
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 217
Refuelling procedure
• Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it will
go.
• Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
• After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockwise as far as it will go.
• Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spill ing or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap proper ly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp ¢
page 28
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fue l to spray out of filler neck or to over­
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while re­
fue ling. The electromagnet ic radiation
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle while re­
fueling.
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­
where in or near your vehicle when refu­
eling or filling a portable fue l container.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable

218 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
fuel container in your vehicle. The con­
tainer, full or empty may leak and could
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle
(for example, in the luggage compart­
ment, or on the trunk). Static electrici­
ty can bui ld up while filling and can ig­
nite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling.
- Always keep the filler nozzle complete­
ly inside the portable container before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be
in contact with the container. This will
help prevent static electricity from dis­
charging and cause a fire .
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provin­
cial laws regarding the use, storage
and transportation of fuel conta iners .
- Make certain the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F8S2 -86) .
d) Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
should be removed immediate ly to prevent
damage to the paint.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated noz zle
switches off automatically for the first
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add
more fuel because fuel may spill out. In
addition, the expansion space in the fuel
tank will be filled -causing the fuel to
overflow when it becomes warm and pol­
lute the environment.
(D Tips
-Running your engine whi le refue lling
may cause vapors to escape or even
cause fuel to spi ll out of the tank. This
would then shut off the fuel nozzle be­
fore the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the igni­
tion switched on. The fuel gauge may otherwise not ind icate the correct fuel
level after refuelling .
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the vehicle from
the ins ide .
Fuel filler flap emergency release
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
Fig. 167 Lug g ag e compar tmen t: o pe ning th e side tri m
Fig. 168 Rig ht s ide t rim p an el in t he luggage compart ­
ment : emer gen cy re lease mech anism
Opening the side trim
.. To r emove th e right side trim, first remove
the retainer from the mounts¢
fig. 167.
.. Turn both locking mechanisms 90° to the
left using a coin or a similar object and re-
move the locking mechanisms. ..,_