2013 AUDI A6 warning light

Checking and filling 22 7
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 184 Typical layout for conta iners and engine o il filler cap
@ Jump start poin t(-) with hex
head screw .. .............. . 237,274
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
®
©
®
©
er .. .. ... ..... ...... ...... 237,274
Brake fluid r eservo ir
((0)) . . . . . 234
Eng ine oil filler cap
("1:::r.) . . . . . 230
Coolant expansion tank
(-L) .. .
Windshield/headlight washer
t . ('"') con ainer O ......... .... .
232
239
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be lo­
cated in a different area depending on the
ver­
sion of the eng ine.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 225.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. This eng ine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regardi ng
quality and viscosity so that it can run smoothly and reliably. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals p rinted in you r vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a special quality standard for engine oil that
will hel p assure that your vehicle's engine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
tion.

the level may be slightly above the "max"
marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢ page 22 7.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System ¢page 16will
illuminate until you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level sensor , we
still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
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.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
& 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 your 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 while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­ freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts . Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool ­
ant can catch fire .
Checking and filling 233
@ Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
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 225 .
.,. Turn
off the engine .
.,. let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢ fig .
187 and carefully twist the cap
counter-clockwise ¢&_ .
.,. Add coolant.
.,. Twist the cap on again tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢ page
2 32, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain
water until you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio. This should
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
II-
•
•

234 Checking and filling
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the eng ine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping flu id and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
i n a counter-clockwise direction while
apply ing l ight, downwa rd p ress ure on
the top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
gine coolant can catch f ire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal container and we ll
out of the reach of children .
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clear ly marked "poison".
@ Note
- Coolant po llutes the env ironment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess coo l­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure re lief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, on ly water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c::> page 232 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be re used. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­
ing all environmental regulat ions .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
An auxiliary e lectr ic radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operating cond itions. After you switch the engine off, the aux
iliary
fan can cont inue running for up to 10 minutes
- even w it h the ignition off. It can even switc h
on again later by itself
c::> .&. , if
- the temperatu re of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-- To reduce the risk of persona l injury nev-
er touch the radiator fan.
- The a uxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
contro lled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops .
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 1 88 En gin e compa rtme nt: cove r on t he brake fluid
reservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 225.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c::> fig. 188, c:> fig . 184. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
IJ>

The location of the brake fl uid reservo ir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c::> page227.
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
l ow the "MIN" mark, the bra ke wa rning/ind i­
cator light
1111 (U .S . models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on
c::> page 15. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system sho uld be thoroughly checked
by an author ized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied fac ility and the cause corrected . If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
i ndicator light w ill illuminate . Contact an au­
thor ized Audi dealer
imm ediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
brake fluid w ill also decrease consider ably and
dec rease b raking per formance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
ever y two years . Always use new b rake fluid
whi ch confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoir ca n be difficult to
r eac h, therefo re , we re commend that yo u
have the brake fl uid changed by y our autho r­
i z ed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the correct
too ls, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-Brake fluid is po isonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed orig inal container
out of t he reac h of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old o r inap ­
propr iate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
caut ions:
Checkin g and fillin g 235
-Use only brake f luid that meets SAE
spec ificat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Ve hicle Standard 116.
Always check with your autho rized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid . The correct type of
brake f lu id is also ind icated on the
brake flu id rese rvoi r.
- The bra ke fluid must be new. Heavy us e
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the b ra ke fluid is left i n the system too
l ong . This can se riously affec t the effi ­
ciency of the b rakes as well as your
safety . This co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
B rak e fluid wi ll damage the pa int o f you r
vehicle .
~ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the p rob lem of pro per disposal
of bra ke fluid as well as the spe cial too ls
r equired an d the necessary exper tise, we
r ecommend that yo u have the brake flu id
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal ope ra ti ng cond itions , the bat­
te ry in yo ur Audi doe s not need any ma inte ­
nance. With
high outside tempera tures or
l ong daily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level checked by a service fa­
c ili ty. The electrolyte leve l should a lso be
checked each t ime the battery is charged
c:> page 237.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to
replace a batte ry that is older than 5 years .
Wi th certain types of airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec­
trical system for safety reasons
c> & in Re­
pair , care and disposal of the airbags on
page 161.
~
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236 Check ing and filling
Di sconnect ing the batt ery terminal s
Some vehicle functions (power window regu­
l ators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicles not dri ven fo r lo ng period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer period
¢ page 19 7 . Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, such as the inte rior
lights or powe r seat adjustme nt. The conven ­
ience functions will be ava ilable again when
you switch on the ignition and start the en­
gine.
Winter operati on
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as tempe ratures drop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
start ing, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in c ity traffic or when trave ling on ly
short distances. Let your authorized Audi
dea ler check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
¢ page 237. A well
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
veh icle battery should be removed and
sto red where it will not freeze. This w ill
prevent it from being damaged and hav ing
t o be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
th ing in the luggage compartment,
read and
h ee d all WARNINGS
¢ ,&,
Always heed the safet y warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec ­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important wh en wor king on the battery :
Alway s heed the following WARNING S YM­
BOLS and safety prec autions when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contain s sulfuric acid.
Alwa ys wear glove s and ey e protec­
tion.
No
- sparks
-flames
- smoking .
1
When a b atter y is charged, it pr odu­
ces hydrogen gas which i s ex plosive
and could cau se per sonal injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of children .
.&_ WARNING ~
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
i njury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other inju ry.
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.

-Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings .
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
medical attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light .
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables .
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury .
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury .
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children .
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the elec­ trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected.
If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery , switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables - this could start a fire!
Checking and filling 237
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery . It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32 °F
(0 oc).
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al ­
ways replace a damaged battery .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems . Wash hands after han­
dling .
(D Note
-Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is on or when the en­
gine is running, otherwise, you will dam­
age electronic components in the electri­
cal system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
Battery charging
Start ing the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig . 189 Eng in e compart ment : co nnecto rs for a charg ·
e r and jump st art cable s
1111>

Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intell igent energy management in your vehi­
cle is respons ible for d istributing the electri­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
~ page 197. The intel ligent energy ma nage­
ment system w ill keep the eng ine batte ry
charged be tte r than vehicles w ithout t his sys­
tem . To make sure the additional e lectrical en ­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and man u­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations a re listed on the battery hous ing . Your
author ized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy managemen t fu nctions co r­
rectly a fter replacing the battery .
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12-vo lts), a mperage, construct ion
and p lug sealing.
When installing the battery , make sure the ig ­
n ition and all e lectr ica l cons umers are sw itch­
ed off.
CD Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the s ide
of the battery is connected, ot herwise
fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a specia l cycle-proof AGM
batte ry. Insta lling a different type of
batte ry can c ause prob lems in the vehi­
cle electrical system . When rep lacing the
vehicle battery, always insta ll one with
the same specifications as the original battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposa l
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Aud i dea ler change the battery for
you. Batter ies contain sulf uric ac id and
Checkin g and fillin g 239
lead and must always be disposed o f prop ­
erly in compliance with a ll environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batter ies
i mproperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment.
Windshield/headlight
washer container
Fi g. 1 90 Engine compar tment: cover on th e windshield
and headl ig ht* washe r flu id reservo ir
The washer fluid conta iner is marked w ith the
symbol ~ on its cap
~ fig . 190, ~fig. 184.
... Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always r ead and heed all
WARNINGS ¢ _& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 225.
... Lift the fil le r cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fi ll the containe r to the top.
... Press the cap back onto the fi lle r neck after
filling the container.
You can find the reservo ir
cap acit y in the table
in
¢ page 282.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
poss ible, use soft wa ter to prevent scaling on
washer jets . Always add a g lass cleaner solu­
tion (with frost protection in the winter).
CD Note
Do not mix engine coo lant antifreeze or
any o ther additives to fill up t he wind­
sh ield washer reservoir .
•
•

the time it was manufactured. For the
l ocation of the labe l¢
fig . 191.
Most ti res lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you drive ove r a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking . It is usua lly
not possib le to see whether the radia l tires
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long trip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ¢
page 248, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when check ing and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
forget the spare t ire. If the p ressure in any tire
i s too high when the tire is "cold," le t air out
of the ti re slowly with t he edge of the t ire
ga uge and keep checking the pressure un til
you reach the press ure that is correct for the
l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
I f the p ressure in any tire is too low, note the
d ifference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure yo u need and add the a ir
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the t ires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your veh icle and in this manua l and the kind
of dr iv ing yo u pla n to do .
Never e xceed the ma ximum inflation pres ­
sure listed on the t ire s ide wall for any rea ­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re press ure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pi llar .
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
- Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockw ise
to remove it from the tire va lve .
- Place the ai r pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressures should o nly be checked
a nd ad justed when the tires are co ld. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on t he va lve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds . The pressure should
the refore be checked at least once a month
and always before sta rting a jo urney. Do not
f o rge t to chec k the ti re p ressu re fo r the sp are
whee l
q page 262.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the t ire pr essure to the load you a re
ca rrying. After chang ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls yo u have to adjust the ti re p ressu res
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres ­
s u re monito ring system*
q page 258.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handli ng of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout a nd sudden de­
f lation, ca u sing loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- T he drive r is responsib le for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the ve hicle.
Th e appli cable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticker o n the dr iver's s ide B-pil-
la~
~
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