2014 AUDI A6 maintenance

208 Trailer towing
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
¢ page 17 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restraints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turn ing, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp lete ly familiar with the way
your ve hicle-trai ler comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler generally requi res
steering act ion opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you wi
ll need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, a llow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang ­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load ¢
page 283.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on o slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels.
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb.
.. Apply the parking brake.
.. Select the P selector lever position .
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Select the D/S selector lever position .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
Ill-

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. ..,.

228 Check ing and filling
current list of oils (manufacturers , brand
names etc.) that conform to Aud i oi l standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
C hang in g th e en gin e oil
The engine oil and o il filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lomete rs) and
time inte rva ls spec ified in your vehicle's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed
these intervals - harmful deposits from old
engine o il can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs .
Changing the oil at the recommended inte r­
va ls is so very important because the lubricat­
ing properties of oi l decrease grad ually during
norma l vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author­
ized Audi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently .
Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short d istances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point fo r
l ong periods.
Detergent add it ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing fo r a short time. This is no rma l and is not
a reason to change the o il more often than
recommended.
Dama ge or ma lfun cti ons du e to la ck of
maint enan ce
It is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles wi th gaso lin e engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diese l engine) . Yo ur
Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or ma lf u nctions due to failure to fol­
low recommended maintenance and use re­
qu irements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
Manual and War ranty
& Maintenance book let.
Your dea ler will have to deny warranty cover­
age unless you present to the dealer proof in the form o
f Service or Repair Orders that all
scheduled maintenance was performed in a
t imely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool oil
of its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l engine components, all in­
ternal combust ion engines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumpt ion varies from
engine to engine and may change sign ificantly
over the life of the engine. Typically , engines
with a spec ified break- in period (see
¢ page 201) consume more oil during the
break -in pe riod t han they consume afte r o il
consumption has stabilized.
Under normal cond it ions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the q ua lity and viscos ity
of the oil , the RPM (revol utio ns per minute) at
which the engine is opera ted, the ambient
temperature and road conditions . Furt her fac­
tors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fue l residue and the oxida ­
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to
wear as m ileage builds up, the oil consump­
t ion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary .
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be es­
tablished or spec ified . There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the o il lev­
el, see
Not e.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol
in the instrument clus ter
II lights up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢
page 229 . Top off the oil at your earl iest
convenience
9 poge 229.
,&. WARNING
Before you che ck anything in the engine
compartmen t, a lways rea d and heed al l
WAR NIN GS ¢.&
in Working in the engine
comportment on page 224 .
-

230 Check ing and filling
- The oil filler cap must be properly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil level using the MMI. If the
message
P lea se red uce oil l evel appears,
contact your author ized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop to have excess
oil extracted if necessary.
- Aud i do es not recommend the use of o il
addit ive s. They ma y damag e the engin e
and ad versely affect yo ur New Vehicle
Warrant y.
@, For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact w it h the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regulations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
al ways read and h eed all WARN ­
INGS c::> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 224.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals spec ified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . This is very important
because the lubricating prope rties of oil di­
minish gradua lly dur ing normal veh icle use.
Under some c ircumstances the eng ine o il
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances , operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have your vehicle where tempera -tu res remain below freezing for extended pe­
riods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
o il look dar k after the engine has been run­
ning for a sho rt time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along with the specia l tools and necessary ex­
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Aud i deale r or a qualified service station.
If you choo se to chan ge your o il yours elf ,
please note the fo llowing important informa ­
t ion:
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
n ing down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to hold at least the tota l amount of o il in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it well out
of the rea ch of children.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il
is harmful to your sk in . Always protect
your skin by washing oil off tho roughly
wit h soap and wate r.
(D Note
Neve r mix oil additives with you r engine
oi l. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Veh icle War ranty.

No. Equipment Amps
5 Parking system 5
6 Rear Seat Entertainment 5
7 Start-Stop-System 5
8 side ass ist 5
9
Gateway, Vehicle electrical sys-
5 tern control module 1
10 Sport differential
5
Fuse panel © (black)
No. Equipment
Amps
1 Not used
Fuse panel ® (black)
No. Equipment
Amps
1 Movement-activated luggage 1
compartment lid opening
Bulbs
Replacing light bulbs
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace burned
out bulbs for you.
It is becoming increasingly more and more
difficult to replace vehicle light bulbs since in
many cases, other parts of the car must first
be removed before you are able to get to the
bulb. This appl ies especially to the light bulbs
in the front of your car which you can only
reach through the engine compartment .
Sheet metal and bulb ho lders can have sharp
edges that can cause ser ious cuts, and parts
must be correctly taken apart and then prop­
erly put back together to help prevent break­
age of parts and long term damage from wa­
ter that can enter housings that have not been properly resealed.
F or your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace any bulbs for you, since your dealer has the proper tools,
the correct bu lbs and the expertise .
Gas discharge lamps (Xenon lights):
Fuses and bulbs
Due to the high e lectr ica l voltage, have the
bulbs replaced by a qualified technician.
Head lights w ith Xenon light can be identified
by the high voltage sticker.
LED headlights* require no maintenance.
Please contact your authorized Audi dealer if a
bulb needs to be replaced.
_& WARNING
Contact with high-voltage components of
the electrical system and improper re­
placement of gas discharge (Xenon) head­
light bulbs can cause ser ious personal in­
jury and death .
- Xenon bulbs are pressur ized and can ex­
plode when being changed .
- Changing Xenon lamps requ ires the spe­
cial tra ining, instructions and equip­
ment.
- Only an authorized Audi dealer or other
qualified workshop should change the
bulbs in gas discharge lamps.
&_ WARNING
There are parts with sharp edges on the
openings and on the bulb holders that can
cause serious cuts.
- If you are uncertain about what to do,
have the work performed by an author­
ized Audi dealer or other qualified work­
shop . Serious personal injury may result
from improperly performed work.
(D Tips
-If you still prefer to replace the light
bulbs yourself, be aware that the engine
compartment is a hazardous area to
work in ¢
page 224¢ &.
-It is best to ask your authorized Audi
dealer whenever yo u need to change a
bulb .
273
•
•

280 Technical data
Technical data
Vehicle identification
F ig. 227 Vehicle I dent ifica tion Numbe r (VlN) pla te: lo·
cat ion on driver 's side dash pane l
XXXXX XX · X -XXXX XXX xx
r,"\__l f~ -11!111 · NII. ~ V!Hlll -llllll . NO.
IYP IT'fl'E
XXXXXXXX XX X XXXXXXXX
XXX XXX
XX XXXXXXX XX X X XX
XXX
KW XXX
®i ~~:f :l~~ XXXX XXX XXX
@+ ~~r= XXXX I XXXX XXX I XX M ,. AIIISl./ lflllllS
EOA 7D5 4 UB 6XM SSG 5RW
2E H JDZ llB l AS lBA
3FC 5MU 7Xl
FO A
9G3 OG7 O
YH OJF
TL6 3
KA BEH
UlA X9B QZ 7
l XW
8Q3 9Q8 82 4 020
7T6 CV 7 7KO 4X3 2K2
3L4 4 KC 3YO 4I3 502
lS A 7GB Q1A 4GQ
XX X
XX X XX X XXXX
Fig. 228 Th e ve hicle identi ficat ion label -inside the
luggage co mpa rtmen t
Vehicle Id entification Number (VlN )
The Ve hicle Identific ation Number is located
in different p laces:
- under the w indshield on the driver's s ide
~fig . 227.
- in the MMI : Select: Function button ICAR I >
(Car )* systems > VIN number .
-on the veh icle identification label.
Vehicle identification label
The vehicle identification labe l is located in
the luggage compartment in the spare wheel
well. T
he label ~
fig. 228 shows the following vehi ­
cle data:
(D Vehicle Ident ificat io n Number (V IN)
@ . Vehicle type, engine o utput, transmission
® Engine and transm iss ion code
@ Paint number and inte rior
® Optional equipment numbers
T he information of the vehicle identification
label can also be found i n your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
Safety compliance sticker
The safety compliance sticker is your assur­
ance that yo ur new veh icle complies with all
applicable Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards which were i n effect at the time the
vehicle was manufactured. You can find this
sticker on the door jamb on the driver's side.
It shows the mo nth and year of production
and the vehicle ident ificat io n number of your
vehicle (perfo rat ion) as well as the Gross Ve hi­
cl e Weig ht Rating (GVWR) a nd the Gross Ax le
Weig ht Rating (GAWR) .
High voltage warning label
The high voltage warning label is located in
the engine compartment next to the engine
hood re lease . The spar k ign it ion sys tem com·
plies wi th the Ca nadian standard IC ES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing (GAWR) for
fron t and rear are listed on a sticker on the
doo r jamb on the d river's side .
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing includes the
weight of the bas ic vehicle plus f ull fuel tank,
o il and coo la nt, plus max imum load, which in­
cl udes p asse nger we igh t (150 l bs/68 kg per
designate d sea ting posi tion) an d luggage
weight ~&. - .,.

Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties :
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding yo ur warran ­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
I f you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that:
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane
rating . Improper fuel may cause engine
damage;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment;
- replacement parts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessari ly work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside North America .
Consumer Information 283
@ Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, serv ice or parts availab ility.
Audi Service Repair
Manuals and Literature
Audi Offic ial Factory Service Manuals and Lit ­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduct ion. Service manuals and lit­
erat ure are available to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
' General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a m inimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
safety, economy and reliability . For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions , for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
in very dusty regions, when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some serv ice work
shou ld be pe rformed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter.
® For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your veh icle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus min imiz ing adverse
effects on the environment .
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophistica t­
ed fuel injection and emission contro l sys-
tems, and the genera lly increasing technica l ..,_
•
•

28 4 Con sum er Inf ormation
comp lexity of today's automobi les, have
steadi ly reduced the scope of maintenance
and repairs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners.
Also, s afety an d e nvir onm ent al con­
cerns place very strict limits on the nature of repairs and adjustments to engine and trans ­
miss ion pa rts which an owner can perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repa irs usua lly
require special tools, testing devices and oth­
er equipment avai lab le to specially trained
workshop personnel in order to assure proper
performance, reliab ility and safety of the vehi­
cle and its many systems .
Improper ma intenance, adjustments and re ­
pa irs can impair the operation and reliab ility
of your vehicle and even void your vehicle war­ ranty. Therefo re , proof of servici ng in accord­
ance w it h the ma intenance sched ule may be a
condition for upholding a possible warranty
claim made within the warran ty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adve rsely
affected, c reating unnecessary risks for you
and your passengers.
If in doubt about any serv icing, have it done
by your author ized Audi dealer or any other
p roperly equipped and qualified workshop .
We strong ly urge you to give your authorized
Audi dealer the opportunity to perform all
schedu led maintenance and necessary repairs .
Your dea ler has the facilities, or iginal parts
and tra ined spec ialists to keep your vehicle
running properly .
Performing lim it e d m aint en anc e y ourself
The fo llowing pages describe a limited num­
ber of procedures which can be performed on
you r vehicle with ordinary too ls, shou ld the
need arise and trained personnel be unavaila­
ble. Before performing any of these proce­
dures, always thoroughly read all of the app li­
cable text and ca refully follow the instruc­
tions given. Always rigorously obse rve the
WARNINGS p rovided .
Before you ch eck anything in th e engin e
compartme nt, alway s read an d heed all WARNINGS
¢ & a
nd ¢ & in Working in the
engine comportment on page 224 .
A WARNING
--Serious personal in jury may occur as a re-
sult of improperly performed mainte­ nance, adjustments or repa irs.
- Always be extremely careful when work­
ing on the vehicle. Always follow com­
monly accepted safety pract ices and gen­
eral common sense. Never r isk personal
in jur y.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs descr ibed o n the fol­
lowing pages if you are not fu lly fam iliar
with these or other procedures with re­ spect to the ve hicl e, or are uncerta in how
to proceed .
- Do not do any work withou t the proper
too ls and equipment . Have the necessary
work done by your authorized A udi deal ­
er or anothe r properly equipped and
qualified workshop.
- The engine compar tment o f any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area. Never reach into the area around or
touch the rad iator fan. It is temperature
control led and can sw itch on suddenly -
even when the engine is off . The radiator
fan switches on automatically when the
coo lant reaches a ce rtain temperature
and will cont inue to ru n until the coo lant
tempera ture drops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before any­
one gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your veh icle with safety
s tands if it is necessary to work under­
neath the vehicle. The j ack s upp lied with
the vehicle is not adequate for this pur­
pose and cou ld co llapse causing serio us
pe rsonal injury .
- If you must work underneath the vehicle
wit h the wheels on the ground, a lways
make sure the vehicle is on leve l ground,
that the wheels are a lways secure ly
blocked and that t he engine cannot be
started .