2016 AUDI A6 ESP

Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your authorized Audi dealer. Read and fol­ l ow the instructions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
-Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of chi ldren to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning .
@) For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle,
the mor e the surface may b e damaged . High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damag ing effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water .
S tu bborn depos its s uch as bird d roppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth.
A lso , wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially importa nt in regard to the pressu re and
sp raying distance . Do no t aim the sp ray directly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
rear lid or the sunroof * or at tires, rubber hoses,
Ca re and cleaning
insulating materia l, sensors* or camera lenses* .
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do no t remove snow and ice with a p ressure
washe r.
Never use rota ry nozzles or high pressure noz­
z les.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automat ic car washe s
Spray off t he vehicle before washing .
Make s ure that the windows and roo f* are closed
and the windsh ie ld wipers are off . Follow instruc ­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing
by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work­
ing down using a soft sponge o r cleaning br ush.
U se solven t-free cleaning produ cts .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by
hand
T o avo id damag ing the pa int w hen washi ng, fi rst
remove d ust and large p articl es from you r vehi­
cl e. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed with a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he p roduct using a microfiber cloth. To
avo id damag ing the pa int surfa ce, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thorough ly w ith wate r. Then
clean usi ng a neutral shampoo and a soft micro ­
fiber clo th .
Rinse the ve hicle thorough ly agai n and let it air
dry. Remove a ny wate r residue using a sham my .
A WARNING
- On ly wash the vehicle when the ign ition is
off and follow t he instr uctions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci ­
dents.
-
203

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
P aint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint
c> page 270
Spilled fuel Rinse with wa ter immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect w ith hard wax; for questions,
refer to an authorized Audi dealer.
Corrosion H
ave it removed by an authorized Audi dealer.
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/pa int looks
poor
Deposits such as in -Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro -
sects, bird droppings, fiber cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately with a m ild soap solutional and a soft
tam inants such as clot h
cosmetics or sunb lock
C arbon part s Deposits clean the same way as painted parts c> page 203
•> Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water
Internal cl eaning
Component Situation Solution
Window s
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorati ve part s/ Deposits Mild soap solutional
trim
Pla stic part s
Deposits Damp cloth
H eavier depos its Mild soap solutional, detergent-free plast ic cleaning solu-
tion, if necessary
D ispla ys Deposits
Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Co ntro ls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solutional
Safety be lts Deposits Mild soap solutional, all ow to dry before lett ing them re-
tract
205

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Te xtil es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
a rt ifici al le ather , the surface
Alcant ara Water-based deposits Absorben
t cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based deposits Apply am ild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, na il polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessarya>
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap so
lutiona)
Water-based deposits fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, d ried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh staiins: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la -
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Ca re Regularly apply cond ition ing cream that protects from
light and penet rates into the materia l. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablesp oons of neutral soap in 1 quart (l liter) of water
_& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable conditions s uch as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare .
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
(D Note
- Headlights/tail light s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they cou ld cause
cracks to form.
- Wheels
206
-
- Never use any paint polish or other abra­
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors /camera lenses
- Neve r use wa rm or ho t wa ter to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- N eve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clea n the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Doo r window s
-Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plast ic scraper. To

fill up at busy gas st ations where the season al
adjustment is more likely to be made in time .
(D Note
-Me thanol f uels which do not mee t these re­
quirements may ca use corros ion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the speci­
fied criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
ficat ions, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fue ls differ­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Wa rrant ies.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A ma jo r concern among many au to manufactur ­
e rs is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline gr ades d iffer from one manu ­
facturer to ano ther, they have cer tain things in
common . All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on v ita l eng ine
parts, such as f uel injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www .toptiergas .com) .
Fuel and R efueling
After an extended period o f using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit bui ld-ups can rob your en­
gine o f peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or ma lf u nction due to poor fuel qual ­
ity is not covered by the A udi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
Diesel fuel
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2 .
The ULSD No . 2 meets the ASTM 0975.
Diesel f uel w it h concen tratio ns of b iod iesel h igh­
er than 5 % such as Bl 1, B20 or BlOO are strict ly
prohibited .
Se rvice station fuel p umps are labe led with the
correct f uel i nfo rmat ion for e asy recog nition by
the user.
If the d iesel f ue l pump is no t labeled
ask the station operator what fuel is being dis­
pensed before fil ling up your vehicle .
UL SD No . 2 m ay not be available ou tside the USA
and Canada . Be su re to check befo re t raveling to
other countries .
UL SD No . 2 c an become thic ke r i n ve ry cold tem­
peratures, and this can imp air the engine's s tart ­
ing and running. Depend ing on the sea son, gas
stations provide ULSD No . 2 that flows better in
cold temperatures so that you can continue oper ­
at ing your vehicle as usual.
@ Note
- Your vehicle's diese l engine was designed
soley for use w ith ULSD No . 2 . Therefo re,
neve r use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow improvers. These contain substances
that will severely damage the fuel system
and the engine . Such damage will not be
cove red by your New Vehicle Limited War­
r a nty.
- If you put a ny amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not sta rt the eng ine under
any circumstances. Imme diately contact the
ne arest a uthor ized A udi dealer or author­
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance .
209

To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fuel filler cap properly and
completely. An improperly closed fuel filler cap
may also cause the MIL lamp
c> page 28 to come
on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause se­
vere burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refuel­
ing and/or to insert the pump nozzle fully
into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow. Fuel
spray and overflowing fuel can cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while refuel­
ing. The electromagnetic radiation can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
-
-Never get back into your vehicle while refu­
eling.
If in exceptional circumstances you
must get back in your vehicle while refuel­
ing, make certain that you close the door
and touch metal to discharge static electric­
ity before touching the filler nozzle again.
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­ where in or near your vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fuel container.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend that you do not travel with a portable fuel container in your vehicle. The container, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire,
especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam­
ple, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk). Static electricity can build up while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on
the ground before filling.
Fuel and Refueling
- Always keep the filler nozzle completely
inside the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be in
contact with the container. This will help prevent static electricity from discharging
and cause a fire.
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or lug­
gage compartment. Fuel vapors are highly
flammable .
- Always observe local and state/provincial
laws regarding the use, storage and trans­
portation of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets in­ dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it should
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint.
@) For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
the tank is full. Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out. In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the environment.
(D Tips
-Running your engine while refuelling may
cause vapors to escape or even cause fuel to
spill out of the tank. This would then shut
off the fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition
switched on. The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fuel level after refu­
elling.
- Diesel vehicles* are equipped with a diesel
misfueling protector.
It allows the vehicle
to be fueled only with a diesel fuel pump nozzle. A worn or damaged nozzle or a noz­
zle that is too small may not be able to open
the diesel misfueling protector. If this is the .,..
211

... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduction
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction .
AdBlue le vel low
You will be informed if the Ad Blue in the tank
drops below a certa in level.
Plea se refill Ad Blue. Range 1500 mi (2400 km )
This message appears whe n there is only eno ugh
Ad B lue lef t to d rive the distance indicated in the
d river i nformation system. Fill the AdBl ue.
AdBlue ,0 Refill AdBlue! No re start in 600 mi
( 1000 km )! See owner 's manual
This message appea rs when there is only eno ugh
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
driver info rmation system . Fill the Ad Blue . Ot her­
wise the eng ine will not sta rt aga in if you s top it
once the d ist anc e in dicate d ha s been d riven. Yo u
can also check t he remai ning dis tan ce in the on­
board com puter* .
Refill Ad Blue! No restart! See own-
er's manual
This message appears whe n the AdBlue ta nk is
empty. F ill the AdB lue. Otherwise you will not be
ab le to s tart the engine aga in once yo u stop it.
The AdBlue must be refilled when t he amount in
the tank has reached the minimum level
q page 213, Filling Ad Blue.
Incorrect filling /system malfunction
A message appears if the AdBlue tank was filled
with a fluid other than AdBlue and the system
has detected that the tan k was fi lled incor rect ly,
or if there is a system malfunction .
Ad Blue -I' Ad Blue: System fault! No restart in
600 mi (1000 km ). See owner's manual.
This message appears when it is only poss ible to
drive the d istance indicated in the dr iver informa­
tion system. Drive to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have
the ma lfunction co rrected. Otherwise the engine
w ill not start agai n if you stop it once the d is­
tance ind icated has been driven .
Fuel and Refueling
AdBlue: System fault No re start!
See owner's manual
T his mess age app ea rs if the sy stem ha s detec ted
t h at the t ank was fi lled incor rec tly or tha t there
is a ma lf u nction . Drive immediate ly to the near ­
est authorized A udi dealer or authorized A udi
Se rvice Facility to have the ma lf u nction co rrect ­
ed. Ot herwise you wi ll not be able to start the en­
gine again once you stop it .
Filling AdBlue
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduction
Fig. 182 Right rear vehicle side: removing the Ad Bl ue cap
The Ad Blue filler t ube is located near the d iesel
filler t ube. Add at least 1.5 gallons (5.7 lite rs) of
AdBl ue. This is the min imum amount required to
ensure the system detects the refilling and to
sta rt the eng ine . You can add a maxim um of ap­
prox imately 4 . 5 gallons ( 17 li ters) .
Requirement: The request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display.
.. Switch th e ignition off .
.. Open the tank door
q page 210.
.. Tu rn the ta nk cap counterclockw ise w it h the l ug
w rench from the veh icle tool k it to remove it
qfig. 182.
.,. Fill the Ad Blue with the bottle ~ page 214 or
t he ca nister ~
page 21 4.
.&_ WARNING
Ad Bl ue can ir rit a te the s kin, eyes an d respir a­
tory sy stem.
If there is co nta ct wi th t he f lu id ,
f lus h imme diate ly w ith plenty of water . Con-
su lt a p hys ician if necessary .
IJII>
213

Checking and Filling
Checking and Filling
Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle .
Fig. 184 Driver footwell: release leve r
Fig . 185 Rocker switch under 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, pu ll the lever un ­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢
fig. 184.
.. Raise the hood slightly Q _A .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
Q fig. 185. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you .
- To reduce the risk of be ing burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment. Wait unt il no steam or coolant can be
216
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine comportment.
Whenev er yo u mu st perform an y work in the
engin e compartment , for example ch ecking and
filli ng d iffe rent fl uids , the re is a risk of injury ,
bu rn s and a ccid ents . To pre ve nt p erso nal injur y
a lway s obse rve the foll owing WARNING S. The
e ng ine compartment o f an y v ehicl e is a haz ard ­
ou s a rea
Q _6 .
A WARNING
To he lp avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Switch off the ignit ion.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always let the eng ine cool down. Hot com-
ponents will burn skin on contact .
-
-To redu ce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is sti ll warm. The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant 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 .

Checking and Filling
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
Cooling system
Coolant
T he 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
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially conditioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant additive G13 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod­
els · 60% for Canadian models). This mixture
'
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine 's cool­
ing system from corrosion and scaling. It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding plain water.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive must be at least 50% but not more than 60%
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
gine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN-
222
INGS ~&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­ ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold . If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi­
tive G12++ or G13 (check the label) for
your vehicle. This coolant additive is avail­
able at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The resulting
corrosion can cause a loss of coolant and
serious engine damage .
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling
system and could result in damage not cov­
ered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 189 Eng in e compar tment: cover on the cool ant expan­
s ion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 216. ..,.