2013 AUDI A6 brake pads

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Canada models:
[I]
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ./
¢ page20
•
Worn brake pads
¢ page20
:rm
Electromechanical parking brake
¢ page 74
g
Tire pressure monitoring system
./
¢page258
Tire pressure monitoring system
••w;~, ¢ page258
Im
Electronic power control ./
¢ page 21
I Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
111!
./
¢ page21
.,
Engine speed limitation
¢ page 21
I.
Engine oil level
¢ page 18
•
Engine oil sensor
¢ page 21
&1
Battery
¢ pagel7
Ill
Tank system
¢page 21
•
Windshield washer fluid level
¢page22
m
Windshie ld wipers
¢ page22
!I
Remote control key
¢page 71
m
Remote control key
¢ page 74
I!
Battery in remote control key
¢ page32
-.
l:J
Defective ligh t bulb warn ing
¢ page22
II
Rear fog light(s)
¢page22
II
Headlight range control
¢page22
- -
Ill
adaptive light *
¢page22
m
Light -/rain sensor faulty
¢ page 22
- -
•
Audi active lane assist *
¢page92
Im
T ransmission
¢ page 110
Im
Transmission
¢page 110
R1
Transmission
- S t ron ic ® ¢ page 110
•
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 18
- -
.,
Engine start system
¢page 18
£1.p
Electromechanical steering
¢page 196
•
Air suspens ion*
¢ page 18
Ill
Sport differential *
¢page22
Other indicator lights
II
II
I : I -._ I• 11
Turn signals ¢ page 23
USA model s: Cruise control *
¢page
79
,,_
...

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 ..,_

194 Intelligent technology
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped w ith identi­
cal tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the indicator light
DJ or 11:11 (USA
models) 1i] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction¢
page 20,
c> page 19.
Switching on and off
ESC
turns on automatically when you start
the engine.
Fig. 177 Center console w it h ESC OFF button
Switching sport mode on
Press the I~ OF FI button c::> fig . 177. The ac­
tions taken by the ESC system to stabilize the
vehicle are limited. In vehicles with front
wheel drive, the anti-slip regulation (ASR) is
limited. In vehicles with a ll-wheel drive, the
ASR is switched off. The
It) ESC indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabilization con­
trol (ESC): Off Warning! Reduced stability
¢.&. appears in the driver information system
d isplay.
The following examples are unusual situa­
tions where it may make sense to switch sport
mode on in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Switching sport mode off
Press the 1.$ OF FI button again. The I indica­
tor light turns off and the message
Stabiliza­
tion control (ESC): On
appears in the driver
information system display .
A WARNING
-
-Drive wheels can spin and you can lose
control of the vehicle more easily when
ASR and ESC are in sport mode, especial­
ly when the road is slippery.
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving skills, traffic and weather condi­
tions permit.
@ Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on when
adaptive cruise control* is working.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
-
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving hab its
c::> .&. . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop­
and-go city t raff ic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect of the engine . This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals .
Moisture o r road salt
Under certain conditions, for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in .,,_

freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications sho uld d ry
off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at h igher speeds wit h
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter­
va ls so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver w ill not no­
tice anything.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt -covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
¢ ,&..
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
f irmly a few times from a moderately high
speed ¢,&. .
Fa ult s in the b rake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed
c> ,&..
Lo w brak e flu id le vel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically.
Brake boo ste r
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢ ,&. .
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by vis ual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces-
Int ellig ent technolog y 195
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 263 , Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long o r too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, p remature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain cl imatic and operating
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums . Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings w il l be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period o f time on
salt- covered roads wi thout using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near-
est A udi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
~
•
•

Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
For the first 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. This applies whether the
transmission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
¢ page 11.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 ki lome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, t hese rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and environment 199
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing the f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llowing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 ki lomete rs) afte r they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pads don't have the best stop­
p ing power and must be "broken-i n" dur­
ing the initi al 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more firm ly . This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
•
•

Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full b raking effect.
([) Note
-Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electr ical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
i ng th rough water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~ page 76.
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng t hrough it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the eng ine off whe n driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep fo r your vehi­
cle to drive t hrough safely.
- Avoid dr iv ing through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 201
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your pe rsonal d riving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut you r
fuel consumpt io n by 10-15 percent . T his sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your po cketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROT ECTI ON AGENCY
( E PA) a nd Tra nspo rt Canada may no t corre­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
road, which will va ry depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most f ue l when they a re ac ­
ce le rat ing. If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
•
•

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.
~
•
•