2015 AUDI A6 engine overheat

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 .
~

82 On the road
You can s et any t hreshol d between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Settings
can each be adjusted in increments of 6 mph
(10 km/h) .
Cruise control
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
f
~
0
Fig . 83 Con trol lev er w it h s et bu tton
Fi g. 84 Dis pla y: Sele cte d s pee d
• Pull the lever to position (D c::, fig. 83 to
switch the system on.
• Drive at the speed you wish to set.
• Press button @to set that speed.
The stored speed and the indicator light
II (US models) ;ii (Canadian models) ap­
pear in the instrument cluster d isp lay
cc> fig. 84. The display may vary, depending on
t he type of d isp lay in your vehicle .
Th is information is also shown briefly in the
Head-up Display *.
The speed is kept constant v ia an engine out­
put adjustment or act ive b rake intervention .
A WARNING
--Always pay attent ion to traffic even when
the cruise co ntrol is switched on . You are
always responsib le for your speed and
the distance between your veh icle and
other veh icles .
- For safety reasons, the cruise cont ro l
should not be used in t he city, in stop­
a nd -go traffi c, on twisting roads and
when road con ditions are poor (such as
ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro ­
p la ni ng) -risk of accident .
- Tu rn off the cruise co ntro l temporarily
when entering turn la nes , highway exit
lanes or in constr uction zones .
- Please note that inadve rtently "res ting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes the cruise control not to brake . This is
because the cruise control is overridden by the driver's acceleration.
- If a brake system malfunction s uch as
overheating occurs when the cruise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be sw itched
off . The other c ruise control functions re­
main act ive as long as the indicato r light
II (US model s)/ ... (Canadian mo dels)
is o n.
(D Tips
The brake lights illum inate as soon as the
brakes decele rate automatically .
Changing speed
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control
• To increase/de crease the s peed in inc re­
ments, tap the lever in the
0 10 direc tion
c::> page 82 , fig . 83
• To increase/decrease the s peed quick ly, hold
the lev er in the
0 10 d irect ion until the de­
sired speed is displayed .
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e .g . if you want to
pass someone. The speed you saved earlie r
will res ume as soon as you release the acceler-
ator pedal. ..,.

110 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
multitronic transmission : Your vehicle is
equipped with
hill hold assist allowing you to
start while on an incline. The system is acti­
vated when the brake pedal is pressed down
and held
f o r a few s econds . The brake pres­
sure will hold for
a moment after the brake
pedal loosens to prevent the veh icle from roll­
ing backwards whi le starting up .
A WARNING
- The veh icle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- Unintended veh icle movement can cause
serious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the eng ine
running wh ile in gea r. If you must leave
yo ur vehicle when the engine is running,
act ivate the park ing brake and move the
selector lever to P .
- Power is st ill transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle . To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever pos ition
wh ile the vehicle is stat io nary and the
engine is running .
- Never shift into R or P wh ile driving .
- Before driv ing down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic" .
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when dr iving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces b raking performance, inc reases
braking distance or causes comp lete fail­
ure of the brake system.
- T o prevent the veh icle from rolling back
when stoppi ng on incl ines, always hold it
in place with the brake peda l or parking
brake.
- Never hold the veh icle on an incl ine with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto ­
matically when it becomes too hot from the overload. An indicato
r lamp
ml illu­
minates and a driver message appears
¢ page 112 when the clutch is overload­
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving posit io n engaged when
checking under the hood . Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in P w it h the park ing brake set
¢ page 222 . Otherwise, any increase in
eng ine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake ap­ plied .
(D Note
-S tronic- and tiptronic transmission :
When stopping on an incl ine , do not try
t o hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the acce lerator pedal while a driving gear
is se lected. This can cause the transmis­
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the parking brake or press the brake
peda l to prevent the vehicle from roll ing.
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission : A l­
lowing the vehicle to ro ll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not l ubricated unde r those cir­
cumstances.
{!) Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
l eased automatically only when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill descent contro l is activated when these ­
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is su itable fo r the incline. H ill de­
scent contro l tries to ma inta in the speed ach­
ieved at the time o f braking, within phys ica l
and technical limitations. If may sti ll be nec -
essary to adj ust the speed with the brakes . ..,..

194 Intelligent technology
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
smal l.
Anti -slip regulati on (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels .
This function is available up to abo ut 75 mph
(120 km/h) .
I n extreme cases , ED L automat ic all y switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL will switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Dynamic st eering*
On vehicles with dynamic steering* , ESC helps
stabilize the steering in critical situations .
Electronic interaxle differential lock */
s elective whe el torque control *
The electronic in teraxle d iffe ren tial lock (fro nt
wheel drive) or the select ive whee l torq ue
control (a ll-wheel drive) operates when driv­
ing throug h curves . The front whee l on the in­
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed.
T his minimizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
curves . The applicable system may not acti­
vate when d rivi ng in wet or snowy conditions.
_& WARNING
- E SC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dynamic steering*
and the E lec tronic interaxle differentia l lock
*/se lective whee l torque control*
cannot overcome the laws of physics.
This is especially important on slippery
or wet roads .
If the systems beg in acting
to stabilize your veh icle, you should im­
mediately chang e you r speed to match
the road and t raffi c conditions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems temp t you to take risks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and serio us per­
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions . The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and o n slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
a head . ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys­
tem, ED L, ASR, dynam ic steeri ng* and
the Electronic in terax le different ial
loc k*/se lective whee l torque control*
cannot prevent collisions .
- Always accelerate wi th spe cial care on
even, smooth s urfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al ­
ways he lp to reduce the risk of loss of ve­
hicle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires . D ifferent tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine powe r.
- You may hear noises when the systems descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator light
Bl or fJl1 (USA
mode ls)l iiJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 19,
¢page 19 .

196 Intellig ent technolog y
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver will not no­
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake d iscs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake¢.&. .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with l ittle use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firm ly a few times from a mode rately high
speed ¢.& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢.&. .
Low brake fluid le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake boost er
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢ .&. .
Brake lining w ear status
Brake lining wea r may be checked by vis ual in ­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in ­
spection
¢ page 272, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the br akes or ho ld the pedal down too
long o r too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter , dr iving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the b rakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
d iscs and drum s. Carefully app ly bra kes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coa t­
ings wi ll be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt -covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effective ness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it to wed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the eng ine shut
off.

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) * and fully load­
ed veh icles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any h igher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
..&, WARNING
After driving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
ing thro ugh water.
- Always switch
off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water¢
page 79 .
@ Tips
-Check the depth o f the wate r before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do not s top the veh icle, dr ive i n reverse
or switc h the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncom ing vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
l eve l and make it too deep for you r vehi­
cle to drive through safely .
-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 201
- Avo id driving through salt wate r because
it can cause corrosion .
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: w ith gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
... Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 214,
Fuel supply.
... Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
.,. Never put too much motor o il in your engine
¢ page 226, Adding engine oil~-
... Never try to push- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­
up" dev ice bui lt into the exhaust system of
the ve hicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be­
fore they are re leased into the atmosphere .
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is c ritically
important for the life of the ca talyt ic convert­
er and proper f unct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after s topping
the engine.
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This cou ld result
in burns .
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
~
•
•

202 Driving and en vir onm ent
- Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le a ded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 226.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
t h e catalyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ign ition wh ile the
vehicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherw ise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the co n­
ve rter, req uiring its repla ceme nt.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec ­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
the funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
t he s ulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a differe nt brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w it h lead-free super
grade gaso line .
Diesel particulate filter
Appl ies to vehicles: with diesel e ngin e
The diesel particula te filter fi lters nearly a ll of
the soot part icles o ut o f the exhaus t. T he fi l­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions . If the fi lter cannot clean it- se
lf (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the f ilter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diese l
part icu late filter illuminates
¢page 21.
A WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
ticulate fi lt e r could start a fire.
- Do not app ly an underbody protectant in
the ex haust system area o r a f ire could
start.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop ­
erative for a longe r per iod of t ime, contact an
A udi o r othe r spec ia liz ed dealer. They can ad­
v ise you on necessa ry precautions e.g. corro­
s io n preven tion, mainten ance and s torage.
Pay a ttent ion to addi tional in format ion con ­
cerning the battery. Refer to¢
page 232 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex ­
haust and noise levels.
F uel economy, envi ronmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, b rakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your pe rsonal d riving s tyle
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt io n by 10-15 percent . This sec ­
t ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help t he env ironme nt and your pocketbook. ..,.