2016 AUDI A6 coolant level

Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments and indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
Fig. 3 Instrument cluster overv iew
(D Engine coolant temperature gauge
@ Tachometer .... .. .. ..... .... .
- with status indicator
OFF .... .
-with status indicator READY .. .
@ Turn signals .... ........... .. .
© Display with
- Driver information system .... .
- Indicator lights ............ .
® Tachometer 10
11
74
79
45
23
11
@ Fuel
level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
a) Tips
The instrument illumination for the needles
and dials turns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The illumina­
t ion fo r the dials reduces automatically and
eventua lly turns off as brightness outside in­
creases . This function reminds the driver to
turn the headlights on at the appropriate
time.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coo lant gauge (D Q page 10, fig. 3
only works when the ign ition is on. To prevent
10
damage to your engine, please note the follow­
ing important points:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, heavy en­
gine loads and heavy throttle applications.
Normal temperature
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on under normal driving conditions. The
LEDs higher up may turn on when the engine is
under heavy load or the exterior temperature is
high . Th is is no need to worry as long as the.
warning light in the instrument cluster does not
ill uminate .
If the LEDs in the upper area of the
display and the indicator light. in the instru­
ment cluster display turn on, the coolant temper­
atu re is too high
Qpage 15.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in <9page 216,
before opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.

-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 or hear steam or coolant escap ing .
Q) Note
-Mounting additional lights or accessories in
front of the air inlets reduces the cooling ef­
fect of the radiator. At h igh outside temper­
atures or h igh engine load, the engine cou ld
ove rheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the veh i­
cle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
could red uce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat . Ask your author ­
ized Audi dealer for assistance.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM).
You shou ld shift to the next lowest gear when
the speed is below 1500 RPM. The beginning of
the red zone in the tachometer indicates the maximum permissib le engine speed for all gears
once the engine has been broken in and when it is
warmed up to operating temperature. Before reaching the red zone, you should shift into the
next h igher gear, choose the Dor S selector lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera ­
tor pedal.
CD Note
The tachometer needle© c::> page 10, fig. 3
should only be in the red zone br iefly: other­
w ise, this increases the risk of e ngine dam-
age. The location where the red zo ne begins
varies depend ing on the eng ine.
@, For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duce operating noise.
In strum ents an d ind ic a to r ligh ts
Fuel level
The fue l gauge only works when the ignition is
on.
If t h e fue l level drops below 2.6 gallons (10
lite rs), the bottom LED turns red and the indica­
tor light
t]J turns on c::> page 21. The bottom
LED blinks red when the fue l level is very low.
T he possible range based on the c urrent fue l lev­
el is shown in tab@c::>
page 23, fig . 4 .
Fo r the tank capacity in your veh icle, refer to the
T echn ica l Data c::>
page 2 71.
CD Note
Never drive until the tank is completely emp­
ty. The irregu la r supply of fuel that resu lts
from that can cause t he engine to m isfire. Un­
combusted f uel w ill then en ter the exha ust
system . This can cause ove rheating and dam­
age to the catalytic converter.
Indicator lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They i ndicate functions o r mal­
funct ions c::>
.&,.
Messages may appear with some ind icator lights.
A war ning s ignal will sound at the same time.
T he ind icator lights and messages in the ce nte r
of the disp lays may be replaced by other displays.
T o s how them again, select the tab for indicator
li gh ts and messages using the m ultifunction
steering wheel c::>
page 23. If there are several
malfunctions, you can display them one at a time
us ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicators lights in the display can t urn on
in several colors.
A WARNING
- Fai lure to heed wa rning lights and other im­
portant vehicle information may result in
serious personal injury or vehicle damage.
- 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 c::>
page 47.
11

-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 .

At both of these settings, the climate control sys ­
tem runs continuously at maximum cooling or heating power. T here is no temperature regula­
tion .
Adjusting the blower~
You can adjust the volume of air generated by the
b lower to your preference. To have the blower
r e gulated automatica lly, press the
IAUTO I but­
ton .
~ Adjusting air distribution
You can manually select the vents where the air
will flow. To have the air distribution regu lated
automatically , p ress the
IAU TO ! button.
~ Adjusting seat heating*/seat ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heating/
seat ventilat ion on at the highest setting (leve l
3). The LEDs indicate the temperature level. To
r educe the temperature, press the button again .
To switch the seat heating/seat venti lation off,
press the button repeatedly until the LED turns
off.
Afte r 10 minutes, the seat heating automatically
switches from level 3 to level 2.
l The windshield and side windows are defrosted
or cleared of condensation as quickly as possible.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windshield. Recirculation
mode switches off . The temperature shou ld be
set to approximate ly 22
° C.
The IAU TOI button sw itches the defroster off.
IQ:il REAR I Switching the rear window defogger
on/off
The rear window heate r o nl y operates when the
engine is running. It sw itches off automatically
after a few minutes, depending on the outs ide
temperature.
To prevent the rear w indow heater from switch­
ing off automatically, press and hold the
lljjjl REAR I
button for more than 2 seconds. This remains
stored until the ignition is switched off.
Warm and cold
I SYNC ! Synchronization
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's s ide are applied to the front
passenger's side (except for seat heating/ventila­
tion *). The s ettings in the rear are also synchron ­
i z ed. Synchronization switches off if the settings
are adjusted on the front passenger's side or in
the rear.
You can synchronize the settings in a row by
pressing and holding a control. For example, to
apply the settings for the front passenge r's side
to the driver's side, press and hold the control on
the front passenger's s ide . The same applies to
the rear.
Residual heat*
With the ign ition turned off, you can activate the
residual heat function by pressing the~ button
<=> fig. 75. The residual heat from the coolant is
used to heat the veh icle inter ior . The residual
heat function sw itches off automat ica lly after
about 30 minutes.
Air vents
You can open or close the center and rear vents in
the cockpit and the vents in the rear center con ­
sole and door pillars using the ridged thumb­
whee ls. Th e levers adjust the direction of the air­
flow from the vents.
_&. WARNING
-You should not use the recirculation mode
for an extended period since no fresh air is
drawn in. With the air-conditioning switch­
ed off, the windows can fog up, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- Individuals with reduced sensitivity to pain
or temperature could develop burns when
using the seat heat ing funct ion. To reduce
the risk of injury, these individuals should
not use seat heating .
(D Note
To avoid damage to the heating elements in
the seats, do not kneel on the seats or place
heavy loads on a small area of the seat.
71

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

Consumer inf orm ation
today's a utomo biles, have steadily re duced the
scope of maintenance and repairs whic h can be
carried out by veh icle owners.
Also , sa fet y and
en vironmental
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustmen ts to en­
g ine and transmission parts wh ich an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
qu ire special tools, testing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially trained work ­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
forma nce, re liability and safety of the veh icle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliab ility of your
ve hicle and eve n void your vehicle warranty .
Therefo re, proof of se rvicing in a ccordance w ith
the m aintenance sched ule may be a condition for
up ho ld ing a possible wa rranty claim made within
the wa rranty pe riod.
Above all , ope rational safety can be adversely af­
fected, cre ating unne cessa ry risks fo r you and
your passengers.
I f in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other properly
eq uipped and qualified workshop . We strongly
urge you to g ive your author ized Audi dealer the
opportunity to perform a ll scheduled mainte ­
nance and necessa ry repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, origina l parts and tra ined specialists to
keep your veh icle runn ing properly.
P e rforming limited maintenance yourself
The fo llow ing pages describe a limited number of
procedures whic h can be performed on your vehi­
cle with ordinary tools, should th e need arise and
tra ined personnel be unava ilable. Before per­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
ough ly read all of the app licab le text and carefu l­
ly follow the instructions g iven . A lways rigorously
observe the
WARNINGS prov ided .
Befo re yo u check anything in the engine com ­
partment, always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> & and c::> & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216 .
274
A WARNING
-
-Ser ious personal in jury may occur as a result
of imp roperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extreme ly careful when work ing
on the vehicle . Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­ mon sense. Never r is k personal in jury.
- Do not attempt any of the mainte nance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are no t fu lly fam iliar with these
or other proce dures with respect to the ve­
hicle, o r are uncert ain how to p ro ceed.
- Do not do any work wi thout the prope r tools
a nd equi pmen t. H ave the necess ary wo rk
done by your authorized Au di dealer or an ­
other properly equipped and qualified work­
shop.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehi ­
cle is a potentially hazardous area . Never
reach into the a rea around or touch the radi­
ator fan. It is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly - even when the en­
gine is off . The radiator fan switches o n au­
tomatically when the coolan t reaches a cer­
tain tempe ra ture an d w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant tem pe rature d rops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle. The jack supp lied wi th the veh i­
cle is no t adequate fo r thi s pu rpose a nd
could collapse causing serious personal in­
Jury .
- If you must wor k unde rneath the vehicle
w ith the wheels on t he g roun d, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels are always sec urely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission se lector
lever (automatic t ransm iss ion) is in P (Park
position) and the pa rk b rake is applied. ..,_