2016 AUDI A6 oil

Intelligent Technology
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed¢& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed ¢
&..
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid level
is monitored e lectronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure
which is created only when the engine is running
c:;> &, .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c;> page 253, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken- in" dur ing
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies later
when new pads are installed.
- You should 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
cause an accident!
-
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and diminish brak ing efficiency.
190
- 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 over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care­
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Fa ilure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.

CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch the Start-Stop-System* off
when driving through water
9 page 79.
@ Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water (corrosion).
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline 9 page 208,
Fuel supply.
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
9 page 220, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle. The catalytic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
Driving and the environment
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
9page220.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
195

Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
~ Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automat ically reduced for
veh icles w ith the Start-Stop-System. It is effi­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles without
the Start-Stop-System when stopped at ra ilroad
crossings and long red lights . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
b ur ned by sta rting the engine ag ain.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is runni ng at idle . Howeve r, wear
and noxio us emiss ions a re espe cially high when
the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld d rive
away as soon as you sta rt the engi ne and avoid
r u nning at high rpms whi le the engine is still
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine id ling unatten ded a fter
starting . If warning lights should come on to
indicate im proper operation, they wou ld go
unheeded. Extended id ling a lso produces
heat, wh ich could result in overheat ing or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
~ Have your veh icle serviced at regu lar intervals.
By having your veh icle reg ularly serviced by an
Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it runs proper ly
and econom ica lly. The condition of your veh icle
not on ly affects its safety and ability to ho ld its
va lue, it a lso affects
fuel consumption .
Check you r oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil use d i s re lated to e ngine lo ad
a nd speed.
Driving and the envir onment
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new e n­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mi le­
age has been dr iven.
Yo u m ust dr ive your ve hicl e abou t 3,0 00 m iles
(S, 000 kilometers) befo re yo u can properly as ­
sess oil consumption .
T h is also ap plies to f ue l cons umption and eng ine
o utput .
CD Note
-Have your ve hicle maintained pro perly and
in acc ordance w ith the se rvice rec ommend a­
ti ons i n your W arra nty
& M ain ten ance book­
let . Lack of proper maintenan ce as we ll as
improper use of the ve hicl e w ill impair the
function of the em ission cont rol system and
co uld lead to damage.
- Do not alte r or remove any component of
the Emission Contro l System unless ap­
proved by the man ufacturer.
- Do not alte r or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ign it ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Contro l System a nd othe r
im por tan t ve hicle components .
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips.
~ Try to avo id driv ing short distances with a cold
eng ine .
T he engine and cata lytic conve rter have to reach
their opt imal
operating temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt io n and noxious emiss ions effec­
tively.
Just afte r starting, a cold engine in a mid-size car
only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles per
gallo n (30-40 l/ 100 km) . After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km) . Afte r about
2 .5 m iles (4 km), the eng ine is
at its p roper operat ing temperature and fue l
eco nomy has reached a no rma l level. So yo u can
see th at yo u should avoid short trips w heneve r
poss ible. .,.
197

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

-Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary:
- Always d isconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Flu ids in the engine compartment
could start a fire.
- Keep an app roved fire ext inguisher imme­
d iate ly availab le.
- To avo id electr ical shock and personal injury
wh ile the eng ine is running or being started,
never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever to P (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
cloth ing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other mov ing parts, or from contacting
hot parts. Tie back ha ir before starti ng,
and do not wear clothi ng that will hang or
d roop into t he engine.
- Min imize exposu re to emission and chem i­
cal hazards¢ .&.-
_& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warn ing:
- E ngine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
em it chem ica ls known to the St ate of C ali­
f orn ia to cause cancer and bi rth de fects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in ve hicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
Ch eck ing and Filling
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, term inals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of Californ ia
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Was h hands afte r handling .
([) Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper co nta iner or
fille r opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the veh icle
floor pan from unde rneath regularly. If you
see spots from oil or other veh icle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.,.. Pull the hood down un til the press ure from the
struts is reduced.
.,.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace . Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
¢ _& .
_& WARNING
--A hood that is not completely latched co uld
fly up and block your view while driv ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has properly en­
gaged . The hood s hou ld be flush with the
sur rounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it.
-
217

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 186 Typical layout for containers and eng ine oil fille r cap
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228, 264
@ Jump start point(+) under a co ver
® Brake fluid reservoir ((0}) ...... .
@ Eng ine oil filler cap ('t::r.) ...... .
® Coolant expansion tank (-t) .... .
@ Windshield/headlight washer con -
t . (ffi) amer ~ ..................
. 228,264
225
220
222
229
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be locat­
ed in a different area depending on the version of
the engine.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ~.&.
in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216.
218
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The serv ice interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l chang e. We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
i ce Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
us e the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
ta ble.
~

....
Audi oil quality standard
Gas oline
VW 502 00 or
engi ne vw 504 00
Die sel vw 507 00
en gin e
Using the prope r engine oil is important for the
functiona lity and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high -quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@ Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Aud i oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requ ires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets the followi ng speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: AC EA A3 o r
API SM wi th a viscosity g rade of SA E OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- Vehicles wit h diesel eng ine: ACEA C3 o r
API CF with a v iscosi ty grade of SA E OW-30
or SA E SW -30.
- Fo r more information abou t engine o il that
has been approved for your vehi cle, please
contact either you r a utho rized Audi dea ler
or A udi Customer Relations at
"' 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
0
~ www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
.... M Ch eck ing and Filling
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool oil of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effect ive lubrication and cool­
i ng of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion eng ines consume a certa in amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from eng ine to en­
gine and may change s ign ificantly ove r the life of
the engine. Typ ica lly, engines w ith a specified
break-in period (see
¢ page 194) consume more
oi l during the break -in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the q uality and viscosity o f
the oil, the RPM (revol utions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­
perature and road condit ions. Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of o il consumption can be estab­
li shed or spec ified . T he re is no alte rnative to reg­
u la r and frequent checking of the oi l level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine o il leve l warning symbo l in
the instrument cluster
II lights up, yo u should
c h eck the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 220. Top off the o il at your earlies t con­
venience
¢ page 220.
A WARNING
--=-
Before you check anything in the engine com-
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine comport­
ment on page 216.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the eng ine.
IJJ,,
219