2013 AUDI A6 headlights

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overv iew of the instrument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge .. .
@ Tachometer (eng ine rev counter)
@ Turn signals ............... .
11
12
43
@ Display with
®
®
-Driver information system .. .
- Wa rning/ind icator lights
Tachometer Fuel gauge
@ Tips
23
12
12
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) turns on when the ignition is on
and the vehicle lights are turned off. As
the daylight fades, the illumination of the
dials likewise dims automatically and wil l
go out completely when the outside light
is very low. This feature is meant to rem ind
you to switch on the headlights when out­
side light conditions become poor.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge CD¢ fig. 3 only
works when the ignition is on . To prevent
damage to your eng ine, please note the fol­
l owing important points:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the eng ine has not reached operating
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applica­
tions.
Normal temperatu re
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving cond i­
t ions. The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the engine is under heavy load or the exterior
temperature is high. This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate. If the LEDs
in the upper area of the disp lay and the indica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢page 219, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.

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

Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on and off
Fig . 33 Instrument pane l: lig ht sw itc h wit h all -weath­
er lights•
The headlights only wo rk when the ignition is
switched on. Wh ile start ing the eng ine o r
when switching off the ign ition, the head­
lights will go off and on ly the side marker
lights will be on .
If the system is not operating p rope rly, a
war ning symbol in the dr iver information dis­
p lay is d isplayed
c::> page 22 .
Light switch -'tj_ -
Tu rn the switch c::> fig . 33 to the correspond ing
position . When the lights a re switched on, the
oD o: symbo l tu rns on .
0 -The lig hts are off or the dayt ime runn ing
lights are on:
- USA models: The day time running lights
will come on automatically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 33 is in
the
O posit ion or the AUTO position (only in
daylight cond itions). The
Daytime running
light s
function can be turned on and off in
the MMI
c::> page42, c::>A .
-Ca nada model s: The daytime running lig hts
will come on automa tically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 33 is in
the
O position, the : Do: pos ition or the AUTO
position (only in daylight conditions) c::> A .
AUTO -Automatic headlights swi tch on and
off depend ing o n brightness, for example i n
tw ilight, during rain or in tunnels
c::> &. .
:Do: -Side marker lights
io -Low beam headlights
Clear vi sion 41
lm -Fog lights* (vehicles with Xenon p lus
headlights *)
~ -All-weather lights *
@il-Rear fog lights* . When the rear fog lights
are on, the symbol
0$ on the switch will i llu­
minate.
All-weather lights*
In vehicles with all-wea ther lights , the front
ligh ts are ad justed au tomatically so that yo u
are less like ly to see glare from your own
head lights , for example when driving on a wet
road.
Automatic h eadl ight range control*
T he head lights do not blind oncoming traffic
i f the veh icle load changes . The headligh t
range also adj usts automatically when brak­
ing and accelerating .
Light functions
The following light funct io ns are availab le de­
pend ing on vehicle equipment and o nly func­
tion when t he lig ht switch is in the AUTO posi­
tion . You can deactivate these functions in the
MMI under
Audi adaptive light c::> page 42.
Vehicles with St atic corn ering light* : the cor­
ner ing ligh t sw itches on a utomat ically when
the steering whee l is turned at a certain angle
at speeds up to approximately 44 mph
( 7 0 km/h) and when the turn signa l is activat ­
ed at speeds up to approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h) . The area to the side of the vehicle
is illum inated better when turn ing .
Vehicles with
Dynamic cu rve light* : the curve
light only functions at speeds between ap­
proximately 6 mph (10 km/h) and 68 mph
(110 km/h) and adapts itself to the curves in
the road .
~

42 Clear vision
& WARNING
-Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the driver . They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to turn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibility conditions. For example, fog
cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights
io
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists. Always turn on
theheadlightssothatyoucanseeahead and so that others can see your car from
the back .
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described .
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
{D) Tips
- The light sensor* for automatic head­
light range control* is located in the rear
view mirror mount . You should therefore
not apply any stickers to the windshield
in this area in order to prevent malfunc­
tions or failures .
- In the event of a light sensor malfunc ­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display ~
page 22 .
-You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- In cool or damp weather, the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They will clear shortly after
switching them on. This does not affect
the service life of the lighting.
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 34 Ce nte r co nso le: em erg en cy flash er sw itc h
.. Press the switch I:;,,. ~fig. 34 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
signal indicator lights
B Nin the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch
I:;,,. blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flashers also work when the ignition is
turned off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed.
@ Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
- you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
-your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.
Adjusting the exterior lighting
The settings ore adjusted in the MMI.
.. Select: !CAR ! function button> (Car)* sys­
tems
control button > Vehicle settings > Ex-
terior lighting.
Ill>

Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following settings in the
Automatic headlights menu:
Headlights activation time -You can adjust if
the headlights switch on
Early, Med . or Late
according to the sensitivity of the ligh t sensor.
Audi adaptive light* -You can switch adaptive
light
On and Off.
Daytime running lights
USA models:
You can switch the dayt ime run­
n ing lights
on and off .
Canada models :
The function cannot be
turned off . It is activated automatically each
time the ignition is switched on. This menu
item is shown "greyed out" .
Coming home, Leaving home
The coming home function illuminates the
area outside the vehicle when you switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door. To turn
the function on, select
Lights when leaving
car > On .
The leaving home function illuminates the
area outside the vehicle when you un lock the
vehicle. To turn the funct ion on, select
Lights
when unlocking car > On .
The coming home and leaving home functions
only operate when it is dark and the light
switch is in the
AUTO position.
Clear vision 43
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col­
umn is used to operate the turn signals and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash­
er.
Fig. 35 Tu rn signal and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the
following functions:
Turn signals ¢ 9 ©@
.. 0 .... ~
.,. Push the leve r up as far as it can go to turn
on the right turn signa l or down to turn on
the left tu rn s ignal ¢
fig. 35.
... Move the lever briefly until you meet resist­
ance and re lease it to flash three times.
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and hold it there to determine
the flashing time for the turn signals.
High beam ~D @
... Push the lever forward to switch on the high
beam .
.,. Pull the lever back towards you to sw itch
off
the high beam.
Headlight flasher ~D ©
... Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to
use the headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
-The turn signals on ly work w ith the ignition
sw itched on. The indicator l ights
B or Bin
the instrument cluster¢ page 12 also blink.
-After you have turned a corner, the turn sig-
n al switches
off automatically.
- The
high beam works only when the head-
lights are on. The indicator light
El in the .,.

44 Clear vis ion
instrument cluste r illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- T he
headlight flash er works only as long as
yo u hold the lever - even if there are no
l ights turned on. The indicator light
II in
the instrument cluster il luminates when you
use the headlight flasher.
A WARNING
Do not use the high beam or headlight
flasher if you know that these could blind
oncoming traffic.
Interior lights
Front and rear interior lighting
Fi g. 36 Headliner: Front interior ligh ts
Fig . 37 Re ar headli ne r: Readi ng light
Press the appropriate button q fig . 36:
El-Interior lighting on/off
I]]-Door contac t sw itch . The inter ior lighting
turns on automatica lly when you unlock the
vehicle, open a door or switch the ignition off.
The interior lighting turns off several seconds
after you close the doors, when you lock the
vehicle or when you sw itch the ignition on.
When a door is open, the light t urns off afte r
a few minutes.
L:!l -Read ing lights on/off
~ - Switching the rear read ing lights on/off
from the cockpi t.
I" REARI * - Switching the rear reading lights
o n/off from the cockpit.
Ambience lighting
Applies to vehicles: with ambience lighting
You can adjust the br ightness for the ambi­
ence ligh tin g.
.. Select in the MMI: ICARlfunction butto n>
(Car )* sys tem s control button > Vehicle set­
ting s
> Interi or lighting > Brightne ss.
.. To increase or reduce the b rightness , turn
t he knob and press it .
T he ambience light ing tu rns on when you turn
t h e headlights on wh ile the ig nition is swi tc h ­
ed on.
(D Tips
The setti ng is automati cally sto red and as­
s igned to the remo te contr ol key t hat i s in
u se .
Instrument illumination
You can adjust the brightness of the instru­
men t and di splay illumination a s well as the
Head-up Display*.
Fi g. 38 Instrume nt illumina tion
... Press the knob to re lease it.
.. Turn the knob toward"-" or"+" to reduce or
increase the br ightness .
.. Press the knob aga in to return it to its origi-
na l posit ion . ...

46 Clear vision
Wiper and washer
system
Switching the windshield wipers on
Fig. 42 Wind shie ld wipe r lever
Move the windshield wiper lever to the corre­
sponding position:
@ - Windshield wipers off
(I) -Rain sensor mode. The windshield wipers
switch on once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­
proximately 2 mph (4 km/h) and it is raining.
The higher the rain sensor sensitivity is se t
(switch @to the right), the earlier the wind­
shield wipers react to moisture on the wind­
shield. You can deactivate rain sensor mode in
the MMI, which will then activate intermittent
mode. Select:
ICARI function button > (Car)*
systems control button > Driver assist> Rain
sensor
> Off. In intermittent mode, you can
adjust the interval time using the switch @.
@-Slow wiping
@-Fast wiping
© -Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this
posi tion longer, the wipers switch from slow
wiping to fast wiping .
® - Clean the windshield . The wipers wipe
one time after several seconds of driving to remove water drople ts. You can switch this
function off by moving the lever to position ®
within 10 seconds after the afterwipe . The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
you switch the ignition on.
Cleaning the headlights*. The headlight wash­
er system* operates only when the headlights
are on . If you move the lever to position ®, the headlights and the night vision assistant
camera* are washed in intervals.
.&_ WARNING
-
- The rain sensor is only designed to assist
and support the driver.
It remains entire­
ly the driver's responsibility to monitor
outside weather conditions and to man­
ually activate the wipers as soon as rain
or drizzle reduces visibility through the
windshield.
- The windsh ield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Properly functioning windshield wiper
blades are required for a clear view and
safe driving
q page 47, Replacing
windshield wiper blades.
(D Note
- In the case of frost, check whether the
windshield wiper blades are frozen to
the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system must be switched off (lever
in position @). This helps to prevent un­
intentional switching on and damage to
the windshield wiper system.
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window . Using the wipers as a conven­
ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
blades .
(D Tips
-The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is off . Activate the
windshield wipers after the ignition is
switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
result in streaking. This can affect the

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sig n of the fac ility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a ca r wash, be s ure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof. Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car was h operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 208.
CD Note
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto­
matic car wash, please make sure to re­
tract the exterior m irrors to prevent
them from being damaged. Power fo ld­
i ng exter ior mirrors* must not be folded
i n or out by hand . Always use the electri­
ca l power control.
- Compare the width of your vehicle with the width of the tunnel at the fac ility.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ fr. .
Cleaning and protec tion 209
.,. First soak all dried dirt unti l it is soft, then
rinse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle, start w ith the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean
brush .
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only fo r
very per­
sistent d irt.
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly w ith water.
.,. Use a chamois leather to gent ly wipe the ex -
terior dry .
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you wi ll not scratch
the paint with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 208 .
CD Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
could scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of wate r act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar p rod ucts. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths o r •
•