2013 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
•
Canada models: Cruise contro l*
¢ page 79
ra
Adaptive cruise cont rol*
¢page8 4
--
Pl
Adaptive c ruise control*
¢ page84
I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page8 4
•
Audi active lane assist*
¢ page 92
•
Start-Stop-System *
¢page 76
•
Start-Sto p-System *
¢page 76
•
High beam
¢page 43
BRAKE/( ©) Brake system
The ligh t illum inates when t he igni tion is
sw itche d on.
It goe s ou t aft er the eng ine has
been st art ed. This in dicates tha t th e brake
warn ing light is functioning properly .
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case , contact your Audi dealer.
If t he b rake sys tem warning/ind icator light
tur ns on, t here is a br ake system mal func tion.
1111 (USA models) ;II (Canada models)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light t urns on and the mes­
sage appears, p roceed as follows:
... Pu ll off the road .
... St op t he vehicle.
.,. Turn off t he e ngine.
.,. Check the brake flu id leve l<=>
page 234 .
... Contact your neares t authorized repa ir fa­
c ili ty if n ecessary .
Warning! Fault in brake system . Contact
dealer
If the A BS indicator light ri] (U SA mode ls)/
ri] (Canada mode ls), the ESC in dicator light
Pl and the b rake system indicator light
1111 (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada models) turn
o n and the message appears, the ABS , ESC
and braking distr ibut ion are not working<=> &..
Carefully drive to your author ized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunct ion correct­
ed <=>&. .
1111 (USA models )/. (Canada models)
Parking brake: system fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the in dicator light and the message ap ­
pea r
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on ,
check if yo u can re lease the
parking brake. Afte r releasing the par king
brake, carefully d rive to your authorized
Aud i dea le r i mmediately to have the ma l­
fu nction corrected . If yo u can not releas e th e
park ing brake , see k professiona l assistan ce.
- If the ind icator light and the message ap ­
pear
while dr iving , the emergency bra king
fu nction may not be available.
It may not be
po ssibl e to set th e par king b rake or re lease
i t once i t has been set . See k profess io na l as­
s is tan ce.
( U SA mode ls) : If the war ning light
1111 a nd
the war ning light
£1 appear together, imme ­
dia tely con ta ct y our au thor ized A udi dealer or
qualifie d wor kshop to have all brake pad s in­
spe cte d
¢ page 20.
When the light comes on , an aud ible warn ing
s ignal is also g iven .
A WARNING
-Always o bserve the warn ing s in
<=>
page 219, Engi ne compar tmen t, be­
fore openi ng the hood and c hec kin g the
brake fluid .
- Driving with low brake f lui d is a safety
hazard. Stop t he car and get professiona l
assis tance .
- USA mode ls: I f t he 1111 war ning light,
the
G1 warning light and t he m!ID warn-
ing light come on together, the rear .,.

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
wheels co uld 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 qua li­
fied workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warn ing
light ., the
DJ warning light and the
ABS warning light
[iJ come on togethe r,
the rear wheels could lock up fi rst unde r
hard braking. 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.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake f luid reservoir is too low . If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in ­
spected.
- Always keep in mind that after several
brake applications, yo u will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased brak ing distances . The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
PARK/ (®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light- (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) tu rns on, the park ing brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the
ignit ion is off, the indicato r light turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds . The warning/indicator light wi
ll go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
- (USA m odels) /. (C an ada mod els)
C a uti on: V eh icle p ark ed t oo stee p
If the indicator light b links and the message
appea rs, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from roll ing . T he b rakes have
overheated. The veh icle cou ld roll away even
on a sma ll incline.
Pr ess brake p edal to r ele ase parking brake
To release the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button
@ii or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
~ page 75.
Pl ease re le a se park ing brak e
To release the parking brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button
@ii at the
same t ime. The parking brake only releases
automat ica lly if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
IIJ Parking b rake!
If the IIJ indicator light turns on and th is
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualif ied workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
• Switch off engin e and check coolant le vel
If the indicator l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, the coolant temperature is too
high or the coolant leve l is too low .
"' Pull off the road.
"' Stop the vehicle .
"' Tur n off the engine.
"' Check coolant level ~
page 232.
"'Add coolant if necessary ~ page 233.
"' Continue driving on ly after the engine cool­
ant warning/ind icator light goes out.
"' Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as­
sistance if necessary .

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 17
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malf unc­
tion .
• Coola nt te mpera tur e too high! Plea se let
e n gi ne r un with veh icle st atio nar y
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
r u n at id le for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING ,_________
- If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the engine and turn on the ha zard
warning lights
q page 42, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing from the en­
gine compartment -you risk being scald ­
ed . Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo la nt escaping.
- The engine compartment of any veh icle
is a dangerous area . Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
t ur n of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning sticke rs
q page 219,
Engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the. symbol
illuminates . There is a ma lf u nct ion in the
eng ine cooling system -you co uld damage
your engine.
0 Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system .
The. warning/ind icator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the engine has started .
• Alternator fault : Batt ery i s not being
c h arg ed
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or veh icle electrical system .
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediate ly . Because the vehi ­
cle batt ery is discharging , turn off all unnec­
essary electrical equipment such as the rad io.
Seek professiona l assistance if the ba ttery
charge level is too low.
(•) Low b atte ry : b atte ry will be cha rged
w hil e driv ing
If the indica tor ligh t turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ab ility .
If this message t urns off afte r a lit tle while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
autho rized Aud i dea ler o r qualified workshop
cor rect the ma lfu nction .
,{,_ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the d river and any front passenger to put on
the safety be lt. Addit ionally, an aco ustic warn­
i ng (gong) wi ll also so und .
For more Informat io n
q page 136, ~ Safety
belt warning light.
't::7: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair. Driving
with a low-oil-pressure indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Switch off engine and ch eck o il leve l
If the indicator light tu rn s on and the mes­
sage appears, the oi l pressure is too low .
.. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn off the engine.

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
• Check the engine oil level¢ page 230.
• If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 23 0. M ake sure that the oil p res ­
s ur e warning symbol. appea rs no longe r
i n t he d is pl ay before you sta rt d rivi ng a ga in.
• If the engi ne oil leve l is cor rect and the indi ­
cator lig ht st ill tur ns on, tur n the eng ine off
and do not co nti nu e dr iving. Se ek pr of essio­
n al assista nce.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev ­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
l!I requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
1!11. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
!::;. , Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When the symbo l and the dr iver message ap­
pea r, the oil has to be re plenished r igh t now
¢pag e 227.
If the indicator lig ht and the message appear,
add e ngine oil immediate ly ¢
page 230 .
II Add oil , max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
Wh en t he symbo l an d t he dr ive r message ap­
pea r, add the amo unt of o il ap pear in g i n the
di sp lay at the ne xt opport unity ¢
page 22 7.
@-Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If th e indicator lig ht t urns on and the mes­
sage ap pears, the re is an elect ronic steer ing co
lumn lo ck mal func tion. You canno t sw itch
t h e ignit io n on .
D o
not tow yo ur vehicle beca us e it ca nnot b e
s tee re d . S ee k profession al assi sta nce .
ell Steering lock: system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs , t here is an e lectronic stee ring
co lumn lock malfunc tion.
Drive to y our auth orized A udi dealer immed i­
ate ly to have the ma lfu nction corrected .
A WARNING
-Yo u r ve hicle m ust no t be tow ed in t he
ev ent of a malfu nction in th e ele ctr oni c
stee ring colum n lock be cau se it cann ot be
s teere d due to the l ock ed st eeri ng. If it is
to we d wi th t he steer in g lock ed , there is
the r is k of an accident .
©-Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indic ator ligh t turn s on an d the m es­
sage a ppe ars, do
not swi tch the ig nition o ff
because you may not be a ble to sw itch it on
again .
Dr ive to y our au thori zed A udi deal er i mme di­
a te ly to have the m alfunction correc te d .
1111 Engine start system fault . Please con­
tact dealer
If th e indicato r ligh t turns on and the mes ­
sag e appea rs, there is a malf unct ion in th e en­
gine sta rt system.
Drive to your author ized Audi dealer immed i­
ately to have the malfu nction correc ted .
0 Air suspension
Applies to veh icles: w it h air suspens io n
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin-
ue slowly with max . 35 mph.
ll>

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
There is a malfunction that can resu lt in re­
stricted driving stability.
Ca refully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
II Air suspension fault
There is a system malfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clea rance is very low due to a sys ­
tem malfunct ion. Wait until the air suspen­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance . Otherwise, conditions s uch as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
m1 !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models)/ E,I (Canada models) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems (e .g.
a ir bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the
(I (USA models)/ E,i (Canada mode ls)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi ­
nates while you are driv ing, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not illumi nate
when you switch the ignition on, this also
means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherwise the safety sys- terns may not work
properly in an acci­
dent.
;;,/ {A Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC )
This warning/indicator light monitors the
Electronic Stabilization Control.
When you switch the ignition on, the ind icator
li ght
G1 turns on briefly to check the f unction.
If the
J.ii) indicator lamp blinks while driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regu lation) is active­
l y regu lating .
If the
J.ii) indicator lamp illum inates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESC off.
If the indicator light II turns on, the ESC was
switched to ESC sport mode with the button
@ c:> page 192. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESC by switching the ignition off and
then on again . The warning/indicator light
shou ld go o ut to show that the system is fu lly
funct ional aga in.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the indicator light Ji) and the ABS indicator
light~ (USA models)
![I] (Canada mod ­
els) turn on and the message appears, there is
a malfunction in the ABS system or electronic
differential lock. This also interrupts the ESC.
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
If the battery terminals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start ­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESC sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards. The warning/indicator
light illuminates. The warning/indicator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
complete.
For more information about the ESC
c:>page 192.

20 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
ABS/{ @) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light & (USA mod­
e ls)
;tlJ (Canada mode ls) will co me on fo r a
few seconds when the igni tion is switched on .
Th e ligh t w ill go out after an a utomatic chec k
se quence is completed.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when :
-The warni ng/i ndicator lig ht does not ill umi ­
nate whe n yo u switch the ign ition on .
- The warni ng/indicator lig ht does not go out
after a few seconds .
- The wa rning/indicator lig ht ill uminates
wh ile dr iving.
The ESC indicator light a lso ill uminates if
there is a malfunction in the ABS . T h e mes­
sage
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS ): Fault!
See owner's manual
a lso appea rs in the in ­
strument cluster display and a warning tone
sou nds .
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system .
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For mo re in forma tion regarding the A BS
¢ page 192.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake wa rning light ¢ page 15 and t he
ABS warning ill uminate
together there may be
a malf u nc tion in the ABS, and there may also
be a ma lf u n ct ion in the b rak e system itse lf
¢ ,&. . The ABS will not work and you will no­
tice a change in braking response and per­
formance.
I n the eve nt of a malfunction in the brake
system
t h e warn ing/ indicato r light 1111
(USA model s). (C an ada models) in th e i n­
s tru men t cluster flashes¢
page 1 5.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works t oget he r with the A BS. T he
A BS w arning ligh t will come on i f there is a malfunction in the
ED L sys tem
¢ page 192.
See your author ized Audi dealer as soon as
poss ible.
A WARNING
"---
- I f the E (U SA mo de ls)l ii] (Canada
models) warning light does not go out,
or if it c om es on whi le driving, t he ABS
sys tem is not wor king properly . Th e vehi ­
cl e ca n th en be sto pped on ly wit h th e
st an dard b rakes (with out A BS). Y ou w ill
no t have the pro te ct ion ABS pro vide s.
Con tact your Audi de aler as so on as pos­
sible .
-USA m odels: If th e 1111 warn ing ligh t,
the
J;.J w ar nin g light and t he & warn ­
in g light come on together, the rear
whee ls could lock up first under har d
b rak ing. Rear wheel lock-up can ca use
l o ss of vehicle control and an acci dent .
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your au thoriz ed A udi deale r or a quali­
fi ed workshop. Dr ive sl ow ly and avo id
sud de n, hard bra ke a ppli catio ns.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light ., th e
DJ warning light and t he
A BS war ning ligh t
[(Gia come on toget her,
the re ar wheel s could lock up firs t under
ha rd br aking. Rea r whee l loc k-up ca n
cause loss of ve hicl e contro l and an acci­
dent . Have your veh icle repa ired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qua lified w ork shop. Drive s lowly and
av oid sudden, hard b rake applications .
{0) Worn brake pads
EtJ Brake pads!
If the warning light i lluminates, immed iate ly
contact your a uthori zed Audi dea ler or qua li­
fied workshop to have all brake pads i nspect­
ed . On USA mode ls t he war ning ligh t
EtJ
comes on toge ther w ith the warn ing light
1111 . Both se ts of brake pads on an ax le
mu st always be re place d at th e same t ime.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 21
A WARNING 1= ~
Driv ing with bad brakes can cause a coll i-
sion and serious personal injury .
- If the warning light
EiJ and the warning
light
11111> w ith the message B rake
pad s!
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
tho rized Aud i dealer o r qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads chec ked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The Ga warn ing/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check .
(D Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are dr iving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine elect ron ics. Have
the malfunction co rrected as soon as pos­
sible by yo ur autho rized Aud i dea ler o r
qualified repair facility.
Ci Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbot
¢1111ij lights up when the ignit ion is
switched on and w ill turn
off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed. Th is ind icates that the MIL is working
properly .
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunct ion in the engine electronic system.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer and have
the ma lfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illum inate
c.> page 222.
For more information c.> page 29.
1) - : USA mod els only
!'1 Engine speed limitation
App lies to veh icles : w ith eng ine speed limitatio n
(I! Engine sp ee d ma ximum XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to
the speed d isplayed in the dr iver information
system . Th is protects the engine from over­
heating.
The eng ine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have re leased the acce lera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light
Ga a lso turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed disp layed.
Drive to your author ized A udi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
~, Engine oil level
II Add o il, ma x. x qt (l). You ma y continue
dri ving
When the symbol II and dr iver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity¢
page 230.
~ •. Engine oil sensor
II Oil le vel! Sensor d efecti ve
If the symbol i lluminates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dea ler and have the oil sensor
inspected. Until you have this done, check the
oi l level each time you refue l just to be on the
safe s ide
c.> page 230.
Bil Fuel level indicator
Ii] Ple ase re fuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first
time and the message appears, there are
about 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank. Time to refuel
c.> page 221.
Ii] Tank system malfun ction! Contact dealer ..,_

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light t urns on and th is mes ­
sage ap pears, the re is a ma lfunction in the
tan k system.
D rive to yo ur aut hori zed Au di dealer i mmedi­
ate ly to have the mal func tion cor rected .
C> Windshield washer fluid level
Ill Please refill washer flu id
If th e sym bol illum inates, add w indshield
washer fluid to the was her system/ headlight
washer system* ~
page 239.
'1:> Windshield wipers
g._5 Windshield wiper defective
T here is a mal funct io n with the w indshield
wipers.
Dr ive to yo ur aut horized Aud i dea le r immedi ­
ate ly to have the mal func tion cor re cte d.
~ /0$ Defective light bulb warning
rs)-If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb .
&II-if a re ar fog l amp has f ailed, the indic ator
lig ht tu rns on to indica te the location on t he
ve hicl e.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appea rs, there is a malfunc ­
tion in the hea dlights or light switch .
Drive to your authori zed Audi dea ler immedi­
ately to have the mal function cor rected.
A WARNING
- Light b ulbs are pressurized and co uld ex­
plode whi le they are being changed caus­
ing ser ious perso na l inju ry.
- Wor k w ith due care w hen handling the
hig h-voltage section of gas d ischa rge
( x enon) lig hts. Fa ilur e to d o so co uld re­
sul t in deat h or seriou s inju ry.
(D Tips
Have t he b ulb replaced or the co nnect ion
r epaire d by y our authorized A udi Se rvice
department.
i,0 Headlight range control
II Headlight range control : defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlig ht range
control is no longer working properly. Have
the system checked and repaired at you r A udi
dealer .
~D
Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive light
mFJ Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes ­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
adaptive light system. The head lights sti ll
func tion.
Go to an authorized dealersh ip to have the
headlights or t he c ontrol un it for the Adaptive
Light repa ired .
@:> Light/rain sensor
!'al Automatic headlights /automatic wipers :
system fault
If the indicato r light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, the light/ rain sensor is not
funct ioning corr ect ly .
For safety reasons the low beams are t urned
o n pe rmanently with the sw itch in
AUTO .
However, you can co ntinue to turn the lights
o n and off using the light switch . Yo u can st ill
c o ntrol a ll functions that are independent of
t h e ra in sensor th roug h th e w ind shield wipe r
lever .
Co ntact you r authorized Audi dea le r as soon
as possib le to have t he p roblem corrected .
}-: Sport differential
Applies to vehicles: with sport different ial
Ill Sport differential: system fault