2014 AUDI A6 coolant temperature

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 ..,.

Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
App lies to vehicles: with three -zone cl imate contro l or
four -zone a uto mat ic climate contro l
The climate control system warms, cools and
adds humidity to the air in the vehicle interior .
It is the most effective when the windows and
sunroof* are closed . If the temperature inside
the parked veh icle becomes very warm, open­
i ng the w indow br iefly will speed up the cool­
ing process.
In all heating mode functions except
defrost,
the blower on ly switches to a higher speed
once the engine coolant has reached a certain
temperature.
Condensat ion from the cooling system can
drip and form a puddle of wate r under the ve­
h icle. This is normal and does not mean there
is a leak .
Pollutant filt er
The pollutant filter removes pollutants such
as dust and po llen from the air.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet, so that the air condi­
tioner can properly work .
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high
a ir pollution, the filter may need to be
changed more frequently than specified in
your Aud i Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet. If
i n doubt, ask your authori zed Audi Service Ad­
visor for adv ice.
K ey coded settings
Three-zone climate control: T he b lower set­
ting and air d istribution are stored automati­
cally and ass igned to the remote control key
that is in use .
Four-zone automatic climate control: The cli­
mate contro l settings are automatica lly stor­
ed and assigned to the remote control key
that is in use .
Warm and c old 67
A WARNING
-
Reduced visibi lity is dangerous and can
cause acc idents .
- For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con­
densat ion.
- Comp letely fam il iarize yourse lf with the
proper use and funct ion of the heat ing
a nd ventilation system and especially
how to defog and defrost the w indows.
- Never use the windshield wiper/washer system in freez ing weathe r unt il you
have wa rmed the windshie ld first, using
the heating and ventilation system. The
washer sol ution may freeze on the wind­
shie ld and red uce visibi lity.
CJ) Note
- If you s uspect that the air conditioner
has been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid furt her damage and have it
inspected by a qualified dea lership .
- Repairs to the Audi air conditioner re­
quire specia l technical know ledge and
special tools. Contact an authorized Audi
dealer fo r ass istance.
@ For the sake of the envi ronment
By reducing the amount of f uel you use,
you also red uce the amount of pollutants
emitted into the air.
(D Tips
- Keep the air intake s lo ts ( in front of the
w indshield) free from ice, snow and de­
bris in order to maintain the proper func­
tion of the climate control system.
- The energy ma nagement system may
switch the seat heating* or rear window defroster off temporar ily. These systems
are available again as soon as the energy
balance has been restored .
- Air escapes through vents under the rear window. When plac ing items of cloth ing
on the luggage compartment cover, en­
sure that the openings are not covered.

70 Warm and cold
Four-zone automatic climate control
Operation
Applies to vehicles: with four -zone automa tic clima te control
We recommend pressing the IAUTO I button and setting the temperature to 72 °F (22 °C).
Fig. 70 Four-zone automat ic climate contro l: controls
Fig . 71 Fou r-zone automatic cl imate cont ro l: rear con ­
trol s
Press the buttons to turn the functions on or
off. Use the dials to adjust the temperature,
the blower speed and the air distribution. The
LED in a button will light up when the func­
tion is switched on. The settings are shown in
the climate control display and are also shown in the MMI display for a few seconds . The driv­
er and front passenger sett ings can be adjust­
ing separately.
The settings can also be adjusted in the rear
<::;> fig. 71.
IOFFj Switching the climate control
system on/off
The I O FFI button switches the climate control
system on or off .
It also switches on when you
turn the dia l or press any button . Airflow from outside is blocked when the
climate control
system is switched off .
You can activate the residual hea t function
whe n the ignition is off by pressing and hold­
ing the ~ button. The residua l heat from the
coolant is used to heat the vehicle interior .
The residual heat function switches off auto­
matically after about 30 minutes.
!ACI Switching cooling mode on/off
The air is not cooled and humidity is not re­
moved when cooling mode is switched off.
This can cause fog on the windows. Cooling
mode switches off automatically when the
outside temperature is be low zero .
1- 1 Switching recirculation mode on/off
In recircu lation mode, the air inside the vehi ­
cle is circu lated and filtered. This prevents the
unfiltered air outside the vehicle from enter­
ing the vehicle interior . We recommend
switching recirculation mode on when driving
through a tunnel or when sitting in traffic ¢ .&, .
The
! AUTO I button or~ button switches rec i r-
cu lation mode off. .,.

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-

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:

~ 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 ..,
•
•