2014 AUDI A6 coolant level

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 ............... .
@ Display with
®
®
-Driver information system .. .
- Wa rning/ind icator lights
Tachometer Fuel gauge
@ Tips
11
12
45
24
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¢ page 11, 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 temperature
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 17.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢ page 224, before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself . Let the engine
cool off first until you can no longer see
o r hear steam or coo lant escaping.
@ Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
i n front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo iler has been designed to
proper ly distribute the cooling air when
t h e ve hicle is moving.
If the spoiler is
dam aged, th is co uld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler for
assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine RP M drops be low 1,500, yo u should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le indicates maximum
perm iss ib le engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position D/S (Drive) or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle should on ly br iefly
be in the red zone: you could damage your
engine! The beginn ing of the red zone var­
ies depending on the engine .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
on .
If the fuel level d rops below 2 . 6 ga llons (10 liters), the bottom LED turns red and the
indicator light
Em turns on
¢ page 22. The
bottom LED blinks red when the fuel level is
very low.
T he possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@<=>
page 24, fig . 4 .
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry. An ir ­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter the ex ha ust
system . The catalytic converter could then
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator Lights
Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate funct ions or
malfunctions <=>,& .
Messages may appear with some indicato r
lights. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indicator lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other d isplays . To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
i ng the multifunction steering wheel
Q page 24. If t here are several malfunc­
t ions, you can display them one at a time us­
ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicato rs lights in the d isplay can turn
on in severa l co lors.
A WARNING
- F ailure to heed w arning l igh ts and other
important vehicle in forma tion may res ult
in ser io us personal inj ury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe d istance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher<=>
page 44.
-The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you chec k anything in the engine

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
high or the coo lant level is too low.
.. Pull
off the road.
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn
off the engine.
.. Check coolant level¢
page 232.
.,. Add coolant if necessary¢ page 232 .
.. Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/ indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at idle for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING
- If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights¢
page 44, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the en­
gine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping .
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 224.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
ill uminates . There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
D Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system .
The .warn ing/ indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started .
• Alternato r fault : Battery is not being
charged
If t he indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or vehicle electrical system .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immed iate ly. Because the vehi­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec ­
essary e lectrical equipment such as the radio.
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•) Low battery: battery will be charged
while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability .
If this message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn
off, have your
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
4t Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenge r to put on ..,.

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.

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 .

-Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in P (Park position) and the park brake is
applied.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when d isposing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batter ies or worn out t ires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Material -specia l hand ling may ap­
ply, see www.dts c.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing
airbag modules safety belts wit h preten­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
a uthorized Audi dea ler is familiar w ith
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dea ler perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac ­
tive and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason,
if parts have to be replaced, please observe
the following points when install ing addition­
a l accessories:
Con sumer In formation 285
Approved Audi accesso ries and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the
parts and accessories proper ly.
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and serious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and genu ine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
hicle .
- Never install accessories such as tele­
phone cradles or beverage holders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ~
page 224.
(D Note
-If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to spe cified meth­
ods, this can result in severe damage to
yo ur vehicle's engine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect your vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations.
•
•

292 Index
Starting with j umper cab les . ....... . 274
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5
E ng ine compartment ....... .... .... . 226
C lo sing the hood ....... .. .. .. .. .. . 225
Opening the hood ........ .. .. .... . 224
Safety instructions ..... ... .. .. .... . 224
Working in the engine compartment .. 224
E ng ine coolant .......... .. .. .. .. .. . 23 1
Adding co ol ant ........... .. .. .... . 23 2
Che ckin g the eng ine coolan t leve l .. ... 232
E xpansion tan k ... ..... ... .. .. .... . 23 2
M alfunctio n symbo l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Radiato r fan . .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 233
Temperature ga uge ....... .. .. .. .. . . 11
E ng ine oi l ..... ........... .... .... . 226
Adding .... ... . ...... ... .. .. .... . 229
Addit ives ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 229
C hanging . .... . ...... ... .. .. .... . 230
Check ing the eng ine o il level .. .. .... . 229
Indications and cond it ions requ iring ex-
tra check ing .. ... .... .... .. .. .. .. . 229
Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
O il consumption ........... ... .. .. . 228
O il g rades .. .. . .......... .. .. .... . 226
Pr ess ure mal function ...... .. .. .. .. . . 18
Recommended oil check in tervals .... . 229
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Specification and viscos ity . ... .. .. .. . 226
E ng ine sound ............. .. .. .... . 100
Eng ine speed limitat ion ..... .. .. .... .. 22
E ng ine start -stop mode
refer to Start -Stop -System ... ... ... .. 81
E ng ine start system (ind icator lights) .... 18
Environment Break- in period ........... .. .. .. .. . 201
Cata lytic conve rter .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 202
Diese l partic ulate fil ter ..... ... .. ... 202
Di sposing of you r vehicle batte ry .. .. . 238
Dr iving a t high speeds ... .. .. .. .. .. . 20 4
D riving to m inim ize pollu tion and no ise 203
Fu el . .... .. ... ... .... ... .. .. .... . 2 18
Fu el economy .. . ...... ... .. .. .... . 203
L eaks under your veh icle ... .. .. .. .. . 224
Lett ing the vehicle stand and warm up . 204
Proper disposal of dra ined brake f luid . 234 Proper disposal of d
rained eng ine cool -
ant . ... .. .... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. 232
Proper d isposal of d rained eng ine
o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229, 230
Recycling used engine oil ........ .... 229
U nleaded fuel .. .. ................ . 215
What s hou ld I do w ith an o ld battery? . 238
Event Data Recorde r (EDR) ..... ... .. .. 194
E xhaus t tai l pipes
C leaning .. .. .. . .............. .. .. 211
Expansion tank .. .. .......... ...... . 232
Exterior lighting ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 43
E xte rior mi rrors
Adjus ting . .... .. .. ........... .... . 50
D imming . ..... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 51
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
E xterior tempera ture display ........... 24
F
Fastening
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Co nvertib le child safety seats ........ 180
I n fan t seats ... .. ............. .... 179
Floor mats .. .... .. ............. .... 133
F oot peda ls ..... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. 133
Fo r the sake of the environment
Gasoli ne fumes and the env ironme nt .. 218
Red ucing engine noise by early upshift -
i ng ....... .. .. .. .. ............... . 11
Ref ueling ..... .. ... .. ..... .... . .. 218
Saving f uel by early ups hifting ... .. .. . 11
Fo ur- zone automatic climate control . .. . 70
Front a irbags
Descrip tion .... ... ................ 151
How they work . .. .......... ...... . 157
Frontal col lisions and the laws of p hysics 139
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Adjus ting . .. .. .. ............. .. .. 130
C hild rest rain ts in the front seat . ... .. 149
Fuel Additives ...... .. ..... ........... . 215
B len ded gaso line .............. .... 215
Cur rent co nsumption ........... .... . 25
E conomy messages (e fficiency p rogram) 2 7
Fuel fi lle r flap emergency release ... .. 220
Fuel fi lle r neck ... .. .... .... ... .. .. 217
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Gasoline ... .. .... .... ... .. .. .. ... 215
Gasoline additives ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 2 16
L ow fuel level symbo l .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 22
Octane rating ............ .... .. ... 215
Recommendation ......... .. .. .. .. . 215
Refue lling .. ................ ... ... 218
Reserve . ... ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. 12
Tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 28 1
Fuses Assig nment ............. .... .. ... 270
Replacing ............ ...... .... .. 270
G
Garage door opener (Homel ink) .. .. .. . 126
Garment hoo ks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Gas discharge lamps ........... .... .. 273
Gauges Engine coolant temperature .. .. .. .. .. 11
F uel gauge . .. .. ......... .. .. .. .... 12
Speedometer ... .... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 27
Tac hometer .. ........ ...... ... ... . 12
Trip odometer ........ .... ... ... ... 27
Gene ral illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
G ene ra to r (wa rn ing/ indic ator lights) .. .. 17
Glossary of t ire and load ing termi no logy 241
Glove com partment (cooled) . . . . . . . . . . . 60
G low plug system
Indicator ligh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Gross Veh icle Weight Rating (GVWR) .. . 280
H
Head -up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
H eadlights
C leaning ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 211
C leaning system ... .... ... .. .. .. .. .. 48
Defective . ... .... .... ... .. .. .. .... 23
Headlig ht range contro l . . . . . . . . . 23, 43
Washer reservoir ......... .. .. .. .. . 238
H ead res train ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5, 13 2
A dju sting . ... .. ... . .. ... .. .. .. ... 132
Fr ont seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Rear seats .. .. .. ......... .. .. .. .... 56
Removing .. ............. .... .. .. .. 56
H ea ted
exte rior m irrors ... .... ... .. .. .. .. .. 50
rear window (automatic climate cont ro l) 7 1
Index 293
rear w indow (climate cont rol) . ... .. .. . 69
seats (a utomatic climate control) ... .. . 71
seats (climate cont ro l) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
windshield washer spray no zzles ... .. .
48
He ating .... .. .. .. ................. . 67
Heavy clothi ng a nd safety be lts ... .... .
141
High beam . ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. . 45
Hig h voltage warn ing label ....... .. .. 280
Hill descent contro l .... ............. 110
Homelin k unive rsal remote con trol . ... 126
Hood (re lease lever) .. .............. . 224
Hor n .......... .. .... ............. .. 8
How are child rest raint syste m anchors re-
lated to ch ild safety . .. .. .. ..... ... .. 18 7
How many a irbags does my vehicle have? 155
How ofte n should I check my tire pres -
s u res? ..... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 247
H ow safety belt pretens io ne rs wor k . . . . 1 45
Hydrop la ning ..... .. ..... .......... 251
I
Immobilize r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Impo rtant t hings to do be fore driving . . 128
Improperly worn safe ty belts .. ... ... .. 144
Ind icator lights
refer to Warn ing/ indicator lights . .. .. . 12
Infan t seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9
Installing child safety seats Safety be lts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage .... .. ...... ............. 190
Instruments Adjusting the light ing .. ..... ... .. .. . 46
Instrum ents and controls
Genera l illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Instr ument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Interior lighting
Amb ience lighti ng .. .. .. ...... .... .. 46
Front and rear .... ................. 46
Intermittent (w indshie ld wipers) ...... . 48
J
Jack 262
Jump-starting . .. ................... 274
Jumper cables . .. ................... 275
•
•