2017 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.
co
co
....
Fig . 3 Instru ment cl uste r overview
CD Engine coolant temperature gauge
@ Tachometer ...... .... ...... . .
- With
OFF status indicator . .. . .
- With
READY status ind icator ..
@ Turn signals ...... .... ....... .
© Dis p lay w ith
- Drive r information system . .. . .
- Indicator lig hts ..... .. . .. .. .
® Speedometer
® Fuel level
(D Tips
9
1 0
70
70, 72
42
21
10
1 0
The instrument illumination for the needles
and d ia ls t urns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The ill umina ­
t ion fo r the g auges reduces aut omat ically and
eve ntu ally t urns off as brigh tness outside in­
creases . This f unction reminds the drive r to
tur n the low beams on at the approp riate
time.
Coolant temperature indicator
~ The coolant temperature display CD¢ page 9,
g fig. 3 only functions when the ignition is switch­
<..:> 'SI"
ed o n. To prevent engine damage, please observe
the following notes about the temperature rang­
es.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge t urn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high eng ine speeds, full ac­
ce le rating and heavy e ngine loads.
Normal range
T he eng ine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the L EDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on.
If the. indicator light in the inst ru­
ment cluster d isp lay turns on, the coolant tem­
perature is too high¢
page 14.
(D Note
-Aux iliary headlig hts and ot her accessories in
front of the coo ling-air intake impa ir th e
cooling effect o f th e coolant . This increases
t he risk of th e engi ne overheating dur ing
hig h ou tsid e tempera tures and heavy en­
gine load.
9

Instruments and indicator lights
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the - (USA models) /. (Canada models)
i n dicator light t urns on , the par king bra ke was
set.
- (USA model s) /. (Cana da models) Cau ­
tion: Vehi cle parked too ste ep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the vehicle . The bra kes have overheated. The
ve hicl e co uld ro ll away eve n on a small incline.
- (USA mod els) /. (Canada models) Pr ess
brake pedal to rel ease parking brake
To release the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the
[21 button at the same time
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
r=> page 76.
II Parking brake!
There is a malfunc tion in the park ing bra ke. Dr ive
to an author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
(D Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake, see
r=:> page 75.
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant level!
The coolan t leve l is too low .
Do not cont inue d rivin g and switch the engi ne
off. Check the coolant leve l
r=>page 205.
-If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
r=:> page 205 . Only cont inue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off .
• Coolant temperature too high! P lease let en­
gine run with vehicle st a tionary
Let the eng ine run at id le for a few minutes to
coo l off, until the indicator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility
for assistance.
14
A WARNING
-
- Never ope n the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coola nt escaping from t he engine
compar tment . This increases the risk of
burns. Wa it until you no longer see o r hear
stea m or coola nt es caping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous a rea. Stop t he engine and
allow it to cool befo re wor king i n the e ng in e
comp artme nt. Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
r=:> page 198, Working in the
engine compartment.
Q) Note
D o not con tinue driv ing if the . indi ca to r
li ght turn s on -this in cr eases the risk of en­
gine damage.
~ , Front safety belt
The . indicator lig ht stays on until the driver 's
and front passenger's safety belts are fastened.
Above a certa in speed, there will a lso be a warn­
i ng tone.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on sa fety belts,
seer=;,
page 139.
D Alternator/vehicle battery
• Electrical system: m alfunction! Battery is
not being charged
There is a ma lfunction in the a lternato r or the ve ­
hicle electrical system.
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly. Beca use the ve­
hicle battery is discharging, turn off a ll unneces ­
sa ry electrical equ ipment such as the rad io. See
your authorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the batte ry charge level is too
l ow .
(•) Low battery charge: Battery will be charged
while driving
The starting ability may be impa ired . ...

Warm and cold
mode switches off. The temperature shou ld be
set to approximate ly 72 °F (22 °C).
The
IAUTOI button switches the defroster off.
IQiiJ REARI S witching the re ar window defo gger
o n/off
The rear window heater on ly operates when the
engine is running.
It sw itches off a utomat ica lly
afte r a few minutes, depending on the outs ide
temperature.
To prevent the rear w indow heater from switch­
ing off automatically, p ress and ho ld the
l iiiP REAR I
button for more than 2 seconds . This is stored
until the ignition is switched off.
ISYNC I Sy nchronization
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the drive r's side are applied to the front
passenger's side (ex cept for seat heating/ventila­
tion*). The settings in the rear are a lso synchron­
ized. Synchronization switches off if the settings
are adjusted on the front passenger's side or in
the rear.
You can synch ronize the settings in a row by
pressing and holding a contro l. For example, to
apply the settings for the front passenger's side
to the driver's side, press and ho ld the contro l on
the front passenger's side. The same applies to
the rear .
Res idua l h eat *
With the ignition turned off, you can activate the
residual heat function by pressing the~ button
¢ fig. 73. The residual heat from the coolant is
used to heat the vehicle interior. The residual
heat function switches off automatically after
about 30 m inutes .
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
wheels . The levers adjust the direction of the air­
flow from the vents .
64
A WARNING ,_
- You shou ld not use the recircu lation mode
for an extended period of time since no
fresh air is drawn in. W ith the air-condition­
ing sw itched off, the windows can fog up,
which inc reases the risk of an acc ident.
- Individuals w ith reduced sensit iv ity to pa in
or temperature could develop bu rns when
using the sea t heati ng f unct ion. To red uce
the risk of i nju ry, these individuals sho uld
not use seat heating.
(D Note
To avoid damage to the heating elements in
the seats, do no t knee l on the se ats or place
heavy loads on a small area of the seat.
Basic settings
The climate control system basic settings are ac­
cessed in the Infotainment system.
"' Select: the I CARI funct ion button > (Car )* Sys-
tems
contro l button > AC .
Rea r seat setting s*
When this function is se lected, all settings for
the rear can be adjusted through the climate con­
trol system in the cockpit. The climate control
system settings cannot be adjusted in the rear
seat at the same time. This funct ion sw itches off
after a ce rtain per iod of t ime o r whe n one of the
contro ls in the coc kp it is pressed.
Automatic recirculation*
The sensitivity level of the automatic recircula­
t ion mode can be set at various levels from
Off to
Sen siti ve . Reci rculat ion mode is contro lled auto­
matically. If the windows fog up, p ress the
I@ FRO NT ! button.
Footwell temperature *
You can adjust the footwell temperature so that
i t is cooler or warme r.
Automat ic au xilia ry heater*
In vehicles with diesel engines*, the auxiliary
heater helps to warm the vehicle interior more

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. ..,.

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0 0 <..:l 'SI'
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. ..,.

Consumer information
scope of maintenance and repairs which can be
carried out by vehicle owners.
Also, safety and
environmental
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustments to en­
gine and transmission parts which an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
quire special tools, testing devices and other
equipment available to specially trained work­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
formance, reliability and safety of the vehicle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliability of your
vehicle and even void your vehicle warranty.
Therefore, proof of servicing in accordance with
the maintenance schedule may be a condition for
upholding a possible warranty claim made within
the warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adversely af­
fected, creating unnecessary risks for you and
your passengers.
If in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your authorized Audi dealer or any other properly
equ ipped and qualified workshop. We strongly
urge you to give your authorized Audi dealer the
opportunity to perform all scheduled mainte­
nance and necessary repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, original parts and trained specialists to keep your vehicle running properly.
Performing limited maintenance yourself
The following pages describe a limited number of procedures which can be performed on your vehi­
cle with ordinary tools, should the need arise and
trained personnel be unavailable. Before per­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
oughly read all of the applicable text and careful­
ly follow the instructions given. Always rigorously
observe the
WARNINGS provided.
Before you 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 198.
260
A WARNING
-
-Serious personal injury may occur as a result
of improperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extremely careful when working
on the vehicle. Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­
mon sense. Never risk personal injury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are not fully familiar with these
or other procedures with respect to the ve­ hicle, or are uncertain how to proceed.
- Do not do any work without the proper tools
and equipment. Have the necessary work
done by your authorized Audi 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 area 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 on au­
tomatically when the coolant reaches a cer­
tain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
- Always switch 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 supplied with the vehi­
cle is not adequate for this purpose and
could collapse causing serious personal in­
Jury.
- If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the wheels on the ground, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels are always securely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission selector
lever (automatic transmission) is in P (Park
position) and the park brake is applied. ..,

co
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.... N
" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' @ For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings will adversely
affect emission levels. This is detrimental to
the environment and increases fuel con­
sumption.
-Always observe environmental regulations when disposing of old engine oil, used brake
fluid, dirty engine coolant, spent batteries
or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mate­
rial -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your deal­ er perform this service for you.
Accessories and
technical changes
Additional accessories and parts replacement
Always consult on authorized Audi dealer before
purchasing accessories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design
features ensuring a high standard of active and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the vehicle. For this reason, if
parts have to be replaced, please observe the fol­
lowing points when installing additional accesso­
ries:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available from authorized Audi dealers.
These dealers also have the necessary facilities, tools and trained specialists to install the parts
and accessories properly .
Consumer information
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non-ap­
proved accessories can cause damage to the
vehicle and serious personal injury.
- Use only accessories expressly approved by
Audi and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been spe­
cially designed to be used on your vehicle.
- Do not use license plate brackets in the
front area that are different from the one
installed at the factory, or add additional li­
cense plate brackets.
- Never install accessories such as telephone
cradles or beverage holders on airbag covers
or within the airbag deployment zones. Do­
ing so will increase the risk of injury if air­
bags are triggered in an accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS Qpoge 198.
(D Note
-If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not per­
formed according to specified methods, this
can result in severe damage to your vehi­
cle's engine and body (such as corrosion)
and adversely affect your vehicle's warranty.
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by an
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable for
damage which occurs due to failure to com­
ply with these stipulations.
Technical Modifications
Our guidelines must be complied with when tech­
nical modifications ore mode.
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer
before
starting work on any modifications.
This will help ensure that vehicle function, per­
formance and safety are not impaired
Q ,&.
261