2016 AUDI A6 cooling

Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer tow ing not only p laces more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trai ler operation mode
¢ page 199, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Tr ailer hitch
Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The h itch must be suitab le
for your vehicle and tra ile r and must be mo unted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always che ck wit h the t rail­
e r hitch manufac turer to make s ure that you a re
usi ng the co rrect hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No mod ifica tions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to time, chec k that all hitch mo un ting
bo lts rem ain securely fastened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca u sing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
struck from behind
¢ .&, .
Trailer mode
Trailer brakes
If your traile r i s equ ipped with a b raking sys tem,
c h ec k t o be sure that it con forms to a ll regu la ­
tions.
T he tra ile r h ydr aulic bra ke sy stem must not be
directly con nected to the vehicle's hydr aulic
brake sy stem.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the tra iler .
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w it h your Aud i dealer for correct wir ing,
swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After remov ing the tra ile r hi tch, do not sto re
i t in yo ur vehicle. In case of sudde n brak ing,
t he hitch could fly fo rwa rd and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A traile r for yo ur vehicle is lim ited to a typical
cla ss 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribut ion
Be sure the load in the tra iler is held secure ly in
place to p reve nt it from shifting forward, back­
ward o r sideways.
Ne ver allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 201 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra ile r makes the engine wor k harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cool ing system has enoug h fluid . .,..
199

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. ..,.

• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Switch
off the ignition.
• Read the engine coolant level from the coolant
expansion tank¢
fig. 189, ¢ page 218,
fig. 186.
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" mark­
i ngs . When the engine is warm, the level may
be s light ly above the "max " marking.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
¢pag e 218.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be sw itched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
c:> page 15 wi ll il­
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an
e lectric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from t ime to t ime.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot . Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the eng ine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es­
caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
Checking and Filling
-To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certain cond itions,
the ethylene glycol in engi ne coolant can
catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add ing radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢.&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 216.
• Requ irement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
c:> (D .
•Turnoff the engine .
• Let the engine cool down.
• Place a thick rag over the coolant expans ion
tank
c:>p age 222 , fig. 189 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise
c:> _& .
• Add coo lant mixed in the correct ratio
c:> page 222, Coolant up to the MAX marking .
• Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
• Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex ­
act specifications
c> page 222, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive Gl2+
+ , Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa­
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coo l­
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is co ld.
Always use
new engine coolant when refi lling.
223

Check ing and F illing
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Excess
coo lant wi ll be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the eng ine becomes
hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot . Reduce the risk of scald ing
from hot coolant by followi ng these steps.
- Tu rn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- P rotect your face, h ands and arms from
escaping f lu id and steam by cover ing the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
co unter -clockw ise direction while applying
light, downward p ressure on the top of
the cap.
- To avoid being bu rned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certa in condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in eng ine cool­
a nt can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. A lways store anti­
freeze in its original container and well out
of the reach of children .
- If you dra in the coolant, it must be ca ught
and sa fely stored in a proper conta iner
clearly mar ked "poison".
(D Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . A ir cou ld enter the cooling system
a nd damage the eng ine. If this is the case ,
do no t continue dr iving. Seek professional
ass istance .
- Coolant pollutes t he e nvironment a nd could
cause an eng ine fire . Excess coolan t will be
fo rced o ut through th e pressure relief valve
i n the c ap whe n the eng ine be comes hot.
- If, in an emergency, o nly wate r can be add­
ed, the co rrect ratio between wate r and an­
ti fr ee ze ~
page 222 mu st be resto red a s
soon as possib le.
224
-
® For the sake of the environment
D raine d coolant should not be re use d. Always
d ispose of used coolant while observing a ll
environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self
An a uxiliary e lectric ra diator fan switches on and
off depending on coo lant temperature and other
vehicle ope rating conditions .
A ft er yo u sw itc h t he engi ne off, the a uxi liary fan
can con tinue running for up to 10 m inutes -even
with t he ignitio n off .
It can even switch on again
l ater by itself~& . if
- t he tempera ture o f the engine coolan t rises d ue
to the heat build -up from the engine in the en­
gine compa rtment, or
- t he engine compar tment heats up beca use the
vehicle is pa rked in intense s unlight.
A WARNING
- To red uce the r is k of personal injury never
to uch the radiator fan .
- The a uxiliary e lectric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can switch on s uddenly even
when the engine is not running.
-
- The a uxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
mat ically when the eng ine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coo lant temperature d rops.

Checking Engine coolant leve l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
222
Chi ld rest raints
Danger of usin g c hild rest raints in the front
se at. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. .... .
143
Where can I ge t addi tional in fo rmat ion
a bout child restraints and their use? . . . .
183
Chi ld rest raint system ancho rs . . . . . . . . . . 179
Ch ild safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Important safety instructions for using chi ld
safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
169
Important things to know when driv ing with
ch ild ren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
166
Tether anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2
Tether st raps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2
Chi ld safety lock
Rear doo rs, windows in the rea r . . . . . . . . .
39
Ch ild safety seats
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 5
Convertible c hild seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
173
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . . . . 178
H ow do I properly i nstall a child safety seat
. h' l 7 169 in myve 1c e ......... .............. .
Inf ant sea ts . ................. ... .. . 17 2
Ins tall ing a chi ld restra in t usi ng the LA TC H
sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
181
LATCH system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Lowe r ancho rages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
181
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Unused safety belts on the rear seat . . . . 171
C hil d seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Secur ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
C igarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
C lea ning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
C leaning/ removing ice from wi ndows . . . . . 205
Clea ning Alcanta ra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Cleaning artificia l leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Clea ning ca rbon parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 5, 206
C lea ning contro ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
C leaning decorative parts and trim . . . 20 4, 205
Cle anin g displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
C lea ning exhaust tail pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
C lea ning plastic parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Clea ning rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
C lean ing textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Index
Climate contro l system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7
Closing
Sunr oof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
W indows . .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. . 40
Coming home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Compact spare t ire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
C ons umer i nfor mat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 73
Cons umer Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Cons umption (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Contac ting NHTSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Start ing the engine (S TART ENGINE STOP
button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
74
Stopping the eng ine (STAR T ENG INE S TO P
button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
75
Swi tc hi ng the igni tion on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
U nlocking an d loc king vehi cle . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Convenie nce open ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Convertib le child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1 73
C onvertib le loc kin g re trac to r
A ct ivat ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
178
D ea ct ivat ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
U sing to secu re a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . 178
C oo la nt
refer to Eng ine coolan t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 22
Cooling mode (four-zone automat ic climate
contro l) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
Cooling mode (three -zone climate control) . 68
Crossing water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4
Cruise control
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
83
War ning/ indica tor lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cruise cont rol system
Changi ng speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
82
Prese lecting speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
(u pholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Curve light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cylinder management
refer to Cylinder on demand System . . . . . 24
Cylinder on demand System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
D
D at a reco rder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 6
279

Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Replacing windshield wiper b lades . . . . . . . 52
Sw itching on and
off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1
W inte r driv ing
Snow chai ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Tires .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .... . 246
W inte r operation
B attery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2
D efrost ing windows (four- zone automat ic
climate cont rol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Defrosting windows (three-zone climate
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Seat heating ( four-zone automatic climate
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Seat heating (three-zone climate control) . 69
S teer ing whee l heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
W inte r ti res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
W inte r use
C ar washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Removing ice from w indows 205
X
Xenon -Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Index
289