2015 AUDI A6 service

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Using the proper engine oil is important for
the functionality and service life of the en­
gine. Your engine was factory -filled with a
high-quality oil which can usually be used
t h roughout the entire year.
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or malfunctions due to
failure to follow recommended mainte­
nance and use requirements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality engine oil that ex­
pressly complies with the Audi oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's en­
gine . Using any other oil can cause seri­
ous engine damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other addi­
tives into the engine oil. Doing so can
cause engine damage.
If you need to add oil and there is none
available that meets the Audi oil quality
standard your engine requires, you may
add a total of no more than 0.5 quart/liter
of a high-quality "synthetic"oil that meets
the following specifications.
- Vehicles with gasoline engine: ACEA A3
or API SM with a viscosity grade of
SAE 0W-30, SAE SW-30 or SA E SW-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: ACEA C3 or
API CF with a viscosity grade of
SAE 0W-30 or SAE SW-30.
- For more information about engine oil
that has been approved for your vehicle, please contact either your authori zed
Audi dealer or Audi Customer Relations
at 1 (800) 822 -2834 or visit our web site
at www.audiusa.com or
www.audicanada .ca.
Checking and filling 225
Engine oil consumption
T he engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts .
In order to provide effec tive lubrication and
cooling of internal engine components, all in ­
ternal combustion engines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a specified break-in period (see
c::> page 200) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabili zed.
Under normal conditions , the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condi tions. Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxida­
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es ­
tablished or specified . There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil lev­
el , see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol
in the instrument cluster
II lights up, you
should check the oil level as soon as possible
c::> page 226. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
c::> page 226.
A WARNING
--
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 222.
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is like-
ly to cause severe damage to the engine. .,.
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-If your skin has come in contact with the
engine oil, you must subsequent ly
cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
- Check the oil leve l using t he M MI. If the
message
Please reduce oil level appears,
contact your author ized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop to have excess
oi l extracted if necessary .
-Audi does not recommend the use of oil
add it ives. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warrant y.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances ca n the o il come
i n contact wit h the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and fo llow lega l regu lations
when disposing of em pty oil con tainers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend tha t have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv ­
ice station .
Before you check any thing in the engine com­
pa rtment,
always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 222 .
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warra nty
&
Ma intenance book let . This is very important
because the l ubr icating prope rties of oil di­
m inish gradua lly dur ing no rmal veh icle use.
Unde r some circumstances the engine o il
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you driv e most ly short dis­
tances , ope rate the vehicle in d usty areas or
u nd er predomin antly stop-and-go t raff ic con­
di tions , or have your veh icle w here tempe ra­
tures remain below free zing fo r ex tended pe ­
riods .
D etergen t additi ves i n the o il w ill ma ke fresh
oil look dark a fter the eng ine has been run -
Checkin g and fillin g 22 7
ning for a sho rt time. This is normal an d is not
a reaso n to cha nge the oil more often t han
recommended.
Bec ause of t he pro blem o f proper disposal,
along wi th the specia l tools and necessa ry ex ­
pertise req uired, we st ro ngly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an a uthorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself ,
please note the following important info rma ­
t ion:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of pe rsonal inj ury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect io n.
- To reduce t he risk of burns from hot en -
gine oil, let the engine c ool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as fa r away as possible .
Always keep you r forearm parallel to the
grou nd to help prevent hot o il from run­
ning down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one la rg e enough to
hold at l east the tota l am ou nt of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well o ut
of the rea ch of childre n.
- Con tinuous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to yo ur ski n. A lways protect
your skin by washi ng oil off t horoughly
w it h s oap and w ater.
d) Note
N eve r mix oil additives wi th you r engine
oil. Th ese additives can damage your en­
g ine and adversely affect your Au di Li m it­
e d N ew Vehicle Warr anty.
(® For the sake of the environment
- Befor e changi ng your oil, first make s ure
yo u k now where yo u ca n prope rly dispose
o f the used oil.
1J11>
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228 Check ing and filling
- Always dispose of used engine oil proper ­
l y . Do not dump it on garden soi l, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
qu ires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ially conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glycol-based coolant addi-
tive G13 antifreeze with ant icorros ion addi­
tives (50% for USA models; 60% for Canadian
models). This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­
ponents in the engine's coo ling system from
corrosion and scaling . It also raises the boil­
ing point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
p ropo rtion of coolant add itive must be at
l e a st 50 % but not mo re th an 60 %
to ma in­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien­
cy . If the coolant frost protect ion is too low,
the coo lant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cool ing system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the facto ry for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
If you m ust add coo lant, use a m ix tu re of wa ­
ter and coo lant addit ive . M ixing the coolant
additive with disti lled water is recommended .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS~ &.
in Working in the engine
compartment on page
222 .
(D Note
-Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate conditions. This is especia lly impor­
tant if you live in a reg ion where t he win ­
t er is ex treme ly cold. If necessary, in­
crease the p roportion of coo lant add it ive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant addi tive to yo ur
c ooling sys tem, remembe r:
- We recommend us ing on ly coolant ad­
d itive G12++ or G13 (check the label)
for your vehicle . This coolant additive is
ava ilable at autho rized Aud i dea le rs.
Other types of antifree ze ca n sign ifi­
ca ntly reduce co rros io n protec tion. The
res ulting corrosion c an cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of r ad iator le ak seal­
ant to yo ur vehicle 's engine coolant .
Adding radiator repair flu id may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
-
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
F ig. 1 91 Engi ne compartment: cover on the coola nt
expansio n tank

232 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as we ll as the special tools
required and the necessary expertise, we recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily drives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility . The electrolyte level should also be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 234.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service . You are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ical system for safety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 161.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this , the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrica l system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period
¢page 198. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, such as the interior
lights or power seat adjustment. The conven- ience
functions will be available again when
you switch on the ignition and start the en­ gine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capac ity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop. This
is because more power is a lso consumed whi le
starting, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticu larly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances. Let your authorized Audi
deale r check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in¢
page 234 . A well
charged battery will no t only prevent star ting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery shou ld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor . Before you check any­
thing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&, .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec­
t rical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.

252 Tires and wheels
-Always inflate tires to the
recommended and correct
tire pressure before driving
off .
-Driving with underinflated tires bend more, letting
them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden
tire failure and loss of con­
trol.
-Excessive speed and/over­ loading can cause heat
build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires
will wear prematurely and the vehicle will not handle
well.
- If the tire is not flat and you
do not have to change a
wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the near­
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air
as required.
@ Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all
wheels are secure­
ly mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump­
tion.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave ­
hicle that is overloaded will not
handle well and is more diffi­
cult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage
important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your
passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical­
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR "). .,..

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being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,.Che ck the tire sidewall
(¢ page 257, fig. 199) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things in­
cluding proper installation and
balancing, correct tire pressure and driving style.
Fig . 197 Tire tread: tread wear indi­
cators (TWI)
Tires and wheels 255
Fig. 198 Rotating tires for more even
wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehi­
cle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
high "wear indicators"
¢ fig. 197 running across the
tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions
of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced.
Different figures may apply in
other countries
¢ & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes
premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be
checked at least once a month
¢ page 249.

256 Tires a nd whee ls
Driving style - Extra care must be ta ken when
Driving fast around curves , rotat
ing direction-specific
heavy acceleration and hard tires
¢
page 2 77.
b raking increase tire wear.
Wheel balancing
Rotating tires for more even
The wheels on new vehicles are
wear ba lanced. However, various sit-
For all four tires on your vehicle uations during everyday driving
to have the same service life, can cause them to become un-
we recommend that the front balanced, resulting in vibra-
and rear tires are rotated ac -tions you can usually feel
cording to the tire manufactur- through the steering wheel.
er's suggested tire rotation in- Unbalanced wheels must be re-
tervals . Please remember the
balanced to avoid excessive
following: wear on steering, suspension
-T ire rotation intervals may dif -and tires. A wheel must also be
fer from the vehicle service in· rebalanced when a new tire is
tervals outlined in your War- insta
lled.
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Incorrect wheel alignment
-The longer one tire is used in
Incorrect wheel alignment can
one location on the vehicle,
cause excessive tire wear, im-
the more it wears at certain
pairing the safety of the vehi-
points; therefore, we recom-
cle. If tires show excessive
mend that you follow the tire
wear, have the wheel alignment
manufacturer's suggested tire
checked by an authorized Audi
rotation intervals.
dealer or qualified workshop.
-Vehicles with front-wheel
dr ive experience more t read
All-wheel drive
wear on the front wheels com-
Vehicles with quattro must al-
pared to all-wheel drive (quat- ways have tires of the same
tro) .
size, construction and tread
-Please rotate tires as shown type. For details see
¢
fig . 198. ¢page 197. ...

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Putting on the spare wheel
"'Lift the spare wheel and ca refully slide it
over the alignment pin to guide it in place
¢ (D .
"' Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle to screw in and tighten all wheel
bolts
slightly.
"' Remove the alignment pin and insert and
t ighten the remaining wheel bolt s lightly
like the rest .
"'T urn the jack handle counte r-clockw ise to
lower the vehicle unt il the jac k is f ully re­
l eased .
"' Use the whee l bolt wrench to tighten a ll
whee l bolts firmly
¢ page 274. Tighten
them
crosswis e, from one bolt to the (ap­
proximate ly) opposite one, to keep the
wheel cen tered.
When removing or install ing the wheel,
the rim could hit the brake rotor and dam­
age the rotor. Work carefully and have a
second person help you .
{D) Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the han­
dle of the screwdriver to loosen or t ighten
the wheel bolts .
- Pull the reversib le blade from the screw­
driver before you use the hexagonal
socket in the handle to turn the whee l
bo lts.
- When mounting tires with
un id ire ctional
tread design
make s ure the tread pat­
tern is poi nted the right way
¢ page 277.
- The wheel bolts should be clean and easy
to tu rn . Check for d irt and corrosion on
the mat ing su rfaces of both the whee l
and the h ub. Remove a ll dir t from these
su rfaces before remo unting the wheel.
What do I do now? 277
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction .
Usi ng a spa re ti re with a tre ad patte rn
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare t ire with a tread patter n
intended for use in a spec ific d irection, please
note the following :
- The d irect ion of rotation is marked by an ar­
row on t he side of the ti re .
- If the spare tire has to be installed in the in­
correct direct ion, use the spare tire only
temporarily s ince the t ire will not be able to
achieve its optimum performance cha racte r­
istics w it h regard to aquap la ni ng, no ise and
wear .
- We recommend that you pay part icu lar at­
ten tion to th is fact during we t wea ther and
t ha t you adjust your speed to match road
conditions .
- Replace the fl at t ire wi th a new one and
have i t installed on your vehicle as soon as
possible to restore the hand ling advantages
of a un idirectional tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information¢ page 257, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels
if you a re
go ing to use a spare tire wh ich is different
from the tires on you r vehicle .
After you change a tire:
- Check the tire pre ssure on the spare imme­
diately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torqu e
checked with a torque wrench as soon a s
possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualified service station.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel
bolts are cor re ctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lb (120 Nm ).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor­
roded and diff icult to turn while changing
a tire , they should be replaced before you
check the t ightening torque. .,,.
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