2014 AUDI A6 brake fluid

14 Instruments and w . . arn1ng/indicator lights
I
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• •
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rl1
Electronic Stab ilization Control
(ESC) ,/
c:> page 19
Electronic Stab ilization Control
(ESC) ./
c:> page 19
USA models:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ,/
c:>page 20
Canada models:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ,/
c:> page 20
Worn brake pads c:>page 21
Electromechanical parking brake
c:> page 77
~re pressure monitoring system
c:> page258
Tire pressure monitoring system
c:>page 258
Electronic power control./ (al­
ternative to
ml >
c:>page 21
Glow plug system
(a lternative to~ )
c:> page 21
Malfunction indicator La
(MIL),/ mp
c:>page 21
Diesel particulate filter* clogged
c:>page 22
Engine speed limitation
c:>page 22
Engine oil leve l
c:> page 18
Engine oil sensor
c:> poge 22
Battery
c:> page 17
•
m
•
•
g
Tank system
c:> page22
W indshield washer fluid level
c:>page22
Windshield wipers
c:> page22
Remote control key
c:> page 74
Remote control key
c:> page 76
Battery in remote contro l key
c:>page 33
Defective light bulb warnin
c:> page 23
g
Rear fog light(s)
c:> page23
Headlight range control
c:> page23
adaptive light*
c:>page 23
Light -/ra in sensor faulty
c:> page23
Audi active lane ass ist*
c:> page94
Transmiss ion
c:> page 112
Transm iss ion
c:> page 112
Transmission
- S tronic c:>page
112
Electronic steering column lock
c:> page 18
Engine start system
c:> poge 18
Centra l ind icator light
c:> poge 19

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Ill
Ad Blue /9
Ad Blue./'
Electrome chanical stee ring
c::> page 19 8
Air suspens ion*
c::>page 19
Spo rt differentia l*
c::>page23
Refill Ad Blue *
c::>page 220
AdBlue malfunction*
c::> page 220
Other indicator lights
11
II
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T ur n signa ls
c::>page24
Canada models: C ruis e co ntrol*
c::> pag e82
Adapt ive cruise control*
c::> page86
Adapt ive cr uise contr ol*
c::> page86
Adapt ive cr uise c ontr ol*
c::> page 86
Au di active lane ass ist *
c::> page 94
Start -Stop-System *
c::> page 79
Start -Stop -System *
c::> page 79
High beam
c::> pa ge 45
BRAKE /((J)) Brake system
The li ght illum inates when the igni tion is
sw itche d on.
It goes ou t aft er t he eng ine has been sta
rte d. T his indica tes that the brake
warning light is functioni ng 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 the bra ke sys tem wa rn in g/ ind ic a tor l ight
t u rns o n, there is a brake sys tem m alfu nct ion .
1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs , proce ed as fo llows:
.,. Pull off t he roa d.
.,. Stop the vehicle.
.,. Tur n off the engi ne.
.,. Check t he b rake fluid level
c::> page 234 .
.,. Con tact yo ur nearest au tho rized re pair fa-
c ility if ne cessa ry.
Warning! Fault in brake system . Contact
dealer
If the ABS ind icator light 9 (USA models)/
(11 (Ca nada mode ls), the ESC ind icator lig ht
Ji1 and the b rake sys te m indicator light
1111 (U SA mo dels)/ . (Canada mode ls) tur n
o n and the message a ppears, t he A BS, ESC
and bra ki ng d istr ibu tio n are no t wo rki ng
c::> ,&. .
Carefully drive to your author ized Audi d ealer
i mmediat ely to have th e malfunct ion correct­
ed
c::> ,&. .
1111 (USA models) /. (Canada models)
Parking brake: system fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the ind icator light and the message ap ­
pear
when stationary or after switch ing the
ignition on ,
check if you can release the
park ing brake . Afte r releasing the parki ng
bra ke, ca refully drive to your au thor ized
Aud i de aler im media tely t o have the mal ­
fu nction cor rect ed. If yo u ca nno t r ele ase the
p arking brake, see k professiona l assistance .
- If the indicator light and the m essage ap -
pe ar
while driving , the e merge ncy b raki ng
fu nction m ay not be avail able.
It ma y not b e .,..

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek professional as ­
s istance .
(USA models): If the warning light
1111 and
the warning light
liJ appear together, imme­
diate ly contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qua lified workshop to have all brake pads in­
spected
¢ page 21 .
When the light comes on, an audib le warning
signal is also given .
A WARNING
-Always observe the warnings in
¢ page 224, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assista nee.
- If the
1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada
models) brake system indicator light
turns on together with the ABS and ESC indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regulating
function may have failed . Fu nctions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. Th is could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive caref ully to the nearest a uthorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop and have the malfunction corrected.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out afte r a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driv ing, 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 Aud i dealer o r qualified repair
f a cility and have the bra ke system in­
s pected.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, yo u w ill need g reater
pressure on the brake peda l to s top your
vehicle. Do not re ly on strained brakes to
respond with maxim um stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased brak ing distances. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident .
PARK/{®) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator ligh t - (USA models) •
(Canada mode ls) turns on, the parking brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is
off, the indicator light turns off a f­
ter about 20 seconds.
T he warning/i ndicator light wi ll go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
- (USA model s) ,. (Canada model s)
Caution : V ehicle parked too ste ep
If the indicator light b links and the message
appea rs, there is not enough braki ng power to
keep the vehicle from roll ing . T he b ra kes have
overheated. The vehicle cou ld roll away even
on a sma ll incline .
Press brak e pedal to rel eas e parking brak e
To release the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
¢ page 78.
Plea se rel ea se park ing brake
T o re lease the parking brake manually, p ress
the brake peda l and press the button~ at the
same t ime. The parking brake only releases
automat ica lly if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
Iii Parking brake!
If the Iii indicator light t urns on and t his
message appears , there is a parking b rake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized A udi
dealer or qualif ied workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.

to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, yo u prevent un­
necessary wea r on the brake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter ­
vals.
Moi stu re or r oad salt
Under certain conditions, for examp le, 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
free zing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
f ew care ful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you a re d riving at higher speeds with
the w indshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces . You the driver will 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 accumu lated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
appl ications o f the brake ¢,&. .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
on ly for short trips with l ittle use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if cor­
rosion has fo rmed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by brak ing
firm ly a few times from a moderately h igh
speed ¢.&. .
F a ults in the brake system
If you should notice a
sudden increase in
b rake pedal travel, then one of the two bra ke
circu its may have failed¢,&. .
Int ellig ent technolog y 197
Low br ake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the brake system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronica lly.
Brake booster
T he brake booster wo rks with vacuum pres­
s ur e which is created only when the engine is
runn ing ¢.&. .
Brake lining we ar statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
th rough the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for th is 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 or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Unde r ce rtain cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums . Carefully app ly brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency. ..,.
•
•

Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface be­
fore hitching up the trailer and before adjust­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
qpage 100, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> Low­
er
control button.
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
qpage 102.
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
- Always select
auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Trailer towing
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
... Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
... Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
... Observe speed limits .
... Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
... Always apply brakes early .
... Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill .
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles . ..,..
207
•
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224 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 186 Driver foo twell: release lever
Fig. 187 Rocker switch un der the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint
could be damaged .
.,. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the direction of the arrow
¢ fig. 186.
.,. Raise the hood slightly¢,&. .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward
~ fig. 187. This releases the catch.
• Open the hood.
&_ WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned,
never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
'Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm . The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- Do not
remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:

-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch :
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical ha zards c:::> & .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition ,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm .
Checking and filling 225
-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 harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
(® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"'Let the hood
drop down and latch in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c:::> ,A .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while driv ­
ing .
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­ ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driving that the hood
is not secured properly , stop at once and
close it. •
•

226 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 188 Typi cal layout for conta iner s and en gine o il filler cap
(D Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw .................
237,274
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. .. .. ........ .. ..... .
237,274
®
©
®
®
Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . 234
Engine oi l fille r cap ( Coolant expansion tank (- L) ...
Windshield/headlight washer
232
t . (.'R ) con ainer ,,.., ...... ....... . 238
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be lo­
cated in a different area depending on the ver­
sion of the engine.
~ WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 224.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine in your Audi needs the righ t kind
of oil.
The engin e in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerpl ant that was bu ilt to exacting spe cifi­
cations . Thi s engine needs the righ t kind of
engine oil that meets specification s regarding
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the tim e and mileage
intervals printed in you r vehicle's Warra nty
&
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 h elp assur e that your vehicle's engine wi ll
get the lubr ication it need s for proper opera -
tion. ..,.