2017 AUDI A6 check engine

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' -Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances give gas in­
advertently (for example, by hand from the
engine compartment) if the vehicle is sta­
tionary but the engine is running and a gear
is engaged. Otherwise, the vehicle will start
to move immediately and this could result
in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi•
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed :
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) position first .
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine .
Checking and Filling
-Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
c:> A .
A WARNING
-California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If
there are visible spots from oil or other fluids, bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
199

Checking and Filling
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle .
Fig. 180 Driver footwell: release lever
Fig . 181 Rocker switch under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
Opening th e hood
• With the driver's door open, pu ll the lever be­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
c!;> fig. 180 .
200
• Raise the hood slightly c!;> &_ .
• Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
i=> fig. 181. This releases the catch.
• Open the hood .
Clos ing the hood
• Push the hood down until you override the
force of the s trut.
• Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in .
c> &_.
A WARNING
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you no tice that t he hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediate ly and
close it, because driving when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident.

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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
Fig. 182 Typ ical locatio n of t he rese rvoi r and the engine o il filler opening
(D Jump start po int(-) with hex head screw
¢ page 207, ¢ page 249
@ J ump start point(+) under a cover
¢ page 20 7, ¢ page 249
® Eng ine oi l label* w ith VW standard
¢page201
© B rake fluid reservoi r (0)) ¢ page 2 06
® Eng ine oil filling opening ('t::r.) ¢ page 203
@ Coolant reservo ir (- L) ¢ page 205
0 Washer fluid rese rvoir (0) ¢ page 208
The engine oil fill ing opening (item@) may be
l oca ted in a different area depend ing on the en­
g ine version.
A WARNING 1 =
Read an d follow the WAR NINGS befo re
checking anything in the engine compartment
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment
on page 198.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used mus t conform to exact speci­
fications.
T he serv ice interv al d isplay in the instrument
cl uster of yo ur vehicle will inform you when it is
t ime for an oi l change. We recommend that you
have yo ur oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Adv isor.
If you mu st add oil betwee n oil c hanges, use an
o il that matches the Audi oil qua lity standard
li sted on the sticker. The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine compartment ¢
page 201,
fig. 182.
Audi recommends
~Castrol / /gfj;;j;f!K[g Frtfl7?-:<:"£Jl.JAi.
Audi recommends Longlife high performance
eng ine oil from Aud i Genuine Parts
II>
201

Check ing and F illing
Using the proper engine oil is impo rtant for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was facto ry-filled with a h igh-quality oi l
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@) Note
Your Limited New Vehicle War ranty 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 Warran ty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil t hat ex-
p ressly complies with the Audi oil qua lity
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using a ny o ther oil can cause serious engine
d am age.
- D o not mix any lubricants o r other addit ives
i nto the engine oil. Doing so ca n cause en­
g ine damage.
(D Tips
I f you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble t hat meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requi res, you m ay ad d a tot al of
no more than 0.5 q t (0.5
l) of a h igh-quali ty
"synthe tic"oil that meets t he following speci ­
fications.
- Applies to: gasoline engine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity g rade of SAE 0W-30,
SAE SW -30 or SAE SW-40.
- Applies to: diesel engine: ACEA C3 or API C F
with a viscosity grade of SAE 0W-30 or
SAE SW-30.
- Fo r more information about engine o il that
has been approve d for your ve hicle, please
contact either you r authorized Audi dea ler
or Audi C ustome r Relat ions at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www .aud icanada .ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts .
In order to provide effective lubr ication and cool­
ing of internal engine components, a ll inter nal
202
combust ion engines consume a certa in amo unt
of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to en­
gine and may change signi ficantly over the life of
the engine. Typically, engines w ith a specified
break-in period (see
c:::;, page 66) consume more
o il dur ing the break-in per iod than they consume
af ter o il consumption has stab ilized .
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per m inute) at
wh ich the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road condit ions. Furt her facto rs a re
the amo unt of o il di lution from wate r condensa ­
t ion or fue l resid ue an d the oxidation level of the
o il. As any engine is sub je ct to wear as mileage
builds up, the oi l cons umption may increase ove r
time unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these va riab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be estab ­
li shed or spec ified. The re is no alte rnative to reg­
ul ar and freq uent checking of the oi l level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oi l level warning symbo l in
the instr ument cluster
El lights up, yo u should
check the o il level as soon as possible
c:::;, page 203. Top off the o il at your ea rliest con­
venience
c:::;, page 203.
A WARNING
Before you check a nyth ing in the e ng ine com­
par tment, always read and heed all WARN­
IN GS
c:::;, .&. in Working in the engin e compart­
ment on page 198.
(D Note
Drivi ng w it h an insuff ic ient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the eng ine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warn ing d isplay. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead, check the oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and alway s before going
on a long trip .

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' -If you have the im pression your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you cons ult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly di­
agnosed. Keep in mind that the accurate
measurement of oil consumption requires
great care and may take some time. Your
A udi dealer has instructions about how to
measure oil consumption accurate ly.
Checking the engine oil level and adding
engine oil
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info­
tainment system
Fig. 183 Eng ine compartment : eng ine oil filler opening
cover
Obse rve the safety precautions¢ &. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 198 .
Checking the engine oil level
.,. Park the vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Shut the engine off when it is warm. Wait ap­
prox imately two m inutes so that the engine oil
can flow back in to the oil pan .
.,. Switch only the ignition back on.
.,. Se lect: the
ICARI function button > (Car )* Sy s­
tems
control button > Service & checks > Oil
le vel.
.,. Read the oil level in the Infota inment system.
Add engine oil if the bar in the oil level indica­
tor is just before "min".
Adding engine o il
.,. Turn the engine off.
.,. Unscrew the engine oil filler opening cap
"t!:r.
¢fig.183, ¢page 201, fig.182.
.,. Carefully add 0.5 quart (0.5 liter) of the correct
o il
¢ page 201.
Check ing and Filling
.,. Close the engine oi l filler open ing cap "t!:r. .
.,. Close the hood, restart the ignition after two
m inutes and read the current o il leve l in the In­
fotainment system.
A WARNING
-When adding oil, do not let oi l dr ip onto hot
e ngine components. This increases the risk
of afire.
- You must seal the cap on the oil filler open­
ing correctly so that oi l does not leak ou t
onto the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is runn ing, be ca use this is
a fire hazard.
- Always clean sk in thoro ughly if it comes into
con ta ct w ith eng ine oi l.
d) Note
-The e ngine o il level must not be under the
"min" marking, beca use this increases the
r is k of engine damage.
- If the message
Oil level is too full. Pleas e
reduce
oil level. appea rs, the re is too m uch
oil in the engine and the re is a r is k of cata­
lyt ic converte r and engine damage. Do no t
start the eng ine. Co ntact an a uthorized Audi
dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility to
have excess engine oil extracted if necessa­
ry.
-Do not mix any ad ditiona l lubricants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such add i­
tives is not covered by the warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Oil sho uld never enter the sewer system or
come into contact with the ground .
- Pay attention to lega l req uiremen ts when
disposing of empty oil containers .
(D Tips
- T he oil level in dicator in the inst rumen t
cl uster display is only an informationa l dis ­
play. If the o il level is too low, a minim um
oil warn ing appears in the instrument clus­
ter. Add oil and close the hood. The c urrent
oil level is d isplayed in the Infotainment
203

Checking and Filling
system the next time the ignition is
switched on.
- The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 miles (0.5 liter/1 ,000 km),
depending on driving style and operating
conditions . Consumption may be higher
during the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Be­
cause of this, the engine oil level must be
checked regularly .
It would be best to check
each time you refuel your vehicle and before
long drives .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­
tion.
Before you check anything in the engine compart ­
ment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS q .&.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 198.
The engine oil must be changed according to the
intervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet. This is very important because the
lubricating properties of oil diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil should
be changed more frequently . Change oil more of­
ten if you drive mostly short distances , operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic conditions, or have your vehi­
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after the engine has been running for a
short time. This is normal and is not a reason to
chang e the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
quired, we strongly recommend that you have
your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qualified service station .
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please
note the following important information:
204
A WARNING
-
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
-
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch .
- When removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
help prevent hot oil from running down your
arm .
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
least the total amount of oil in your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of
the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oil is
harmful to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adversely affect your Audi Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make sure you know where you can properly dispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oil properly .
Do not dump it on garden soil, wooded
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
The engine cooling system is filled with a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac-
tory. This coolant must not be not changed. ..,.

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The coolant leve l is monitored through the. in­
dicator light
c::> poge 14. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally check ing the coo lant level
manually.
If you m ust add coolant, use a m ixture o f water
and coolant additive . M ixing the coolant additive
w ith d istilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolan t addi tive is made of ant i-freez ing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the fo llow­
i n g coo lant additives . These additives may be
mixed wit h each other .
Coolant additive Specification
Gl3 TL774J
Gl2++ TL 774 G
The amount of coo lant add itive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the veh icle will be ope rated. If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the cool ant can freeze
and damage the engine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm regions min . 40% m
in. -13 ° F
max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold regions min . 50% max . -40 °F
max . 55% (-40 °C)
(D Note
-
Befo re the start of winter, have your author­
i zed Audi dealer or author ized Audi Se rvice
Facility check if the coolant additive in yo ur
vehicle ma tches the percen tage approp riate
fo r th e climate. This is especially import ant
whe n driving in co lder climates .
-If the approp ria te coolant addi tive is no t
available in an emergency, do no t ad d any
other additive. You co uld damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use wate r and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
spec ified coolant additive as soon as possi­
ble.
- Only refill with new coo lant .
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coo lant .
Checking and Filling
Adding coolant
Fig. 184 En g in e compa rtment : coo lant expa nsion ta nk
cove r
Observe the safety prec autions c::> A in Working
in the engine comportmen t on page 198.
Checking the engine coolant level
Park the vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Switch t he ignit ion off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
c::> page 201, fig . 182. The coolant level
must be between the MIN and MAX mark ings
when the engine in cold. When the eng ine is
warm it can be slightly above the MAX marki ng.
Adding coolant
Requirement: there must be a residua l amount of
coolant in the expansion tank
c::> (D .
.,. Let the eng ine cool down .
.,. Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
c::> .&_ .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the cor rect rat io
c::> page 204 u p to the MAX mark ing.
.,. Ma ke sure that the f luid level remains stab le.
Add mo re coolant if necessary.
.,. Close the cap sec urely.
Coo la nt loss usually i ndicates there is a lea k. Im­
med iate ly drive you r ve hicle to a n author ized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice Faci lity
and have the cooling system inspected. If the
cooling system is not leak ing, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheat ing
and being pushed out of the cooling system.
205

Checking and Filling
_& WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns.
- The coolant additive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury.
CD Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance .
Brake fluid
Fig. 185 Engine compartment : ca p on brake fl uid re servoir
Observe the safety precautions c::> .&. in Working
in the engine comportment on page 198.
Checking the brake fluid level
• Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir
c::> page 201, fig . 182. The brake fluid
level must be between the MIN and MAX mark­
i n gs c::> .,&. .
The brake fluid level is monitored automatically .
206
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
_& WARNING
- If the brake fluid level is below the MIN
marking, it can impair the braking effect
-
and driving safety, which increase the risk of
an accident . Do not continue driving . See an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake fluid is old, bubbles may form
in the brake system during heavy braking.
This would impair braking performance and driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident .
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids that comply
with VW standard 50114 or FMVSS-116 DOT 4.
CD Note
-If the brake fluid level is above the MAX
marking, brake fluid may leak out over the
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle.
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, because it will corrode the paint.
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power supply, all work
on batteries such as disconnecting, replacing,
etc. should
only be performed by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
c:::, &.
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
Detailed warnings for the vehicle battery:
®) Wear eye protection.
~ Battery acid is highly corrosive. Wear pro-
~ tect1ve gloves and eye protection. ..,.