2014 AUDI A6 hood open

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

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.

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 ..,.

30 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Display brightness
You can adjust the display brightness in the
MMI. The display brightness decreases auto ­
matica lly as the amo unt of light decreases.
The basic leve l of brightness is adjusted with
the instrument illumination
c:> page 46.
(D Note
To prevent scratches on the glass covering
the Head-up Disp lay, do not place any ob­
jects in the projection opening.
@ Tips
- Sunglasses with polarization fi lters and
unfavorable lighting conditions can af­
fect the display.
- A specia l windshield is needed for the
Head-up Display function.
- For information on cleaning, refer to
c:> table on poge 212.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) II! in
the instrument cluster is part of the On-Board
Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warning/indicator light illuminates when
the ignition is switched on and goes o ut after
the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is working proper­
ly .
If the light does not go out after the engine
is started, or illuminates while you are driv­
ing, a ma lfunction may exist in the engine sys­
tem. If the light illuminates, the catalytic con­
verter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoid­
ing sustained high speeds and/or rapid accel­
erations) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer .
If the light illuminates, the electronic speed
limiter may also be malfunctioning. For more information
r=.> page 31,
Electronic speed
limiter .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
c:>page 218.
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 16 Locat ion of Data L ink Con nector (DLC)
On-Board D iagnost ics monitors the compo­
nents of your em iss ion control system . Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a mal­
function, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memory.
T he MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery sys­
tem.
If the light illum inates after a refuelling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed
c:> page 218.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed using spe ­
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD).
In order to connect the special diagnostic
equipment, push the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the
right of the hood release
r=.> fig . 16 .
Your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
serv ice station can interpret the code and per­
form the necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for
personal use. Incorrect usage can cause

34 Opening and closing
for another vehicle or a transponder is
located on the key ring.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions ¢
page 286.
Power locking system
General description
The power locking system locks or unlocks all
doors and the rear lid simultaneously.
You can lock and unlock the vehicle centrally.
You have the following choices:
- Remote master key¢
page 35,
-Door handles with convenience key*
¢page 36,
-Lock cylinder at the driver's door
<=?page 37, or
- Power locking switch inside
<=? page 37.
Selective unlocking
When you lock the vehicle, the power locking
system w ill lock the doors and the rear lid .
When unlocking, you can set in the MMI
whether only the driver's door or the entire
vehicle should be unlocked <=?
page 35.
Automatic locking
The automat ic locking feature locks all the ve­
h icle doors and the rear lid when you drive
faster tha n 9 mph (15 km/h).
The car is unlocked again, when the opening
function in the power locking system sw itch
or at one of the door levers is actuated .
Anti-theft alarm warning system
If the anti-theft alarm warning system de­
tects a break- in into the vehicle, acoust ic and
visual warning signals are triggered .
The anti-theft warning system is activated au ­
tomatically when you lock the vehicle . It is de­
activated when u nlocking using the remote
key, with the mechanical key, and when you
switch the ignition on.
The alarm also turns off when the alarm cycle has expired.
Turn signals
When you unlock the vehicle, the turn s ignals
flash twice. When you lock the vehicle the
turn signals flash once. If they do not flash ,
one of the doors, the rear lid or the hood is
not locked .
Unintentionally locking yourself out
In the follow ing cases there safeguards to
prevent you locking your remote master key in
the vehicle:
- The vehicle does not lock w ith the central
locking switch <=?
page 37 if the driver's
door is open.
- On veh icles with convenience key*, if the
most recently used master key is in the lug­
gage compartment, the rear lid is automati­
cally un locked again after it is closed.
Do not lock your veh icle w ith the
remote mas­
ter key or convenience key*
unti l all doors
and the rear lid are closed. In this way you
avoid locking yourself out accidentally .
Power side door closer*
The veh icle doors are equipped with a power
s ide door closer . When closing a door, you on ­
ly have to let it fall light ly into the latch . The
door will then automatically close by itself
¢& .
A WARNING
-- When you lock your vehicle from outside,
nobody - especially children -should re­
main inside the vehicle. Remember,
when you lock the vehicle from the out­
side the windows cannot be opened from
the inside.
- When you leave the vehicle, always take
the ignition key with you . This will pre­
vent passengers (children, for example)
from accidentally being locked in the ve­
hicle should they accidentally press the
power locking switch in the doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised. In an emergency it would
be impossible to open the doors from
the o utside without the key.

36 Openin g and clo sing
If the vehicle is unlocked and no door, the rear
lid or the hood is opened within 60 seconds ,
the veh icle locks itse lf aga in automatically.
This feature prevents the veh icle from be ing
accidentally left unlocked over a long period
of time.
It depends on the sett ings in the MMI wheth­
er the entire veh icle is unlocked or on ly cer­
tain doors
<=) page 35.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS Q .&. in
General description on page
34.
(D Tips
- In order to make sure the locking func­
tion is working, you should always keep
your eye on the vehicle to make sure it is
proper ly locked.
-
- Do not use the remote control if you are
i nside the car, otherwise you may unin­
tentionally lock the vehicle, and then you
would set off the anti-theft ala rm when
you try to start the engine or open a door. In c ase this happens anyhow, push
the un lock button@ .
- The vehicle can on ly be locked when the
se lector lever is in the P posit ion .
- Use the panic funct ion only if you are in
an emergen cy situa tion.
Locking and unlocking with convenience
key
App lies to vehicles: with co nve nience key
The doors and the rear lid can be unlocked
and locked without operating the master key.
Fig. 2 1 Conve nience key : Lock ing the vehicle
Unlocking vehicle
.,. Take ho ld of the door handle . T he door is un-
loc ked automatically .
.,. Pull the handle to open the door .
Locking vehicle
.,. Select the P se lecto r lever posit ion. Othe r­
w ise the veh icle cannot be locked.
.,. To lock the ve hicle, close the door and touch
the sensor in the door handle
on ce Q fig . 21 .
Do not reach inside the door handle.
T he veh icle can be locked a nd u nlocked at any
doo r. The master key must be within a range
of about 1.5 m from the appropriate door or
the rear lid. It makes no difference w hether
the master key is in your jacket pocket or in
your brief case.
It is not possib le to re -open the door for a
brief period directly after closing it. This a l­
l ows you to ensure that the doors are proper ly
locked.
It depends on the settings in t he MMI wheth­
er the entire vehicle is unlocked or one of the
doors
<=) page 35.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢.&. in
General description on page
34.
(D Tips
If your vehicle has been standing for an ex­
tended per iod, please note the following:
- The p roximity sensors are deactivated af-
ter a few days to save power. You then have to pull on the door handle once to
unlock the vehicle and a second t ime to
open the vehicle.
- To prevent the battery from being d is­
charged and to preserve your vehicle's
ability to start for as long as possib le,
the energy management system gradu­
ally switc hes off unnecessary conven­
ience func tion s. It is possib le tha t you
w ill not be able to unloc k your vehicle us­
ing these convenience func tions.

50 Clear vis ion
- To he lp prevent damage to the wiper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipers by hand .
@ Tips
-Commercial hot waxes applied by auto ­
matic car washes affect the cleanability
of the windshield .
- You can a lso use the service position, for
example, if you want to protect the
windshield from icing by using a cover .
- You cannot activate the service position
when the hood is open.
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 45 Fo rwa rd section of driver's a rmrest: powe r mir­
ror controls
Turn the knob to the desired position :
Q/P -In t his position, you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exter ior mirrors
by turning the knob in the des ired direction.
Ciiil-The mirrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature.
8 -The exterior mirrors fo ld in. In the MMI,
you can select if the mirrors fold in automati­ cally when you lock the vehicle
c> page 35 .
Tilt function for the passenger's mirror
To help you see the curb when backing into a
parking space, the surface of the mirror tilts
slightly . The knob must be in the P position
for this to happen .
You can adjust the tilted mirror surface by turning the knob in the desired direction .
When you move out of reverse and into anoth- er gear,
the new mirror position is sto red and
assigned to the key you are using.
T he m irror goes back into its orig inal position
once you drive forward fas ter than 9 mph (15
km/h) or switch the ignition off.
A WARNING
-Curved (i.e . convex) m irror surfaces in­
crease your fie ld of view. Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear smaller and farther away t han when seen
in a flat mirror . If you use th is m irror to
estimate distances of following vehicles
when changing lanes, you could estimate
incor rectly and cause an accident.
(D Note
-
-If the m irror housing is moved uninten­
tionally (for examp le, while parking your
vehicle), then you must first fold the mir­ ror electrically. Do not readjust the mir­
ror housing manually. You could damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car was h, you must fold the exter ior mir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mir rors . Never fold power folding ex­
terior mirrors * by hand. Only fo ld them
in and out using the power controls.
@ Tips
- The exterior mirror settings are stored
w ith the memory function* ¢page
56.
-If there is a malfunction in the electrical
system, you can sti ll adjust the exterior
mirrors by pressing the edge of the mir­
ror.