2015 AUDI A6 engine coolant

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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 display and the indica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢ page 222, 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
ll'J turns on r=> 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@r=>
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
r::!> ,& .
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
r::!> 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
r::!> 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
-If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir is too low .
If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authori zed Aud i dealer o r qualified repa ir
f acili ty and have the brake system in­
spected.
- Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applicat ions, yo u will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop 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 fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light . (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set .
• (U SA models) • (Canada models ) Cau­
tion: Vehicle pa rked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not eno ugh braking power to
keep the vehicle from ro lling . The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could ro ll away even
on a small incline.
P res s brake pedal to relea se parking brake
To release the parking bra ke, press t he b ra ke
pedal and press the button~ or start d riving
with start ing assist at the same time
c::> page 78.
Plea se release parking brake
To release the parking brake ma nually, press
the brake pedal and press the button~ at the
same time . T he parking brake on ly re leases
automatically if the dr iver's safety be lt is fas­
tened.
Ill Parking brak e!
If the Ill ind icator light tu rns o n and this
message appears , the re is a parking b rake
malfunction . Drive to your au thorized A udi
dealer or qualif ied workshop immediately to
have the malfunction corrected .
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in th e engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Swit ch off engin e and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, the coolant temperature is too
high o r the coolant leve l is too low.
.. Pull
off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Tu rn
off the engi ne .
.,. Check coolant level
c::> page 228 .
.. Add coo lant if necessary c::> page 229 .
.,. Con tinue dr iv ing on ly afte r the engine coo l­
ant warning/indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your authorized A udi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
If the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the ca use of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Plea se let
engin e run with vehicl e st ationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, let the engine run at id le for a
f ew m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING
- If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reaso ns, park at a
safe distance from mov ing traffic, turn
off the eng ine and turn on the hazard
warn ing lights
c::> page 44, Emergency
flasher .
-
-Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coo lant escaping from the en­
g in e compartment -you r isk being scald­
ed. Wait unt il you can no lo nger see or
hear steam o r coolant escap ing .
~

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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.

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,...., ..,., ,....,
Starting the engine
"'Press the brake pedal c::> _&..
"'Pr ess the !START ENGINE STOPI button
c::> fig. 77. The engi ne will start.
"' It is possible that there will be a slight delay
when starting the engine for diesel vehicles
in colder temperatures. Therefore, you must
hold the brake pedal down until the engine
starts. The indicator lamp
Ii illuminates
when the engine is preheated.
If the engine should not start immedi ately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time . Repeat starting procedure.
Start-Stop-System*:
Note the information on c::> page 79, Start­
Stop-System.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyxiation .
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
-Avoid high engine rpm, full throttle and
heavy engine loads until the engine has
reached operating temperature - other­
wise you risk engine damage.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
(D Tips
-After a cold engine is started, there may
be a brief period of increased noise be­
cause oil pressure must first build up in
the hydraulic valve adjusters. This is nor­ mal and not a cause for concern.
- If you leave the vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off
On the road 75
after a certain period of time. Please
note that electrical equipment such as
exterior lights will switch off as well
when that happens.
Stopping the engine
"'Bring your vehicle to a complete stop.
"' Move the selector lever to the P or N posi ­
tion .
"'Press the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP I button
c::> page 7 4, fig. 77.
Steering lock
The steer ing locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I STAR T ENGINE STOP I button
and open the driver's door. The locked steer­ ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
Emergency off
If necessary, the engine can be switched off
with the selector lever in the R or D/S posi ­
tion. The engine stops if you press the
I START ENGINE STOPI button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/h).
A WARNING
-Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off.
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup
.
or if the engine is hot and the engine .,..

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 a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a trai ler, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air
suspension trailer mode on when you are tow­
ing a trailer. This will limit the regulation by
the air suspension while driving. Select in the
MMI:
! CARI function button> (C ar) * systems
control button > Vehicle settings > Air susp.:
towing > On .
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 immed iately if the LEDs in
the top pa rt of the display turn on.
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ¢
page 16 .
A WARNING
Anyone no t properly restrained in a mov­
ing veh icle is at a much greater ris k in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent 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
M N turning, stopping and backing up in an area 0
~ away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
~ have become comp lete ly fam iliar with the way 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Trailer towing 207
your vehicle-trai ler combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally req uires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trai ler.
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 rad ius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
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 292.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a 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 p lace 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 posit ion.
When re starting after parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Start the engine.
•
•

222 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 .
.,. With the driver's door open, pull the lever
under the instrument panel in the direction
of the arrow ¢
fig. 186.
... Raise the hood slightly¢.&_ .
... Pr ess the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward ~
fig. 187. This releases the catch.
.,. Open the hood.
A 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: ..,_

224 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 188 Typ ical layout for contai ners and eng ine o il filler cap
(D Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw .... ............. 234, 283
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. ............... .... . 234,283
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . 231
© Engine oil filler cap ( ®
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) ... 228
Windshield/headlight washer
. (' " ) container O ............ . . 235
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be lo­
cated in a different area depending on the ver­
sion of the engine.
~ WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 222.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact
specifications.
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it
is time for an oil change. We recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv ice Advisor.
If you have to top
off the oil between oi l
changes, use the Audi oil quality standard
specified in the table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
Diesel vw 507 00
engine