2012 AUDI S6 air condition

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. •
•

Modern eng ine lubrication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years . Many synt hetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can ou tlast traditional petrole­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum­ based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your veh icle 's engine
running smoothly and help prevent the for­
mat ion of harmfu l deposits, sometimes called
"s ludge," that ove r time can lead to expensive
r epairs .
At the t ime of pri nting , engine o ils available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, h owever, that every syn thetic engine oil w ill
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So a lways
be sure that you use an approved oi l.
To help preve nt the format ion of harmful de­
posits use only oi l with the fo llow ing spec ifi­
cations printed on the oil container :
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
O il conta iner labels may carry the specif ica ­
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion w ith other des ig­
nations and oil qua lity standards .
Viscosity
Engine oi ls are graded according to their vis­
cosity. The proper v iscosity grade oi l for your
engine depends on cl imactic or seasonal con­
d itions where you dr ive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SA E 5W40 across all tem ­
pe rature ranges for normal d riving conditions .
However, if eng ine oi l viscosity grade SA E
5W40 is not avai lab le, you can also use viscos­
ity grade SAE 5W -30 or SA E OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi o il quality standard VW 502 00
specifications .
Because engine oil that meets the A udi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we s trongly recomme nd
that you always carry with you a n ext ra quart
Checkin g and fillin g 223
(li ter) of oil that exp ress ly con forms to the
VW S02 00 specification , in case you have to
top
off the o il while on the road.
Only if the level of the o il is at or be low the
minimum mark -and no oi l that expressly
confo rms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00
spec ifications is available -may you top
off
with a h igh quality engine o il, prefe rab ly syn ­
thet ic-based, that meets ACEA A3 or API SM
spec ifications, but even then, only in v iscosity
grades SAE 5W-40 , SA E 5W-30, o r SAE
OW- 40 . However, dur ing the entire time be­
tween o il cha nge inte rva ls, never top
off with
more than a tota l of 0. 5 q t/liter engine o il
that does not con form to A udi oil spe cification
VW S02 00.
Fo r more information abo ut eng ine oi l tha t
has been approved for your veh icle, ple ase
contac t eit h er yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r or
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
or visit our web site at www .a u diusa.com or
www.aud icanada .ca. Here you w ill also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names e tc.) tha t conform to Audi oil s tandard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
T he eng ine oi l and o il f ilt er m ust be changed
according to the mileage (ki lometers) and
time intervals specified i n your ve hicle's War ­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these interva ls - harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changi ng the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important beca use the l ubricat­
ing propert ies of oil decrease gradually during
norma l veh icle use . If you a re not sure when
yo u have your o il cha nged, ask your author­
ized Audi Se rv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
shou ld eve n be changed more frequent ly .
Change oil more often if you dr ive most ly
sho rt distances, operat e the ve hicle in dusty
areas o r most ly under stop-and -go traff ic con-
di tions, o r when you use your vehi cle where .,..
•
•

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

contribution to good road holding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on t ires and
wheels be performed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa ­
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and wheel s
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be s ure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢page 253.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the t ires approved
for your ve hicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci ­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 239.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving character istics, and safety of the
veh icle. The table
(¢page 239) lists spec ifica­
tions of the tir es approved for the Audi mod­
e ls covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on dr iver's side
B-pillar (¢
page 239, fig. 179) lists the speci­
fications of the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 182 . This information
i dent ifies and desc ribes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ide ntificat io n number
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
for sa fety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the co rrec t tires . Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255 /40 R 19 100 H XL
This co nta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nom inal tire width i n mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
40 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra -
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (i n inches)
100 Load ra ting code
H Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinfo rced" or an " Ext ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capab ility
The tires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotation ¢
page 235 .
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2211 .. . " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2011.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rating le tter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permiss ible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 251.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
•
•

Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other vehi­
des -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on vehi­
cles that were equipped with them at the
factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed for run flat tires . Incorrect use
of run flat tires can lead to vehicle dam­
age or accidents. Check with an author­
ized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if
your vehicle can be equipped with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they
must be installed on all four wheels. Mix­
ing tire types is not permitted.
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
Tires and wheels 249
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible .
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
' Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c:> page 246,
fig. 182.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate. .,.. •
•

250 Tire s and wheel s
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under con trolled cond i­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No .
109 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not ove rloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible ti re fa ilu re.
-
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires , those
with very deeply cut tread . Th ese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urch ase snow
t ir es that are the same size and cons truction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle i s equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, t his w ill improve tr action d uring win ter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per­
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter tire size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f
0.1 57 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n­
di tions. S umme r tir es handle be tte r whe n
the re is no snow o r ice on the roa ds and the
temperatu re is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 246 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was manuf actu red. P lease see
c:> page 247,
Speed ra ting (Letter code)
fo r a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.

impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter conditions or un­ paved roads), the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be delayed.
- Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your vehicle.
Your vehicle registration becomes invalid
if you use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents could also result.
(0 Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system stops working when there is an ESP/ABS malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system malfunction .
- To ensure a proper TPMS function use
AUDI Original Tires which are marked
with "AO" or "RO" on the tire sidewall.
¢page 246.
-The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was syntonized using tires with
the "AO" or "RO " identification. We rec­
ommend using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
"' Switch on the ignition.
"' Select in the MMI: !CAR !function button>
Car systems control button > Servicing &
checks > Tire pressure monitoring > Store
tire pressures> Yes, store now.
@ Tips
Before resetting the TPMS, the current
pressures of all four tires must correspond
to the specified values. Adjust the tire
Tires and wheels 255
pressure and reset the pressure in the tire
pressure monitoring system according to
the load you are carrying
c::!;> page 239.
- Do not store the tire pressures if you are
driving with snow chains. Otherwise , a
system malfunction may occur.
•
•

2 78 Consumer Information
Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
You r Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regu lations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A . and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lowe r octane
rating. Improper fuel may cause engine
damage ;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment ;
- replacement pa rts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessar ily work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside North America .
(D Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
Audi Official Factory Service Manuals and Lit­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service manuals and lit­
erature are available to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
s afety, economy and rel iability. For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions, for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
i n very dusty regions , when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some service work
should be performed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter .
(® For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus minimizing adverse
effects on the environment.
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticat­
ed fuel injection and emission contro l sys-
tems, and the genera lly increasing technical
liJJ,