2016 AUDI A6 hood open

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

Instruments and indicator lights
Other indicator ligh ts
CRUISE
-------------
Turn signals
¢ page22
USA model s: Cruise control*
¢ page82
Canada model s: Cruise control*
¢ page82
Adaptive cru ise control*
¢ page86
Adaptive cru ise control*
¢ page86
Adaptive cru ise control*
¢page86
Audi activ e lan e assist *
¢page 94
Start-Stop-System *
¢page 79
Start -Stop-System *
c::>page 79
High beam assist*
c::> page 45
H igh beam
c::> page 45
BRAKE /C©) B rake system
The light illum inates when the ignit ion is switch­
ed on . It goes out after the engine has been
started . T hi s indicates that the brake war ning
light is f unction ing p roperly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is crank ing, there ma y be a
malfun ction in the elec tri cal sy stem. In this
ca se , contact your Audi deal er.
If the brake system warn ing/ indicator light turns
on, there is a brake system malfunction.
1111 ( USA model s)JII (Canada models ) Stop
v ehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator lig ht tu rns on and the message
appears, proceed as follows:
.. Pu ll off the road .
.. Stop the veh icle .
.. Turn off the engine .
14
.. Check the b rake fluid level c::> page 225.
.. Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if
necessary .
Warning! Fault in brake s ystem. Contact dealer
If the ABS ind icator light rJ:11 (USA models) ;tiJ
(Canada mode ls), the ESC indica to r li ght
GJ and
t h e b rake system indicator light
1111 (USA mod­
e ls) ;II (Canada models) turn o n and the mes­
sage appears, the ABS, ESC and b raking distrib u­
tion are not working ,:::,
&..
Caref ully dr ive to yo ur autho rized Aud i de aler i m ­
med iate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected
,:::, &. .
1111 (USA model s)JII (Canada model s) Park ­
ing brak e: sy ste m fault! Pl eas e contact dealer
- If the ind icator light and the message appea r
when stationary or after switching the igni ­
t ion on ,
check if you can release t he parking
brake. Afte r rele asing the par king br ake, ca re­
fully drive to your author ized Audi dealer im ­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected . If
you cannot re lease the parking brake, see k pro­
fessional assistance.
- I f the ind icator light and the message appear
while dri ving , the emergency braking functio n
may not be available. It may not be possible to
set the parking brake or re lease it once it has
been set. Seek profess ional assistance .
( U SA mode ls) : If the warning light
1111 and the
warning light
riJ appear togethe r, immediately
contact your author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied
workshop to have all b rake pads inspected
¢ page 19.
When the light comes on, an audible warning sig­
nal is also given.
A WARNING
- Always observe the warnings in
c::> page 216, before open ing the hood and
checking the brake fluid .
- Dr iving with low brake fluid is a safety haz­
ard . Stop the car and get profess ional assis -
tance .
1111>

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 .

Instruments and indicator lights
Display content
In the Infotainment system, you can specify
which information should be displayed: For ex­
ample, this can include navigation information *,
Adapt ive cruise control* or night vision assist* .
The display of certai n in formation and some of
the red indicator lig hts cannot be hidden in the
Infotainment system.
Display brightness
You can adjust the display brightness in the Info­
tainment system. The display brightness decreas­
es automatically as the amount of light decreas­
es. The basic level of brightness is adjusted with
the instrument illumination¢
page 48.
(D Note
To prevent scratches on the glass covering the
Head-up display, do not place any objects in
the projection opening.
@ Tips
-Sunglasses with polarization filt ers and un­
favorable lighting conditions can affect the
display.
- An optim um display depends on the seat
position and the height adjustment of the
head-up display.
- A specia l windshield is needed for the head­
up display function.
- F or informat ion on cleaning, refer to
c::;;, ta­
ble on page
205.
On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) ¢..ifi in the
instrument cluster is part of the On-Board Diag­
nostic (OBD II) system .
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the
ignit ion is switched on and goes out after the en ­
gine starts and the idle has stabilized . This indi­
cates that the MIL is working properly.
If the light does not go out after the engine is
started, or illuminates wh ile you are driving, a
28
malfunction may exist in the engine system. If
the light illuminates, the catalytic converter
could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoiding
sustained high speeds and/or rapid accelera­
tions) and have the condition corrected . Contact
your authorized Audi dea ler.
If t he light illuminates, the electronic speed lim­
iter may also be ma lfunctioning. For more infor­
mation ¢
page 29, Electronic speed limiter.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
c::;;, page 210.
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 16 Loca tion of Data Link Connector (DLC)
On-Boa rd Diagnostics monitors the components
of your emission control system. Each monitored
component in your engine system has been as­
s ig ned a code . In case o f a malfunct ion, the com­
pon ent will be identified and the fault stored as a
code in the contro l module memory.
The MIL light may also illum inate if there is a
leak in the on-boa rd fuel vapor recovery system.
If the light illuminates after a refuelling, stop
the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler cap is properly closed
c::;;, page 210.
In order to make an accu rate diagnosis, the stor­
ed data can only be displayed using special diag­
nostic equipment (generic scan tool for OBD) .
In order to connect the special diagnostic equip­
ment, push the plug into the Data Link Connector
(DLC). The DLC is located to the right of the hood
release r:!>
fig. 16. ..,.

Opening and closing
-Remote master key¢ page 33,
-Door handles with convenience key*
¢page 34,
- Lock cylinder at the driver's door¢ page 35,
or
- Power locking switch inside¢
page 35.
Selective unlocking
When you lock the vehicle, the power locking sys­
tem will lock the doors and the rear lid . When
unlocking, you can set in the MMI whether only
the driver's door or the entire vehicle should be unlocked
¢ page 33.
Automatic locking
The automatic locking feature locks all the vehi­
cle doors and the rear lid when you drive faster
than 9 mph (15 km/h) .
The car is unlocked again, when the opening
function in the power locking system switch or at
one of the door levers is actuated.
Anti-theft alarm warning system
If the anti-theft alarm warning system detects a break-in into the vehicle, acoustic and visual
warning signals are triggered.
The anti-theft warning system is activated auto­ matically when you lock the vehicle. It is deacti­
vated when unlocking using the remote key, with
the mechanical key, and when you switch the ig­ nition on.
The alarm also turns off when the alarm cycle has
expired.
Turn signals
When you unlock the vehicle , the turn signals
flash twice. When you lock the vehicle the turn
signals flash once. If they do not flash, one of the
doors, the rear lid or the hood is not locked.
Unintentionally locking yourself out
In the following cases there safeguards to pre­
vent you locking your remote master key in the
vehicle:
- The vehicle does not lock with the central lock­
ing switch ¢
page 35 if the driver's door is
open.
32
- On vehicles with convenience key*, if the most
recently used master key is in the luggage com­
partment, the rear lid is automatically unlocked
again after it is closed .
Do not lock your vehicle with the
remote master
key or convenience key*
until all doors and the
rear lid are closed. In this way you avoid locking
yourself out accidentally.
Power side door closer*
The vehicle doors are equipped with a power side door closer. When closing a door, you only have
to let it fall lightly into the latch. The door will
then automatically close by itself¢&..
A WARNING
-
-When you lock your vehicle from outside,
nobody - especially children - should remain
inside the vehicle . Remember , when you
lock the vehicle from the outside the win­
dows cannot be opened from the inside.
- When you leave the vehicle, always take the ignition key with you. This will prevent pas­
sengers (children, for example) from acci­
dentally being locked in the vehicle should
they accidentally press the power locking
switch in the doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle un­
supervised. In an emergency it would be im­
possible to open the doors from the outside
without the key.
- Applies to vehicles with power side door
closer*:
- When closing a door, make sure nothing
can interfere with the door. This could
cause serious personal injury .
- You can stop the door from closing at any
time by pulling on the inside or outside
door handle.
(D Tips
- In the event of a crash with airbag deploy­
ment all locked doors will be automatically
unlocked to give access to the vehicle occu­
pants from the outside.

.... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
-If the power locking system should mal­
function, you can lock the driver's door
using the mechanical key¢
page 36.
-If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the fuel tank flap in an emer­
gency
c!;> page 212.
- You are well advised not to keep valuables
inside an unattended vehicle, visible or not.
Even a properly locked vehicle cannot pro­
vide the security of a safe.
- If the LED in the upper edge of the driver's
door panel comes on for about 30 seconds
after the vehicle is locked, there is a mal­
function in the power locking or the anti­
theft warning system. Have the malfunction
corrected by an authorized Audi dealership
or qualified repair facility.
Setting central locking
In the Infotainment system, you can set which
doors the central locking system will unlock.
... Select: the I CA R I function button > (Car)* Sys­
tems
control button > Vehicle settings > Cen­
tral locking* .
Door unlocking -
You can decide if All doors or
only the
Driver should unlock. The luggage com­
partment lid also unlocks when
All is selected. If
you select Driver in a vehicle with a convenience
key*, only the door whose handle you pull will un­
lock.
If you select Driver, all the doors and luggage
compartment lid will unlock if you press the
l@J
button on the remote control master key twice.
Disable tailgate handle -If you select On, the
luggage compartment lid handle is locked. In
this case the luggage compartment lid can be
opened with the
l= I button on the master key or
with the
l =I button* in the driver's door. In
vehicles with a convenience key*, you can still
open the luggage compartment lid using the
handle if an authorized master key is near the
proximity sensor* .
Fold mirrors when locking* -If you select On ,
the exterior rearview mirrors fold in automatical­
ly when you press the[@] button on the remote
Opening and closing
control master key or touch the sensor* in the
handle.
Tone when locking -if you select On, a tone will
sound when you lock the vehicle.
Locking and unlocking the vehicle with the
remote control
Fig. 20 Remote control: function buttons
N
0 ...,
9 C)
"' m
Either the driver's door only or the entire vehicle
will unlock when the unlock button
m (@ ) is
pressed once, depending on the settings in the
MMI c> page 33 .
1> Press button m (@ ) to unlock the vehicle
c> fig. 20 .
... Press button lil (@ ) to lock the vehicle c!;> .&. in
General description on page 32.
... Press button C:$ (@ ) briefly to unlock the rear
lid.
... Push the red
!PANIC I button( @) to activate the
panic function . The horn sounds and the turn
signals flash. Push the red
I PANIC I button again
to deactivate the panic function.
If the vehicle is unlocked and no door, the rear lid
or the hood is opened within 60 seconds, the ve­
hicle locks itself again automatically. This feature
prevents the vehicle from being accidentally left
unlocked over a long period of time.
It depends on the settings in the MMI whether
the entire vehicle is unlocked or only certain
doors
c!,> page 33.
_& WARNING ~
Read and follow all WARNINGS¢&. in Gener-
al description on page 32. ..,.
33

Lights and Vi sion
Cleaning w indshield wiper blades
Clean the wiper blades when you see wiper
s treaks. Use a soft cloth and a glass cleaner .
... Place the w indshield wiper arms in the service
pos ition
c::> page 52 .
... Fo ld the windshield wipe r arms away from the
winds hield.
A WARNING
Dirty windshield wiper blades can impair vi­
sion, which increases the risk of an accident.
Replacing windshield wipe r blades
Fig. 51 Remov ing w indshi eld wiper b lades
Wiper service position/blade replacement
posit ion
:= M 0 ±
" CD
... Switch the ignition off and move the windsh ield
wiper lever to position @) briefly
c::> page 51,
fig. 50. Th e windshie ld wipers move into the
service position.
... To bring the wiper blades back into the original
position, switch the ignition on and operate the
windshield wiper lever.
You can also turn the service position on or off in
the Infotainment system:
... Switch the windshield wipers off (position @
¢ page 51, fig. 50) .
... Select: the
ICA RI function button> (Car)* Sys­
tems
control button > Service & control > Wip­
er change position
> On/Off .
Removing the wiper blade
... Fo ld the windshield wiper arm away from the
windshield .
52
... Press the locking knob (D c::> fig. 51 on the wiper
blade . Hold the wiper blade firmly.
... Remove the wiper blade in the direction of the
arrow .
Installing the wiper blade
... Insert the new wiper blade into the mount on
the wiper arm @until you hear it latch into
place .
... Place the wiper arm back on the windshield.
... Turn the service position off.
A WARNING
-
For safety reasons, the windshield wiper
blades should be replaced once or twice each
year .
(D Note
-Only fold the w indshield w ipers away when
it is in the service position. Otherwise, you
risk damaging the paint on the hood or the
windshield wiper motor.
- You should not move your veh icle or operate
the windsh ield wiper lever when the wiper
arms are folded away from the w indshie ld.
Th e windshie ld wipers would move back in­
to their original position and could damage
the hood and windshield .
{i) Tips
- You can also use the service position, for ex­
ample, if you want to protect the windshield
from icing by using a cover.
- You cannot activate the service position
when the hood is open.