2014 AUDI A6 Engine light

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-

222 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Filling AdBlue
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
A special refill bottle must be used to fill the
AdBlue .
Fig. 184 Rig ht rear vehicle side: remov ing the Ad B lue
cap
Fig . 185 Ad Blue filler tube: inse rting the refill bottle
The AdBlue fi ller tube is located near the die­
sel filler tube . Always add 1.5 gallons (5. 7 lit­
ers) of AdBlue (three bottles). This is the mini­
mum amount required to ensure the system
detects the refilling and to start the eng ine.
The AdBlue tank capacity is approximately
4 .5 gal lons (17 liters).
Opening the filler tube and adding
AdBlue
Requirement : The request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display.
• Switch the ignition off .
• Open the tank cover
¢page 218.
• Turn the cap counterclockw ise with the lug
wrench from the vehicle tool kit to remove it
¢fig. 184.
• Remove the cap from the refill bottle.
• Position the refill bottle on the filler tube
and turn the bottle clockwise until it stops
turning
(D ¢ fig . 185.
• Press lightly against the bottom of the bot­
tle @to empty it. Continue pressing the
bottom of the bottle until it is empty or un­
til fluid stops flowing into the tank.
• Turn the bottle to the left without pressing
on the bottom .
Closing the filler tube
• Turn the cap clockwise on the filler tube
with the lug wrench until you hear it tighten
completely .
• Close the tank cover.
After filling
The vehicle must be driven. The system may
take up to two minutes to detect that the
AdBlue has been f illed.
• If there was no Ad Blue left in the tank and a
range of
O mi (0 km) was displayed in the
instrument cluster, switch the ignition on
for about 15 seconds before starting the en­ gine.
A WARNING
= Ad Blue can irritate the sk in, eyes and res-
piratory system. If there is contact with
the fluid, flush immediately with plenty of
water. Consult a physician if necessary.
(D Note
- Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any
additives with the AdBlue and do not d i­
lute it with water.
-A d Blue is not a diesel add itive . Do not
add it to the diesel tank. If Ad Blue is
m ixed with diesel fuel, it can lead to
damage to the engine and the AdBlue
tank system . The Limited New Vehicle
Warranty does not cover such damage.
- Ad Blue attacks surfaces such as painted
vehicle components, plastic and carpet.
Remove the fluid as quickly as possible
w ith a damp cloth and p lenty of cold wa­
ter. If the AdBlue has already crystal-
lized, use warm water and a sponge. .,..

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:

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 .
-

232 Check ing and filling
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig . 191 Eng ine compartment: cover on the coolant
expa nsion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lwa ys re ad and h eed a ll WA RN­
INGS o .A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 224 .
., Park your vehicle on a level surface.
., Switch
off the ignit io n.
., Read the eng ine coolant level from the cool ­
ant expans ion tank
o fig . 191, o page 226,
fig. 188. With a cold eng ine, the coolant
level should be between the "min" and
"max" markings. When the engine is warm,
the leve l may be slightly above the "max"
marking.
The location of the coolant exp ans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
o page 226.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
o page 17 will
illum inate unt il you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool- ing system shou
ld be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dea ler . It is not
enough mere ly to add coolant .
In a
sea le d system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.
A WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot . Red uce the risk of scald­
i ng from hot coolant by fo llow ing these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id and steam by covering the
cap with a large, th ick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise d irect ion while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
or hot engine parts . Under certa in cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your veh icle's engine coolant . Add­
i ng radiator repa ir fluid may adverse ly af­
fe ct the funct io n and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant .
Befo re you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment ,
alway s re ad and h eed all WARN­
IN GS o .A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 224.
., Tu rn
off the engi ne.
., Let the eng ine cool down.

~ Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 232, fig . 191 and ca refull y
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢ ,A.
~ Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢page 231, Coolant.
~ Twist the cap on again tightly .
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 231, Coolant .
We recommend using on ly coolant addi-
tive
Gl2++, Gl3 or in an emergency G l2+ . Do
not use a different add itive. In an emergency
use plain water unti l you can get the correct
addit ive and ca n restore the correct ratio. This
should be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add co ld a ntifree ze
and cold water only when the eng ine is co ld.
A lways use
new engine coolant when ref illing.
D o no t fill coolan t above the "M AX " mar k. Ex­
cess coolan t will be forced ou t th rough the
p ress ure re li ef va lve i n the cap when the en ­
gin e becomes hot .
&_ WARNING
- The coo ling system is under press ure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
sca ld ing from hot coolant by f ollowing
these steps .
-Tu rn off the engine and allow i tto cool
down.
- P rote ct your f ace, han ds an d ar ms from
escaping f lu id and ste am by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the ca p slowly and very ca re fully
in a counte r-clockwise direct ion wh ile
ap plying light, downwa rd p ress ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys ­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can catc h fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its or iginal conta iner and well
o ut of the reac h of c hildren .
Checkin g and fillin g 233
-If you dra in the coo lant, it m ust be
caught and safely stored in a pr oper con ­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
([) Note
-Coo lant poll utes the environment a nd
co uld cause an engine fi re . Excess cool -
ant will be forced out th ro ugh the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an eme rgency, on ly wate r can be
added, the co rrect ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 231 must be re­
s tored as soon as poss ible.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coola nt sho uld not be reused. A l­
ways d ispose of used coolant while observ­
i ng all env iro nmental regula tions .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and othe r vehicle ope rat ing cond it io ns.
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even w ith the ignition off . It can even switch
o n aga in later by itself¢.& , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant r ises
due to the heat build- up from the engine in
the engi ne compa rtment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlig ht.
&_ WARNING
- To reduce the risk of perso nal in jury nev­
er touch the rad iator fan .
- The a uxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled a nd can switch on suddenly
e ven when the engine is not ru nning.
- The a uxiliary radiator fa n sw itches on a u­
tomatically wh en the engine coo lant
reaches a certa in tem pera tu re and w ill ..,
•
•

234 Checking and filling
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 192 Engine compartment : cove r on the brake fl uid
reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ~ .&. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 224.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir~
fig. 192 , ~ page 226,
fig.
188. The brake fluid leve l must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake flu id reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
~ page 226.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . Th is is not cause for alarm.
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
lo w the "MIN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi­
cator light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on~
page 15. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the ca use corrected. If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light w ill illuminate . Contact an au ­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FM VSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SA E
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of
brake flui d is also ind icated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the effi­
c ie ncy of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .