2018 AUDI A6 coolant

Instruments and indicator ligh ts
Instruments and ind icator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
a co ,...,
F ig. 3 Instrument cl uster overv iew
(D Engine coolant temperature gauge
@ Tachometer .. ............. .. .
- With
OFF status indicator ... . .
- With
READY status ind icator ..
@ Turn signals ............. .... .
@ Disp lay w ith
- Driver information system ... . .
- Indicator lig hts ....... ... .. .
® Speedometer
® Fuel level
@ Tips
9
10
68
68, 70
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19
10
10
The instrument illumination for the needles
and d ials t urns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The illumina­
tion fo r the ga uges reduces automat ical ly and
eventu ally turns off as brightness outside in­
creases . This function reminds the drive r to
turn the low beams on at the appropriate
time.
Coolant temperature indicator
~ The coolant temperature display (D ¢ page 9,
§ fig . 3 only functions when the ignition is switch­
<.,:, ' ed on. To prevent engine damage, please observe
the following notes about the temperature rang­
es.
Cold ran ge
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high eng ine speeds, full ac­
celerating and heavy eng ine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on.
If the . indicator light in the instru­
ment cluster d isplay turns on, the coolant tem­
perature is too
high ¢ page 13.
@ Note
-Aux iliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the coo ling-air intake impa ir the
cooling effect of the coolant . This increases
the risk of the engine overheating dur ing
high ou tside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
9

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' If the ABS indicator light fJ] (USA mode ls) /
ii] (Canada mode ls), th e ESC indicator light DI .
and the brake system ind icator light 1111 (USA
models)
/ . (Canada mode ls) all turn on and
this message appears, then the ABS, ESC and braking distribution are
malfunctioning ¢&. .
Do not cont inue driving . See an authorized Aud i
dealer or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Facili ty for as­
sistance ¢
&..
1111 (USA model s) /. (Canada models ) Pa rk­
ing brake: S ystem fault! See owner 's manual.
- If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicl e is stati onar y or afte r switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking brake. If you cannot re lease the park ­
ing brake, see an authori zed Aud i dealer or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility. If you can rele ase
the parking brake and the message still ap ­
pears, see an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
i zed Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
- If the indicato r light and message appear
while
d riving,
the h ill stQrt Qssist or emergency b r9k­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be poss ib le to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Do not park your ve hicle
on hi lls. See an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
Applies to: USA models
If the 1111 and EiJ t u rn on at the same t ime, the
brake pads are worn out ¢
page 16.
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warnings in
¢ page 189, Working in the engine com­
portment
before open ing the hood and
check ing the brake fluid level.
- If the brake system ind icator light does not
turn off or it turns on while dr iv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident.
Stop the vehicle and do not continue dr iv­
ing. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
tho rize d Aud i Serv ice F acility for ass istance.
- If the brake system ind icator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC ind icator
In strum ents and ind icator ligh ts
lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating function may
be malfunct ion ing . Funct ions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide. Do not cont inue driving. See an autho rized
Aud i deale r or a utho rized Aud i Serv ice Facili­
ty fo r ass istance.
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
indicator ligh t turns on, the parking brake was
set .
-(USA model s) /. (Can ad a model s) Cau ­
t ion : V ehicle parked too steep
If the indicato r light bl inks and the message ap­
pears, there is not enoug h braking powe r to se­
c ur e the veh icle. The b rakes have ove rheated. The
vehicle could roll away even o n a sm all incline .
-(USA model s) /. (Can ad a model s) Pre ss
brak e pedal to r elease parkin g brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press
the ~ button at the same time
or start driving w ith hill start
assist ~ page 74 .
&,I Parking brake!
T here is a ma lfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or authori zed Audi
Service Facility immediate ly to have the ma lfunc­
t ion cor rected.
(D Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake, see ¢
page 72.
_L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and check coolant le vel
T he coo lant level is too low.
Do not continue dr iv ing and switch t he e ngine
off. Chec k the coolan t level ¢
page 196 .
- If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
~ page 196 . Only continue dr iving once the in-
d icator light turns off.
.,.
13

Instruments and indicator lights
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let en­
gine run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle for a few minutes to
cool 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 Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found
in¢ page 189, Working in the
engine compartment.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on as this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
~ Front safety belt
The. indicator light stays on until the driver's
and front passenger's safety belts are fastened.
Above a certain speed, there will also be a warn­
ing tone.
(D Tips
For additional information on safety belts,
see
¢page 134.
0 Alternator/vehicle battery
• Electrical system: malfunction! Battery is
not being charged
There is a malfunction in the alternator or the ve­
hicle electrical system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately. Because the ve-
14
hicle battery is discharging, turn off all unneces­
sary electrical equipment such as the radio. See
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too
low.
(•) low battery: Battery will be charged while
driving
The starting ability may be impaired.
If this message turns off after a little while, the
vehicle battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty repair the malfunction .
~ Engine stop while driving
• Engine stopped: No power steering and
brake support.
There is a malfunction in the engine or in the fuel
supply system.
More force is needed to steer and brake the mov­
ing vehicle when the engine is stopped . If the
ve·
hicle is rolling, try to bring it to a stop off to the
side from moving traffic. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance.
A WARNING
If the engine stops while driving, you will
need to use more force to brake the vehicle.
This increases the risk of an accident. There
will still be power steering if the ignition is
switched on while the vehicle is rolling and
there is sufficient battery charge . Otherwise,
you must use greater force when steering.
~ Engine oil pressure
• Turn off engine and check oil level
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the engine oil
level¢ page 193.
-
- If the engine oil level is too low, add engine oil
¢ page 194 . Only continue driving once the in-
dicator light turns off.
1111-

Warm and cold
Warm and cold
Climate control system
Description
The climate control system warms, cools and re­ moves humidity from the air in the vehicle interi­
or. It is the most effective when the windows and
sunroof* are closed. If there is a bui ld-up of heat
inside the vehicle, ventilation can he lp to speed
up the cooling process.
I n all heating mode functions, except for defrost,
the blower only switches to a higher speed once
the engine coolant has reached a sufficient tem ­
perature.
Pollutant filt er
The po llutant filter removes poll utants such as
dust and pollen from the a ir .
Ke y re cognition
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith de luxe au toma tic clima te co ntrol
The blower sett ing and air distribution are stored
automatically and ass igned to the remote control
key that you are using.
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith 4 -zo ne del uxe automatic c limate
co ntrol
The climate control set tings are automatically
stored and assigned to the remote control key
that is in use.
A WARNING
Poor visibility can lead to accidents.
- For safer driving, keep all windows free of
ice, snow and fog .
- Become familiar as quickly as possible with
the correct use and function of the climate contro l system, especially with the defrost­
ing and defogg ing function.
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- When the temperature is below freezing,
only use the windshield washer system after
the windshield has been warmed by the cli­ mate control system . The washer fluid could
freeze on the w indsh ield and impair v isib il i­
ty .
@ Note
-If you suspect that the climate contro l sys­
tem is damaged, switch the system
off to
prevent further damage and have it checked
by an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Serv ice Facility.
- Repa irs to t he Aud i climate control system
require special techn ical know ledge and
special tools. See an aut ho rized Aud i dea le r
or authorized Aud i Serv ice Fac ility .
@) For the sake of the environment
To save fue l, turn off cooling mode by press­
i ng the
IA/Cl button. This will a lso reduce
emissions.
(D Tips
- T o prevent i nterference with t he heat ing
and cooli ng outpu t and to p revent the win­
dows from fogging over, the a ir intake in
front of the windshie ld must be free of ice,
snow or leaves.
- C ondensation from the coo ling system can
drip and form a pudd le o f water under the
vehicle . This is norma l and does not mean
there is a leak.
- Th e energy management system may tem ­
porarily switc h
off certain functions, such as
the seat heating* or rear window defogger.
These systems are ava ilable again as soon
as the energy supply has been restored.

Warm and cold
mode switches off . The temperature shou ld be
set to approximate ly 72 ° F (22 °C).
The
IAUTOI button sw itches the defroster off.
IQill REAR I Switching the rear window defogger
on /off
The rear window heate r on ly operates when the
e ng ine is r unni ng.
It sw itches off a utomat ica lly
afte r a few minutes, depend ing on the o utside
temperature .
To prevent the rear w indow heater from swit ch­
i n g off automatically, p ress and ho ld the
l lliil REAR I
button fo r more than 2 seconds . This is s tored
until the ignition is switched off.
I SYNC I Synchronization
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the dr ive r's side are appl ied to the front
p a ssenger's s ide (except for se at heating/ventila­
tion*) . The settings in t he rear are a lso synchron ­
ized. Synchronization switches off when the set ­
tings are adj usted individually for the front pas ­
senger 's side or for the rear.
You can sync hronize the settings in a row by
p ressing and holding a contro l. For example, to
app ly 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 .
Residual heat *
With the ignition turned off, yo u can activate the
residual heat function by pressing the
Iii button
c:> fig. 72. 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 p illars using the r idged thumb­
wheels . The levers adjust the direct ion of the a ir­
flow from the vents .
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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 it h the air-condition­
ing sw itched off, the windows ca n fog up,
whi ch inc reases the risk of an acc ident.
- Individ uals w ith reduced sensit iv ity to pa in
or tempe rature co uld develop b urns when
using the sea t heat ing f unct io n. T o re duce
t he r isk of injury, t hese individua ls sho uld
no t u se sea t hea ting.
@ Note
T o avoid damage to the heating elements in
the seats, do no t knee l on t he se ats o r pla ce
h eavy lo ads 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 butto n > AC.
Rear seat settings *
When this function is se lected, all settings for
the rear can be adjusted through the climate con­
trol system in the cockp it . T he climate control
system settings cannot be ad justed in the rear
seat at the same time. This f unct io n sw itches off
after a ce rtain per iod of t ime o r whe n one of t he
con tro ls in t he coc kp it is pressed.
Automatic recirculation*
The sensitivity level of t he automatic recircula­
tion mode can be set at various levels from
Off to
Sen sitive . Recircul at io n mode is cont ro lled auto­
matically. If the w indows fog up, p ress t he
l F RON T! button.
Footwell temperature*
You can adjust the footwell temperature so that
i t is cooler or wa rme r.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \.J ' h). To stop the engine, press and hold the
I START ENGINE STOPI button and also press the
brake pedal.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You may need to
use more force when braking or steering.
Because you cannot brake and steer as you
usually would, this could lead to accidents
and serious injuries.
- If you leave the vehicle, switch the ignition
off and take the vehicle key with you . Other­
wise, the engine could be started or electri­
cal equipment such as the power windows
could be operated. This can lead to serious
injury.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the selector lever in the P position .
Otherwise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could roll unintentionally.
0 Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off and there is a risk of damaging
the engine. For this reason, let the engine run
at idle for approximately two minutes before
shutting it off .
(D Tips
For up to 10 minutes after stopping the en ­
gine, the radiator fan may turn on again auto­
matically or it may continue to run (even if
the ignition is switched off) for the following
reasons:
- The coolant temperature is increasing due
to trapped heat.
- If the engine is warm and the engine com­
partment also heats up from strong sun­
light.
Messages
Turn off ignition before leaving car Driving
This
message appears and a warning tone sounds
if you open the driver's door wh en the ignition is
switched on.
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears if you do not press the
brake pedal when starting the engine.
fll 1s key in the vehicle?
This indicator light turns on and this message ap­
pears if the ignition key was removed from the
vehicle when the engine was running. If the igni­
tion key is no longer in the vehicle , you cannot
switch on the ignition or start the engine once
you stop it. You also cannot lock the vehicle from
the outside .
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
This message appears for safety reasons if the
transmission is not in the P position when you
switch the ignition off . Move the selector lever to
the "P" position . Otherwise the vehicle is not pro­
tected from rolling and it cannot be locked.
II Key is not recognized. Hold back of key
against marked area. See owner's manual
If the indicator light turns on and this message
appears, there is a malfun ction
c> page 70 .
Turn off ignition before leaving car. Battery is
discharging
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened while the ignition is switched on. Always
switch off the ignition if you are leaving the vehi­
cle. Also see
c> page 71.
Shift to P and turn off ignition before leaving
car, otherwise vehicle can roll away
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened while the ignition is switched on and the
selector lever is not in the P position . Move the
selector lever into the P position and switch the
ignition off when you exit the vehicle. Otherwise
the vehicle could roll. Also see
c> page 71.
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a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \.J ' Engine coolant temperature
Pay att ention specifica lly to the coolan t tempera ­
t ure d isp lay when t here are high outside tempe r­
atures, an d when dr iv ing on long inclines
~ page 9 . Shift to a highe r gear in a timely man ­
ne r.
A WARNING
Constant b raking causes the brakes to ove r­
heat and substant ially reduces b raking per­
formance, increases brak ing distance or caus­
es complete fa ilu re of the brake system.
-
Trailer towing
83

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0 0 <..:l ' On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
The On-Board Diagnostic System monitors the
engine and transmission components that influ­
ence emissions.
F ig . 176 Footwell o n le ft s ide of th e vehicle: con nectio n
port fo r th e On -Board Diagnostic System (OBD)
On -Board Diagnostic S ystem
Eng ine data can be read out at the On-Board Di ­
agnostic System connection port using a special
testing device
r::;, fig . 176.
Ind icat or light
If thE' ¢..ift indicator light blinks or turns on, there
is a malfunction that is causing poor emissions
quality and that could damage the catalytic con­
verter .
Drive s lowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the mal­
function corrected .
The indicator light can also turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correct ly
c::;, page 186.
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the connection port for the
On-Board Diagnostic System can cause mal­
functions, which can then result in acc idents
and ser io us injuries .
- Only allow an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to read out the
engine data.
-
Chec king and Filling
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For wo rk in the engine com part ment , such a s
che cking and filling fluids, there i s a ris k of i n­
jur y, sc alding, a cci dent s, and b urn s. For t his
r easo n, foll ow all the w arnings and g en e ral
s afe ty pre ca ution s pro vided in the f ollowing
in ­
formati on. Th e engine compartm ent i s a dan­
ge rou s area in the vehicle .
r::;, &..
A WARNING
-Turn the engine off.
- Sw itch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Select the "P" selector lever position .
- Let the eng ine cool down .
- 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.
- Keep children away from the eng ine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained in the coolant) can catch fire.
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which increases the ris k of personal injury .
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm . The
coo ling system is under pressure.
-To protect your face, hands, and arms from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening .
- Do not remove the eng ine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
bu rns .
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
g ine runn ing, there is add it iona l danger due
to mov ing components (such as the ribbed
~
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