2018 AUDI A6 warning light

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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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0 0 <..:l ' Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 177 Dr ive r footwell: release leve r
Fi g. 178 Rocker sw itc h under the hood
Make sure the w iper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the pa int could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the leve r be­
low the instrument panel in the direct ion of the
arrow ¢ fig. 177 .
Checking and Filling
.. Raise the hood slightly ¢.&_ .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢
fig. 178. T his releases the catch .
.. Open the hood.
Closing the hood
.. Push the hood down until yo u over ride the
force of the strut .
.. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch. Do not
press it in.
¢ .&_ .
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 unti l no steam or coolan t is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing . Because of
this, always check t he hood afte r closing i t
t o make sure it is latched correct ly . T he
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you no tice that the hood is not latched
while you are d riving, stop immed iately and
close it, because drivi ng when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident .
191

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' 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
l ook dark after the engine has been running for a
short time. This is norma l and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposa l, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
quired, we strong ly 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:
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
o il, let the eng ine 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.
- Cont inuous contact w ith used engine oil is
harmful to your sk in. Always protect your
sk in by washing oil off thoroughly w ith soap
and water.
@ Note
Never mix oil addit ives with your engine o il.
These additives can damage your eng ine and
adversely affect your Audi Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
Checking and Filling
@) For the sake of the environment
-Before changing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oi l properly.
Do not dump it on garden soil, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collection fac ility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled wit h a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac ­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed.
T he coolant level is monitored through
the . in­
dicator light
r=:>poge 13. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally checking the coolant leve l
manua lly.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coo lant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the follow­
ing coolant additives. These additives may be
mixed with each other .
Coolant additive Specification
Gl2evo
TL 774 L
Gl2++ TL 774 G
Gl3 TL 774
J
The amount of coolant additive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle wi ll be operated .
If the coolant addi ­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the engine.
.,.
195

Checking and Filling
Coolant Freeze protec-
additi ve tion
Warm min. 40% min. -13 °F
regions max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold min. 50% max. -40
°F
regions max. 55% (-40 °C)
([) Note
- Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especially important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appropriate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You could damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use water 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 w ith
the coo lant .
Adding coolant
F ig. 181 Engine compartment: coolant expans ion tank
cover
Observe the safety precautions~ page 189,
Working in the engine compartment .
Checking the engine coolant level
• Park the vehicle on a leve l surface .
• Switch the ignition off.
• Read the coolan t leve l on the coo la nt expansion
tank~ page 192, fig . 179. The coolant level
must be between the MIN and MAX markings
196
when the engine in cold. When the engine is
warm it can be slightly above the MAX marking .
Adding coolant Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolan t in the expansion tan k
~CD -
• Let the engine cool down .
• Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
~ & -
... Add coo lant m ixed in the cor rect ratio
~ page 195 up to the MAX marking.
• Make sure that the fluid level remains stab le .
Add more coolant if necessary .
• Close the cap securely.
Coolant loss usually ind icates there is a leak . Im­
mediate ly drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility
and have the cooling system inspected. If the
cooling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheat ing
and being pushed out of the cooling system .
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coo lant expansion ta nk cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk o f bur ns.
- The coolan t addi tive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For t his 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.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. A ir cou ld 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 Serv ice Facility for assis­
tance.

Checking and Filling
(D Note
If the vehicle will be parked for long periods
of t ime , protect it against the co ld so that it
will not be destroyed by "freezing"
c;,page 198 .
Vehicle battery
The term "vehicle battery " refers to the 12 Volt
bat tery in your vehicle.
Not running the vehicle for long pe riods of
t ime
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days o r
weeks , electri cal equipment is gr adually scaled
back or switched off . This reduces energy use and
ensures the veh icle w ill be able to start after long
periods of
time r:::;, page 123 . Some conve nience
functions, s uch as interior lighting or power seat
adj ustment, may not be available under certa in
circumstances. These convenience f unct ions w ill
be ava ilab le aga in once you switch the ignition on
and start the engine .
E ven w hen electrica l equ ipme nt is swi tched off,
the equipment can still d rain the vehicle battery
if the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time . Deep draining results in a chemical reaction
that destroys the inside of the vehicle battery .
The vehicle battery must be charged every month
t o reduce the risk of this happening
r:::;, page 198.
Contact an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility for more information .
Winter operati on
Cold weather places higher demands on the vehi­
cle battery. This results in reduced start ing abili ­
ty . Have the vehicle battery checked by an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before the co ld time of year .
198
Charging the vehicle battery
Fig. 183 En g in e compartment : co nn ectors fo r a cha rger
a n d jum p start cab les
Requireme nt: only use chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 30 amp s/14.8 Volts.
The
vehicle battery cab les remain connected.
... Read the wa rnings r:::;, _& in General warnings
about batteries on page 197
and r:::;, ,& .
... Switch off the ign it ion and all electrica l equip ­
ment .
... Open the hood c;,page 191 .
... Open the red cover on the pos itive terminal
¢fig. 183.
... Clamp the charger terminal clamps to the jump
start p ins accord ing to the instruct ions. (pin un­
der the red cover
= " positive ", pin with hexago­
nal head= "negat ive ").
... In sert t he power cable fo r th e cha rging dev ice
into the soc ket and switch t he devi ce on.
... At the end of the cha rging process, switch the
charger off and pull the power cable out of the
soc ket .
... Remove the charger terminal clamps.
... Close the red cover on the pos itive terminal.
... Close the hood c:;, page 191 .
A WARNING
-A highly explosive m ix ture of gases can form
when charg ing batte ries . Only cha rge the
veh icle b attery in well -ventila ted areas.
- A drained vehicle batte ry can freeze at tem­
pe ra tu res around 32
QF (0 QC). A fro zen o r
thawed vehicle battery must no t be charged
a nd must not be used anymore. If ice forms,
the battery housing can crack and battery
electrolyte can leak out, which increases the
risk of an explosion and chemical burns.
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Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
.,,.Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
.,,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­
proach the curb at an angle.
.,,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
.,,.Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
.,,.Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
&_ WARNING -
-Never drive faster than the
maximum permitted speed
for your tires. This could cause the tires to heat up too much.
This increases the risk of an
accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
-Always adapt your driving to the road and traffic condi-
Wheels
tions. Drive carefully and re­
duce your speed on icy or slip­
pery roads. Even winter tires
can lose traction on black ice .
@ Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical
in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires , which affects traction
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
201

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Care and cleaning
General information
Regu lar, proper ca re helps to maintain your ve hi­
cle's value. It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims fo r cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from an authorized Audi dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility . R ead and follow the instruc ­
tions fo r use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Us ing clea ning and ca re products inco rrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and ca re prod ucts out
of reach of chi ldren to reduce the r isk of po i­
son ing .
@ For the sake of the environment
- P refe rab ly purchase env ironmenta lly-friend­
l y cleaning prod ucts.
- Do not d ispose o f leftove r clea ning and ca re
p roducts with house hold t rash.
Car washes
T he longer that deposits remain on the vehicle,
the more the surface may be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sun light
increase t he damag ing effect .
Before washing, rinse
off heavy deposits with
p lenty o f water.
S tu bbor n depos its s uch as bird droppi ngs or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of wate r and a
mic rofibe r cloth.
A lso , wash t he u nderside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washi ng your ve hicle w it h a pressu re wash­
e r, a lways fo llow the operating instr uctions pro­
v id ed wi th t he p ress ure washer. This is espe cially
i mportant in rega rd to the pressure and sp raying
d ista nce . Do not a im the spray directly at the
sea ls on the side w indows , doors, lids o r the sun -
Care and cleaning
roo f* or at tires, r ubber hoses, insulat ing mater i­
al, sensors* or camera lenses* . Keep a distance of
at least 16 in (40 cm) .
D o no t remove snow and ice wi th a pressure
washe r.
Never use cone noz zles o r high press ure no zzles .
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automatic car washes
Spray of f th e vehicle befo re wash ing .
Make s ure that the w in d ows and roo f* are closed
and the windsh ie ld wipers are
off . Follow instruc ­
t ions from the car wash ope rato r, es pecially if
t h ere are accesso ries attac hed to you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes th at do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from t he top and wor k­
i ng down using a soft sponge o r clea ning br ush .
U se solven t-free cleani ng p rod ucts.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avo id d amag ing the pa int w hen washi ng, fi rst
r emove dust and large p articl es from you r vehi ­
cl e. Insects, gre ase spo ts and fingerpr ints are
best removed w it h a s pecial cleaner for mat te
finish paint.
Apply t he p rodu ct using a microfiber cloth. To
avo id dam ag ing t he pa int surfa ce, do no t use too
much pressure.
Rinse t he ve hicle thoroug hly w ith wate r. T hen
cl ea n usi ng a neutra l shampoo an d a soft m icro­
f iber clo th .
Rinse the ve hicle thoroug hly aga in and let it air
dry. Remove a ny wate r residue using a chamois .
A WARNING
- Only wash the veh icle w hen the ig nition is
off an d follow t he in str uctions from the car
wash ope rato r to re duce the ris k of acci ­
dents .
-
221

Care and cl eaning
Component Situation Solution
Tex tile s
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al l eat her, the surface
A lca ntara Water -based deposits Absorbent cloth and mild soap solut
iona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved oil or
such as oil , make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, na il polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natural leathe r Fresh stains Cotton cloth
with a mild soap so lutiona >
Water-based deposits Fresh stairns : absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried sta ins : stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Fresh stairns : absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. Dried stains : grease dissolving spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la -
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regula rly apply cond it ion ing cream that p rotects from
lig ht and penetrates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water
_& WARNING
The windsh ie ld may not be treated wi th wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable conditions such as wetness, dark ­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
-Headlight s/tail light s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form .
-Wheel s
224
- - Never use any paint polish or other abra­
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Cam era lens es
- Neve r use wa rm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the came ra lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning m aterials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Door wind ow s
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plast ic scraper. To