2012 AUDI A6 oil type

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sig n of the fac ility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the pa int has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a ca r wash, be s ure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof. Factory installed an­
tennas m ust not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessor ies on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car was h operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 204.
(D Note
- Fo ld the exterior mirro rs -flat there is a
r isk of damaging the exterio r mirrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be fo lded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Compare the track of your vehicle w ith
the d istance between the guide ra ils of
the facility- there is a risk of damage to
t h e wheels and tires .
- Compare the width of your vehicle wit h
the width of the tu nnel at the fac ility .
Cleaning and protec tion 205
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and u nderstood the WARNINGS
¢ .&. in General information on page 204 .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off.
.,. As you clean yo ur vehicle , start w it h the
roof and wor k your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge o r the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use specia l car shampoo only for
very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly with water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gent ly w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door sills and othe r regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you w ill not scratch
the pa int w it h coarse par ticl es imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the ca r.
& WARNING ~ -
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers , or other hard
to reach parts witho ut protecting yo ur
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 204.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if the surface of the ve hicle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
cou ld scratch your vehicle's paint or win ­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage your paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water •
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grease or dye must be patted off using ab ­
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste a nd wa­
ter.
I n the case of genera l soiling of the uphols­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
Q page 204.
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
s olvent -fr ee plasti c
cleane r/pro te cta nt.
A WARNING
So lvents can change the properties o f
some plastics and make it ha rder for the
airbag to dep loy.
- Never clean the instr ument pane l o r the
s u rface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents w ill make
the surface o f th is part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic pa rts
come loose whe n the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
ot her information~
page 204 .
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
a tt ack t he mater ial and ca n change the
way i t behaves .
Cleaning and protec tion 21 1
Trim and molding
Trim and molding in the vehicle inte rior can
be clean ed wi th a dry m icrofiber cloth. To pre­
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning so lu­
tions.
Natural leather
Appl ies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offe r ma ny d iffe rent types of leathe r o n
ou r vehicles. Most are diffe rent types of nappa
l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colo rs .
T he intensity of the co lor determ ines the visu­
al cha racteristics and appea ran ce. If the su r­
f a ce of the leather has a typ ica l na tural look,
then the leather is a nap pa lea ther that has
been left in a relative ly natura l condition . This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect
bites, sk in fo lds, and subt le variations in color
rema in v isible. These character istics demon­
strate that the mate rial is natural.
Natura l nappa leather is not covered by a co l­
or finish. It is therefore more sens it ive to soil­
ing and wear, which is someth ing you need to
conside r if ch ildren, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard o n the
leat her .
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durable. This
has a positive effect on the leather 's resist­
an ce to wea r and soiling in da ily use. On the
othe r hand, the typica l charac teristics of natu­
ral leathe r are barely or not appa ren t. Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leathe r itse lf
is of infe rior quality. •
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212 Cleaning and protec tio n
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nat ure of the types of
l eather that Audi uses and their unique prop ­
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soi l­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, dark cloth ing
materials can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
ly if such cloth ing is damp and was not dyed
correctly). Dust and dirt part icles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an ab ras ive effect
and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
long t ime, your leather sea ts will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n o rder to maintain the va lue of t his natura l
p rod uct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep you r leather from bleaching out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunl ight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked o utside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
l eave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
- After each t ime you clean the leather and
at regu lar intervals, use a leather preser­
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
creme wi ll nourish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping it to b reath e and stay
supple.
It also helps to bu ild up a protec­
tive coat ing on the s urface.
- Clean t he leather every 2 -3 mont hs,
and clean a ny areas that get soiled. - Remove fresh marks made by ballpo
int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as poss ible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a specia l co lored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and a t­
tention .
Normal cl eaning
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woo len cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More s tubbor n dirt can be removed using a
cloth sa turated wi th a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap sol ution to saturate
the leath er, and make certain that no water
soak s into the seam s.
.. Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleanin g spot s
.. Remove fresh wate r-based spots (s uch as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil -based spots
(such as butte r, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spo t has no t yet penetrated i nto t he surface
of the leathe r .
.. Use an oil/grease d issolving spray, if
oil /
grea se spot s ha ve d ried on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe polish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for lea ther.
L e athe r care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dealer) to
care for the leather . .,.

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. .,.

designated seating position) and luggage
weight~&. .
Gros s Axle W eight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad tha t can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q .&. .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list­
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap.
Roof weight
The max imum perm issible roof weight is
22 0 lb (100 kg ). The roof weight is made up
of the weight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object be ing transported
q page 58, Loading the roof rack .
.&, WARNING
- T he ac tual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex­
ceed the permiss ible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing .
- Exceeding permissib le weight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, accidents and
personal injury.
CD Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage) . When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as possib le so that the veh i­
cle's handling is not impa ired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the max imum gross vehicle
weight . Always remember that the vehi­
cle's handling will be affected by the ex­
tra load. Therefore, adjust you r speed ac ­
cord ingly.
- Always observe loca l regu lations.
-
G ene ral in formation 27 5
Dimensions
The specifications refer to the basic model.
Differences may occur depending on the mod­
el type and options ordered, for example, tire
sizes.
CD Note
When driving up steep ramps, on rough roads, over curbs, etc. it is important to re­
member that some parts of your vehicle,
such as spoilers or exhaust system compo­ nents, may be close to the ground . Be
careful not to damage them .
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