2012 AUDI A6 adding oil

Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 215,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine
¢ page 225, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
importa nt for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 225.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get i nto
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 197
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not swi tch off the ignit ion while the
vehicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are drivi ng on poo r roads, or over
c ur bs, s teep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low -lying parts s uch as spoilers and exhaust
system pa rts do not bottom o ut and get dam­
aged.
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles w ith low­
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles. •
•

-Never smoke or work near heate rs or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately ava ilable.
- To avoid elect rical shock and persona l in­
jury while the engine is running or be ing
started, never touch:
- I gnition cables
- Othe r components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must pe rform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- F irst, fully apply the pa rking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hai r from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. T ie back hair before
starting, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or droop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
c h emical hazards
c:> &,.
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certai n veh icle components co nta in
or em it chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer a nd b irth d e­
fects a nd rep roduct ive ha rm. In addi tion,
c e rta in fluids cont ained in vehicle s and
c ertain p rod ucts of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of Ca lifo rnia to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac ­
cessories contain lead and lead com-
Checkin g and fillin g 221
poun ds, c hemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
([) Note
When adding fluids, always make su re that
they are poured into the p roper conta iner
or fi ller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect lea ks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regular ly. If
you see spots from oil or other ve hicle flu­
i ds, have you r vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dea ler.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
t he st ruts is reduced.
.. Let the hoo d
drop down and latc h in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage 9 A_ .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
i ng.
- When you close the engine hood, chec k it
to make sure t he safety catch has prope r­
ly engaged. The hood shou ld be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured prope rly, stop at once and
close it. •
•

Checking the engine oil level
Fig . 172 D is p la y : o il level indi ca tor
• Park your vehicle on a lev el surfac e.
• Shut the engine off when it is warm.
• Switch only the ignition b ack on.
• W ait approxima tely two minutes .
• Se lect :
ICARI function button > Car s ystem s
control button > Servicing & ch eck s > Oil
level.
• Check the o il leve l in the display ¢ fig. 172 .
Add engine oil if the bar of the oil level indi­
cator is near "min "
~page 225.
Depending on the way the veh icle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumpt ion
can be up to 1/2 q uart per 600 m iles (0.5 li ter
pe r 1,000 km) . Consumption may be higher
within the f irst 3 ,000 miles (5,000 km).
(D Tips
The oi l level indicator in the MMI Dis play is
only an in format ion disp lay . If the oil leve l
is low, a minimum oi l warning appears in
the instrument cluster. Add oi l
q page 225. If the hood has been opened,
the curre nt oil level is shown in the instru­
ment cluste r the next time the ign ition is
sw itched on .
Checkin g and fillin g 225
Adding engine oil 'i=:1:
Fig. 173 Engin e compa rtm en t: co ve r on the engine o il
filler n eck
Before you check anything in the eng ine com­
partment ,
alw ay s re ad and he ed all WARN­
INGS ¢&.
in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 220.
• Uns crew the cap~ to the eng ine oi l filling
hole
¢ fig . 173.
• Caref ully top off with the appropr iate oil in
0.5 liter doses .
• Check t he oil level aga in after two minutes
¢ page 225 .
• Top off the o il aga in, if necessary .
• Screw the cap back on the filling hole .
A WARNING
-Wh ile topping off, the o il must not come
i n contact w ith hot engine parts -fi re
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be p roperly se­
cured to prevent oil from bei ng sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is runn ing -fire ha zard!
- I f your ski n has come in contact with the
engine o il, you mus t subse quently
cleanse it thoroughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil level using the MMI. If the
message
Please reduce oil level appe ars,
c ontact yo ur a uth ori zed Aud i dea ler o r
ot her qualified workshop to have excess
oil ext racted if necessary.
- Audi d oes not re commend the u se of oil
additiv es. They m ay damage the engine
1111-

Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coolant additive G12++ antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the vehi ­
cle heating and engine cooling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 ++ coolant additive with
other additives (G12+ or G12). Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 220.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
Checking and filling 22 7
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the win­
ter is extremely cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G12++ (check the label) for your
vehicle. This coolant additive is availa­
ble at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The result­
ing corrosion can cause a loss of cool­
ant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
M AX f
MINf
Fig.174 Engine compar tment: markings on the coo l­
an t expa nsion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢.&, in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220 .
"' Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Switch off the ignition.
"' Read the engine coolant level from the
coolant expansion tank~
fig. 174. With a

228 Check ing and filling
cold engine, the coo lant level should be be ­
tween the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be s light ly
above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
r:::;, page 222.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto-Check System
r:::;, page 16 will
i l lum ina te unti l you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant los s
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool ­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
sea led system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid be ing burned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
'
or hot engine parts. Under certain cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l­
ant can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­ i ng radiator repa ir fl uid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Veh icle L imited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all W ARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
220 .
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
<:;> page 227, fig . 174 and carefully
twist the cap co unte r-clockwise c:> .&, .
.,. Add coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
r:::;, page 22 7, Coolant.
E ven in an emerge ncy, if coolant add i-
t ive G12 ++, G 12+ or G12 is not available, do
not use a d iffe rent additive. Use plain water
instead unti l you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This shou ld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerab le amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold antifreeze
and co ld water on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo la nt when refilling.
Do not fill coola nt above the "MAX" mark . Ex­
cess coola nt will be fo rced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap w hen the e n-
gine becomes hot. .,.

Engine oi l ... .. .... ..... .. .. .. .. ... 222
Adding .... .... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 225
Addit ives ... .... ...... ... .. .. .. .. . 225
Changing .. ............. .... .. ... 226
Checking the eng ine o il level .. .. .. .. . 225
Indications and cond it ions requ iring ex -
tra check ing ..... .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 225
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
O il consumption .......... .. .. .. .. . 224
O il gr ad es .. ............. .... .. ... 22 2
O il level symbol ....... ... .. .. .. .... 21
P ressu re mal function ... ... .. .. .. .. .. 17
Recommended oil check intervals .. .. . 225
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Specification and viscos ity .. .. .. .. .. . 222
E ng ine speed limi tat ion .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 21
E ng ine start system (ind icator l ights) .. .. 18
Environment Break- in period ........... .... .. ... 196
Catalytic converter ........ .. .. .. .. . 197
Disposing of your vehicle batte ry .. .. . 234
Driving at h igh speeds ........ .... .. 199
Driving to m inim ize pollution and no ise 198
F ue l ..... .. ................. .. ... 2 17
Fu el economy ............ .... .. .. . 198
L eaks under your ve hicle ... .. .. .. .. . 220
L ett ing the ve hicle stand and wa rm up. 199
Prope r disposal of drained brake fluid . 230
Prope r disposal of dra ined engine coo l-
ant ..... .. ................. .. ... 228
Proper disposal of drained engine
oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225, 226
Recycling used engine o il . ..... .... .. 225
Un leaded f uel ......... ...... .... .. 215
Wha t should I do wi th an old batte ry? . 234
ESP (Electronic s tabilization program)
War ning/ indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. .. 19
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ... .. .. .. .. . 189
E xhaust tail p ipes .... ...... .... .. .. . 210
Expansion tank ............ .... .. .. . 227
E xterior lighting . ... .... ... .. .. .... .. 41
E xterior mirrors
Ad justing ............ .... ... ... ... 48
D imming . .. ............. .... .. .... 48
H eating .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .... 48
Exterior temperature d isplay ..... ... ... 23
Inde x 287
F
Fastening
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Convertib le child safety seats . ... .. .. 175
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Fl oor ma ts .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 1 28
Foot peda ls .... ... .. ..... .......... 128
Fo r th e sake of the environment
Gasoline fumes and the env ironment . . 217
Red ucing engine noise by early upshift -
ing ....... .. .. .. ................. . 11
Refueling . .. .. .... .. ........ ..... 217
Sav ing fuel by early upsh ifting ...... .. 11
Fo ur-zone automatic climate control ... . 66
Fron t air bags
D es cription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
How they wor k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Frontal coll is io ns and the laws of p hys ics 134
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adjusting . .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 125
Child restraints in the front seat ...... 144
Fuel Additives . ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 215
B lended gaso line ..... ............. 215
C u rre nt consumption ........... .. .. . 24
Economy messages (effic iency program) 25
Fuel fil le r flap emergency re lease . .... 218
Fuel fi ller nec k ... .. .. .. ...... .... . 216
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Gasoline .. .. .. .. ... ............ .. 215
Gasoline ad di tives .... ........... .. 216
L ow fue l level symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Octane rat ing . ..... . .. .. ..... ... .. 215
Recommendation ... . .. .. ... ... .. .. 215
Ref uel ling ... .. ...... ............. 217
Reserve ... .. .. .. ... ............ .. . 12
Tank capac ity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 276
Fuses Ass ignment ..... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 264
Rep lacing . .. .. .. ................. 264
G
Ga rage door opener (Homelink ®) . ... .. 120
Ga rment hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Gas discharge lamps ............. .... 267
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