2016 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

-If the 1111 (USA models) . (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function may
have failed. Functions that stabilize the ve­
hicle are no longer available . This could
cause the vehicle to swe rve and increase the
risk of sliding. Drive carefully to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or other qualified
workshop and have the ma lfunction correct ­
ed.
- If the brake warn ing/ indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the park­
ing brake is re leased, or lights up while you
are driving, the flu id 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 authorized Audi dealer
or qualified repair facility and have the brake system inspected.
- Always keep in mind that after several brake
applications, you will need greater pressure
on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle. Do
not rely on strained brakes to respond w ith
maximum stopping power in critical situa­
tions . You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by
fading brakes could lead to an accident.
PARK /(® ) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the elec ­
tromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light- (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake was
set .
- (USA m od els) • (Canada mod els) Ca u·
t io n: Vehi cle parked to o s teep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to keep
the vehicle from ro lling. The brakes have over­
heated. The vehicle could roll away even on a
sma ll incline.
Pr ess bra ke pedal to rele a se par kin g brak e
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
Instrum ents an d ind ic a to r ligh ts
with starting assist at the same time
¢page 78.
Plea se r ele a se parki ng brake
To release the parking brake manually, press the
brake pedal and press the button~ at the same
t ime . The park ing brake only releases automat i­
ca lly if the d river 's safety belt is fastened .
Ill Parking brake!
If the liJ indicator light turns on and this mes ­
sage appears, there is a parking brake malfunc­
t ion. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop immediately to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
_L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must
be repaired as soon as possible .
• Swit ch off engine a nd check c ool ant l eve l
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the coolant temperature is too high or
the coolant level is too low.
.. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle.
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Check coolant level¢
page 222 .
.. Add coo lant if necessary¢ page 223 .
.. Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your author ized Audi dealer for assis-
tance if necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the ra­
diato r fan may be the cause of the malfunction.
• Cool ant temper atu re too high! Pl ease let en ­
gine run with ve hicle s tat ionar y
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, let the engine run at id le for a few mi-
nutes to cool down. ..,.
15

Instruments and indicator lights
& WARNING
-If your veh icle should break down for me­
chanical or other reasons, park at a safe dis­
tance from moving traffic, turn off the en­ gine and turn on the hazard warn ing lights
¢ page 47, Emergen cy flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hea r
steam o r coolant escap ing from the eng ine
compartmen t -yo u risk be ing sc alded. Wa it
u nti l you can no longer see or hear s team or
coolant escaping.
- T he eng ine compartment of any vehicle is a
dange rous a rea. Befo re yo u perform any
work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to coo l. Follow the
warning stickers
¢ page 216.
@ Note
Do not contin ue driving if the . symbo l ill u­
m ina tes . There is a mal function in the eng ine
coo ling system -you could damage your en­
gine.
0 Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a malfunc­
tion in the generator or in the vehicle's electrical
system.
The . warning/indicator light ill uminates when
you switch on the ignition and must go out after
the engine has started.
• Alternator fault: Batte ry is not being charg­
ed
If t h e indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, there is a malfunc tion in the gene rator
or veh icle ele ctrical system .
Dr ive to you r autho rized Aud i dea le r or q ual ified
wo rkshop immedia tely. Because the vehi cle bat­
tery is discharging, tu rn off a ll unnecessary e lec­
tr ica l equipment s uch as the radio. Seek profes ­
sional assistance if the ba ttery charge level is too
low.
(•) Low b att ery : battery will be charged whi le
dri ving
16
If the indica tor light turns on and the message
appears, there may be limited sta rting ability .
If this message t urns off after a little whi le, t he
batte ry c harged enough while dr iv ing .
If the message does not tu rn off, have you r au­
t h orized Audi dea le r or qual ified wor ks hop co r­
r ect the ma lf u nction.
~ Engine stop while driving
• Engine stopped : No power steering and
brake support.
There is a ma lf u nction in the engine o r in t he f uel
s u pply sys tem.
Mo re force is needed to steer a nd b rake the mov­
i ng vehicle when the engi ne is stopped . If the ve­
hicle is rolling, t ry to stop i t carefully on the s ide
of the road away from moving traffic. See an au ­
thorized Audi dea le r or a uthorized Audi Service
Facil ity for assistance.
& WARNING
I f t he engine stops w hile d riving, you will
need to use more force to brake the vehicle.
This increases the risk of an acc ident. There
will still be power steering if the ignition is
swi tched on while the vehicle is ro lling and
there is suff ic ient battery charge . Otherwise ,
you must use greater force w hen stee ring.
4'-Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put
on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illum inates when
the ignit ion is switched on to remind the driver
and any front passenger to pu t on the safety belt.
Additionally , a n acoust ic wa rn ing (go ng) w ill also
sou nd.
For more Information
¢ page 134 , 4'-Safety belt
warning light .

9:::1: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol re­
quires immediate service or repair . Driving with a
Low-oil-pr essure indication is Likely to inflict se­
vere damage to the engine.
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, the oi l pressure is too low.
~ P ull off the road.
~ Stop t he ve hicle .
~ Turnoff the engine.
~ Check the engine oil level¢ page 220 .
~ If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine oi l
¢ page 220. Make sure that the oil pressure
warning symbol. appears no longe r in the
display before you s ta rt driving ag ain.
~ If the engi ne oil leve l is correct and t he i ndic a­
t or lig ht still tur ns on, turn t he eng ine
off and
do not continue d riving . Seek p ro fessional as ­
s istance .
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill
requires oil refill or workshop service with ­
out delay . Do not wait until the red oil
pressure warning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill . By then , your engine may already have
suffered serious damage .
~ . Engine oil
• Please add oil immediately .
Add oil immedia tely ¢ page 21 8.
Ill Add oil max.XL. You may continue driving
Ad d the amount of oi l indicated in the dis play im­
mediately
¢ page 218.
Instruments and ind icator lights
~ - Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle : Steering defective
The re is a ma lf u nct ion in the e lectro nic steer ing
l ock . Y ou canno t turn the ign ition on .
Do
not tow yo ur vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an a uthorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Se rvice Facility for ass istance .
m Steering lock : System fault Please contact
dealer
T he re is a ma lf u n ct ion in the e lectron ic s teeri ng
l ock .
Dr ive to an a uth oriz ed A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity immed iately to h ave the
malfu nction corrected.
A WARNING
D o not tow yo ur vehicle when there is a mal­
f u nction in t he e lectro nic s teer ing lock - t his
i nc reases t he risk of an acc ident.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer
Do not switch the ignition off b eca use you may
not be able to switch it on again.
Dr ive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au tho riz e d
A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected.
Ill Engine start sy stem fault . Please contact
dealer
-
T he re is a ma lf u nc tion in the e ngine s ta rting sys­
tem.
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or autho rized
A udi Se rvice Fac il ity immed iate ly to have the
m alfu nction co rrected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: System fault You can drive
slowly (max . speed 60 km/h )
The re is a ma lf u n ct ion tha t can res ult in re stric t-
ed drivi ng sta bi lity . ..,_
17

Instruments and indicator lights
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35 mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
• Air su spen sion : Service mode. Vehicle can
onl y be moved with re strictions
Ca refu lly drive to your author ized A udi dealer or
author ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to
have the serv ice mode deactivated .
LIi Air suspen sion : S ys tem fault
There is a system malfunct io n that ca n result in
restricted drivi ng stability or reduced ground
clearance.
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
LIi Air suspe nsion : Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a system
malfunct ion . Wa it until the air suspension sys­
tem has restored norma l ground clea rance. Oth­
erwise, conditions such as an uneven road surface
can lead to vehicle damage.
ii !f Safety systems
The II (USA models) tfll (Canada models) indi­
cator light monito rs the safety systems (e.g. air­
bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition on.
If t he
II (U SA models)/ E,I (Canada models) in­
d icator light does not go out, or if it i llum inates
while you are d riving, or if i t starts to blink , then
there is a ma lfunction somewhere in the system.
If the light does not ill uminate when you switch
the ign ition on, this also means there is a ma l­
function.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer im­
mediately. Othe rw ise the safety systems may
not work properly in an acc ident .
18
L'h Brake booster
D Brake servo : limited functiona lity . You can
continue driving . Conta ct work shop
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booste r is ava ilab le, but its effectiveness is
r educed. Bra king behavior may be different from
how it normally f un ct ions and the br ake pedal
may vibrate .
D rive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facil ity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction cor rec ted .
;;.I C; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the bJ indicator light blinks while driving, the
ESP o r ASR (anti-slip regu lation) is actively regu­
l ating .
If the
bJ ind icator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC off. In th is case, you can switch
the ignition off and then on to switch the ESC on again. The indicator light t urns off when the sys ­
tem is functioning fully .
If the
II ind icator light turns on, ESC was
switched off using the
I~ O FFI button
¢ page 187 .
Stabilization control (ESC / ABS ) malfun ction!
See owner's manual
If the G1 ind icator light and t he ABS indica to r
li ght
rJ]J (U SA mode ls) / ii] (Canada mode ls)
tu rn o n and the message appears, the ABS or
e lectronic different ial lock is malfunctioning .
This also causes the ESC to malfunction. The bra kes sti ll function with the ir norma l pow er, but
ABS is not active.
Drive to your au thor ized A udi dealer or au thor ­
i zed Audi Service Facility to have the malfunction
correct ed .
A WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada mod­
e ls) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gethe r with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulating function may have
fa iled . Fu nctions that stabilize the vehicle a re .,.

....
no longer available. This cou ld cause the vehi­
cle to swerve and increase the risk of sliding.
Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or other qualified workshop and have
the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
refer to
c:::;, page 187.
ABS /C8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light~ (USA models)/
KG» (Canada mode ls) will come on for a few sec­
onds when the ignition is switched on. The light
will go out after an automatic check sequence is
completed .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illuminate
when you switch the ign ition on .
- Th e warning/indicator light does not go out af­
ter a few seconds .
- The warning/indicator light illuminates while
driving.
The ESC indicator light also illuminates if the re is
a ma lf u nction in the ABS. The message
Stabiliza­
tion control (ESC/ ABS): Fault! See owner's
manual
also appears in the instrument cluster
disp lay and a warning tone sounds.
The brake system will still respond even with­
out the assistance of the ABS system. See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible to re­
store full braking performance.
For more infor­
mation regarding the ABS
c:::;, page 187.
Malfunction in the brake system
I f the brake warning light¢ page 14 and the ABS
warn ing illuminate together there may be a mal­
function in the ABS, and there may also be a ma l­
function in the brake system itself
c:::;, ,&. The ABS
"' will not work and you will notice a change in
0
~ braking response and performance. .... M Instruments and indicator lights
In the event of a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem
the warning/indicator light 11111 (USA mod ­
els) . (Canada models) in the instrument clus ­
ter flashes
c:::;, page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS . The ABS
warning light will come on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the EDL system
c:::;, page 187. See your au­
thorized Aud i dealer as soon as possible .
A WARNING
= -
-If the ~ (USA models)/ 11] (Canada mod-
els) warning light does not go out, or if it
comes on while dr iv in g, the ABS system is
not working properly. The veh icle can then
be stopped only with the standard brakes
(without ABS). You will not have the protec ­
tion ABS provides . Contact your Audi dea ler
as soon as possible.
- USA models: If the
11111 warning light, the
D.J warning light and the~ warning light
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel
lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an accident . Have your vehicle repaired im­
mediately by your author ized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models:
If the brake warn ing light
• • the
Ji] warning light and the ABS warn­
ing light
II] come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard brak­
ing . Rear whee l lock -up can cause loss of ve ­
hicle contro l and an accident. Have your ve­
hicle repaired immediate ly by your author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications.
(0} Worn brake pads
iJ Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads inspected . On
liJJ,-
19

Instruments and indicator lights
USA models the warning light l'iJ comes on to­
gether with the warning light
1111. Both sets of
brake pads on an axle must always be replaced at
the same time.
.,&. WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision
and serious personal injury .
- If the warning light
l'iJ and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have all
brake pads checked or replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
App lies to veh icles: w ith gaso li ne engine
This warning/indicator light monitors the elec­
tronic power control .
The~ warning/indicator light (Electronic Power
Control) illuminates when you switch the ignition
on as a function check.
(D Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, then there is a malfunc ­
tion in the engine electronics. Have the mal­
function corrected as soon as possible by your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility.
W Glow plug system
App lies to veh icles: w ith d iesel e ngi ne
The control light illuminates when the glow plug
system is active.
If the IJ indicator light illuminates, the glow
plug system is active . You should start the engine
immediately after the indicator light switches
off. The indicator light only illuminates for ap­
proximately 1 second if the engine is warm or if
the outside temperature is above 46 QF (8 QC).
l) •= USA mo del s only
20
(D Tips
- If the glow plug indicator light illuminates
while driving, there is an engine control
malfunction. The engine should be checked
immediately .
- If the indicator light does not illuminate at
all when switching the ignition on, there
may be a malfunction in the glow plug sys­
tem . The engine should be checked .
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part of
the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system. The
symbol
¢'4 lights up when the ignition is switch­
ed on and will turn off after the engine has start­
ed and has settled at a constant idle speed. This
indicates that the MIL is working properly.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer and have the
malfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
~ page 210.
For more information ~ page 28.
· ~ Diesel particulate filter
Applies to veh icles : wi th diese l eng ine a nd diese l part iculate
filter
II Particulate filter: System fault See owner's
manual
The diesel particulate filter requires regenera­
tion. To support the filter's self-cleaning func­
tion:
Drive for approximately 15 minutes with these­
lector lever in the S position at a minimum speed
of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an engine speed of ap­ proximately 2,000 RPM. The temperature in­
crease that will result from this can burn off the
soot in the filter. The symbol will switch off when
the cleaning is successful. .,.

.... N
0 <.J 'SI:
If the indicator light does not turn off, drive im­
mediately to an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Fac ility to have the malfunction
corrected.
_&. WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions . You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommendations.
(D Tips
For additional information on the diesel par­
ticulate filter, refer to
c:> page 196.
! 7l Engine speed limitation
A ppl ies to vehicles: with e ngin e s pee d l imitat ion
(II Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed d isplayed in the instrument cluster. This
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature range and you have released the accelerator ped­
al.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the~ indicator
light also turns on . Make sure that the speed
does not go above the speed d isplayed . Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
<&,... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your author­
iz ed Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect­
ed. Until you have this done, check the oil leve l
each time you refuel just to be on the safe side
<=>page 220.
f Engine warm-up request
~ n Please warm up engine
M v:, ....
Instruments and indicator lights
Fuel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
Drive until the eng ine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine oil will evaporate. Avoid high engine
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this .
Eli) Fuel tank system
IIJ Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 2.6
gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the tank .
D Fuel tank system malfunction! Contact deal­
er
There is a ma lfunction in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
More information on refueling is available on
page
c:> page 210.
<9 Washer fluid level
g, rj iJlease refill washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid fo r the windsh ie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignition is switched off
c:> page 229.
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a ma lfunction w ith the windshield wip­
ers .
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
If the S:$ ind icator light turns on, a light has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
light. If the
BB indicator light also turns on, then
a rear fog light has failed. The position of the ..,.
21

Instruments and indicator lights
indicator light corresponds with the location on
the vehicle.
Drive to an autho rized Aud i de aler or autho rized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
Vehicle lights : Malfunction
There is a malfunction in the headlights or the
light switch .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
~(i) Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
control is no longer work ing properly. Have the
system checked and repa ired at your Audi dealer .
isO Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Light
IIJ Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and th is message
appears, there is a malfunction in the adaptive
light system . The headlights st ill function .
Go to an authori zed dea lership to have the head­
lights or the control unit for the Adaptive Light
repaired .
~D Light/rain sensor
!I Automatic headlights/ automatic wipers :
System fault
The light/rain sensor is malfunct ion ing.
F or safety reasons, the low beams are turned on
permanently with the sw itch in
AUTO . However,
you can continue to turn the lights on and off us­
ing the light switch. You can still control a ll func­
tions that are independent of t he rain sensor
through the w indshield wiper lever .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have t he
malfunct io n corrected.
22
I-! Sport differential
Applies to vehicles: with sport differentia l
I'll Sport differential: system fault
There is a malfunction with the sport d ifferential.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
I'll Sport differential: overheating
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive
in a less spo rty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the norma l range and the indicator light
switches of .
A WARNING
-
Contact your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differential is
faulty or malfunctioning. The repair must be
performed by trained personnel using the cor­
rect oil in order to ensure safety .
¢¢Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal.
Whenever yo u use the left II or the right B
turn s ignal, the ind icator light blinks. When you
use the emergency flashers, both indicator lights
flash.
If one of the turn signa l light bulbs burn out, the
turn s ignal will blink twice as fast as normal.
Carefully drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler im­
med iately to have the malfu nction corrected. The
i ndicator light does not indicate a ma lfunction if
a turn signal on the trailer or on the vehicle fails
i n trailer towing mode.
0) Tips
For more information on the turn signa ls, re­
fer to¢
page 45.
CRUISE /l~) Cruise control
The wa rning/indicator light (ijjrn~i~ (USA models)/
... (Canad a models) il lum inates when the cruise
contro l is activated ¢
page 82.