2017 AUDI A6 overheating

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
-The front spoiler also he lps to distr ib ute
cooling air while driving . If the spoiler is
damaged, the cooling effect w ill be im­
paired and the risk of the engine overheat­
i ng will increase. See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for
ass istance.
(D Tips
Applies to: ve hicles w ith d iese l engines
Due to the high eff ic iency of these engines,
the engine may not always reac h opera ting
t em perature i n cold outside tempe ra tur es.
This is normal and not a cause for con cern .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev ­
olutions per minute (RPM).
You shou ld shift to the next lowest gea r whe n
the speed is below 1,S00 R PM. T he begin ning of
the re d zone in the tachome ter ind icates the
maximum permissible engine speed fo r all gea rs
once the engine has been bro ken in and when it is
warmed up to operating temperature . Before
reaching the red zone, you should shift into the
next h igher gea r, c hoose the Dor S selecto r lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera­
tor pedal.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @ c> page 9,
fig. 3
may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or the re is a r isk of engine
damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duce operating no ise.
(D Tips
Applies to: S models
The engine speed is limi ted when the eng ine
is cold -the full e ngine o utp ut is not availa­
ble. When the engi ne is at ope rating temper­
at ure, the re d a rea i n the ta chome ter move s
t o a higher RPM range.
10
· Fuel level
The display @ only wor ks w hen the ig nition is
swi tched on.
If th e fue l level drops below 2.6 g al
(1 0
L), a red L ED w ill tu rn on and t he HJ indica­
tor light wi ll turn o n
i=>page 18. The LED b links
red when the fue l level is very low .
The poss ible range base d on the cu rrent fue l lev­
e l is shown in tab@¢
page 21, fig . 4.
For th e tank capacity i n your veh icle, refe r to the
Techn ica l Da ta
c> page 257.
CD Note
Neve r drive until t he tank is complete ly em p­
ty. The irregu la r su pply of fuel that res ults
from tha t can cause engine misfires. Un co m ­
b uste d fue l w ill th en en ter the exhaust sys ­
tem . This c an cause overheating and damage
to the ca talyt ic converter .
Indicator Lights
· Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
bl ink or tur n on. They ind icate fu nctions or mal­
funct io ns.
Messages may appear w ith some indicator lights.
A war ning s ignal will sound at the same time.
The ind icator lights and messages i n the instru­
ment clus ter d isp lay can be cove red by ot he r dis ­
plays. To show them ag ai n, se lec t t he tab for in ­
dicator lights and messages using the mu ltifu nc­
tion steering whee l
c> page 21. If there are sev­
eral ma lfunctions, you can display them one at a
time us ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicator lights in the d isplay can disp lay in
severa l co lors .
Central indicator light
App lies to: vehicles wit h monochrome d isplay
If a message appears together with a central in­
dicator light . or
U. the centra l ind icator light
will indicate the priority of the warning. If a
white indicator light also appea rs, the centra l in­
dica tor light w ill have its ow n colo r. Fo r example, ..,.

Instruments and indicator lights
The indicator light can also turn on if t he fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correct ly ¢
page 192.
~ Diesel particulate filter
App lies to: veh icles w ith diesel engine and diesel particulate
filter
II Particul ate filter: System fault See owner' s
manual
The diesel pa rticulate fi lter requires regene ra ­
tion . To suppo rt the fil ter's se lf-cleaning f un c­
tion :
D rive fo r approximate ly 15 m in utes at 37 mph
(60 km/h) o r above in the S se lector lever posi ­
tion . Keep the eng ine s peed around 2 ,00 0 RPM .
The temperature increase tha t will result from
this can b urn o ff the soot in the filter. The indica ­
tor light will turn off when the cleaning has com­
p leted successf ully.
I f t he i ndicator lig ht does
not tur n o ff, drive im­
mediately to an a utho rized Audi dea ler or a uth or ­
ized A udi Service Faci lity to have the malfunction
corrected.
A WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the cu rrent
weather, road and traffic conditions . You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommenda tions.
(D Tips
For add it iona l information on the diese l par­
tic ulate fi lter, see
¢ page 198.
!'7 Engine speed limitation
Applies to: veh icles with engine speed limitation
Ill Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatica lly lim ited to the
speed d isplayed in the instrument cluster. T his
protects the eng ine from overheating .
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critica l temperature
range and you have released the acce lerato r ped­
a l once .
18
If the engine spee d limitation was activa ted by
an engine cont rol malfunct ion, the ~ indicator
li ght a lso turns on. Ma ke sure that the speed
does not go above the speed displayed. Dr ive to
an a uthorized Audi dea ler or authori zed Audi
Service Facility immed iate ly to have the ma lfunc ­
t ion corrected .
(D Tips
Applies to: S models
The engine speed is lim ite d w hen t he engine
i s cold -the fu ll engine ou tput is no t av aila ­
b le . When the eng ine is at o perating tem per­
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a h igher R PM range .
~c, Engine oil sensor
• Oil level sensor: system fault!
The sensor to check the eng ine o il level has
f ailed. Drive to an au thori zed A udi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion corrected .
f Engine warm -up request
0 Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine oil, eithe r from low
outside temperatures or frequent short d rives.
D rive until the eng ine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine o il w ill evaporate. Avoid hig h engine
speeds, full accelerating a nd heavy engine loads
whe n doing this .
rn Tank system
II) Please refuel
If the indicato r light turns on for the first time
and t he message appears , there are about 2 .6
gallons ( 10 li ters) of f uel left in t he tank .
II) Fuel tank system malfunct ion! Please con­
tact dealer
There is a ma lf u nction in the f uel tank system .
D rive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au thoriz ed
A udi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to h ave the
malfunction cor rec ted.

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N .... 0 0 <..:l ' @ Tips
For additiona l information on refueling, see
¢page 192.
~ Washer fluid level
~ Please add washer flu id
Fill the washer flui d for the w indshield was her
system and the headlight washer system * when
the ignition is switched off
c::> page 208.
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield w iper: system fault!
There is a malfunction with the windsh ie ld wip­
ers.
Dr ive to an aut ho rize d Aud i de aler o r a uth orize d
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
I f the RI indicato r light turns on, a light has
fa iled. The message ind icates the location of the
light. If the
I) ind icator lig ht also tur ns on, then
a rea r fog light has fai led. The pos ition of the in ­
d icator light cor responds w it h the location on the
ve hicl e.
Drive to an aut ho rized Aud i dea le r or a uthorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have t he
m alfunct ion cor rected.
Vehicle lights: Malfunction
There is a malfunction in the hea dlights or the
light switch.
Dr ive t o an aut ho riz e d Aud i de aler o r auth oriz ed
Au di Service Faci lity immedia tely to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
{[) Dynamic headlight range control
Applies to: vehicles with dynamic headlight range control
El Headlight range cont rol: system fault!
There is a malfunction in the he adlight range
con trol system, w hich may ca use g lare fo r othe r
d rivers .
Instruments and ind icator lights
Drive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au tho rized
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
tiP Light/rain sensor
El Automatic headlights/ automat ic wipers:
System fault
T he light/ rain sensor is malfunctioning .
T he low beams re main sw itche d on a t all times
f or sa fe ty re asons when the ligh t switc h is in t he
AUTO pos ition. However, yo u can cont inue to
tu rn t he lig hts on and off using the light switch .
You can st ill contro l all f unctions that are inde­
pendent of the rain senso r th rough the wind­
s h ield wipe r leve r.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or autho rized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected.
!- I Sport differential
Applies to: vehicles with sport differential
Iii Sport differential: System fault
There is a ma lf u nction w ith the spo rt d ifferential.
D rive to an au thori zed A udi dealer or au th oriz e d
A udi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
Ill Sport differential: Overheating
The tra nsmission temperature has inc reased s ig­
nificantly due to t he sporty dr iving ma nner. Drive
i n a le ss s por ty manne r until the te mperature re­
tu rns to t he norm al ran ge and t he i ndic ator lig ht
swi tches of.
A WARNING
-
Co nta ct you r aut hori zed Au di d eal er or a
qu alified wor ks hop if t he s port di fferential is
fa ulty or ma lf un ctioning. The repa ir mus t be
performed by t rained pe rsonne l using the cor­
r ect oil in order to ensure safety .
19

Driving
lead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year-round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every kilogram of extra
weight increases
fuel consumption, a quick inspection of the lug­
gage compartment may be worth it to avoid un­
necessary weight.
When not being used, a roof rack should be re­ moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. You will save approximately 12% of your
fuel when at speeds from 62- 7 5 mph (100-120 km/h) .
Save energy
The engine drives the generator, which generates
electricity; the fuel consumption also increases
with the demand for electricity. Therefore, switch electrical equipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of equipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating*.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting.
If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty .
CD Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book ­
let . Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or
remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
68
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
important vehicle components.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Steering
Manual steering wheel position adjustment
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.
Fig. 76 Lever o n the stee ring col umn
.,. Pull the lever in the direction of the arrow
¢ ,&. .
.,. Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi­
tion .
.,. Push the lever against the steering column un­
til it is secure.
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri­
ous personal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only when the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 in (25 cm)
between your chest and the steering wheel -

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" N .... 0 0 <..:l ' ~ To shift up one gear, tap the shift paddle 0
¢fig. 86.
~ To shift down one gear, tap the 0 shift paddle.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistance point, the automatic trans­
mission downshifts into a lower gear, depending
on vehicle speed and engine RPM.
It shifts up in­
to the next higher gear once the maximum speci­
fied engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Launch control program
A ppl ies to: ve hicles wit h S tro nic
-
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop.
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
~ Deactivate the Start/Stop system*¢ page 74.
The LED in the l0 u•I button turns on.
~ Switch the Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) sport mode on ¢
page 121. The II i ndi­
cator light turns on.
~ Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or select the
DYNAMIC driving mode in drive select
¢page 106.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second .
Driving
~ At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal within
five seconds ¢_& .
A WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I.P-O FFI button briefly to turn the sport
mode off.
@ Tips
- The transmission temperature may increase
significantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few minutes.
It will be
available again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Transmission malfunction
DD Transmission: please press brake pedal and
select gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
lector lever position again. You can then continue
driving.
DD Transmission overheating: Please drive con­
servatively.
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indicator light switches of. .,..
81

Check ing and F illing
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty . The engine cou ld mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not sw itch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond itions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter . This could re­
su lt in overheating of the converter, requ ir­
i ng its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System :
- Have your ve hicle main tained pro perly and
in accordance with the service recommen ­
dations in your Wa rranty & Maintenance
book let.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as im ­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission cont rol system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erat ing properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erat ing states . This depends on the su lfur
content of the fuel be ing used . Using a differ­
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or filling the tan k
w ith lead-free super grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith diesel e ng in e
The diesel particulate fi lter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the ex haust. The f ilter
cleans i tse lf automatically under normal d riv ing
conditions. If the filte r ca nnot clean itse lf (for e x­
a mple , beca u se you are only driving sho rt distan­
ces), the fi lter becomes clo gged with soot and
the . symbo l for the diesel particulate fi lter il­
lum inates
c:> page 18.
A WARNING
- Do not park you r vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
198 -
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filte r could sta rt a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt.
Engine compartment
· Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and fill ing fluids , the re is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents , and burns. For this
reason, follow all the warnings and general
safety precaut ions provided in the following in ·
formation . The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous area on the vehicle.
c:> .&, .
A WARNING
-Turn the engine off.
- S witch t he igni tion off.
- Set the park ing bra ke .
- Select the P s elector lever position.
-Let the eng ine cool down .
- Never open the hood when there is steam o r
coo lant 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 .
- Keep children away from the eng ine com­
pa rtment .
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot eng ine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained
in the coolant) ca n ca tch fire .
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system .
- When working in the engine compa rtment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, wh ich
increases the r is k of p ersona l injury.
- Never ope n the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm . The
coo ling system is under p ressure .
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from ho t steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth wh en opening .
~