2018 AUDI A6 ignition

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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
~
1 8 9

Checking and Filling
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.
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as
possible~ &..
A WARNING
California Proposition 6S Warning:
190
-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.
@ 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.

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Audi rec ommends
~ Castrot /lftlg;'f.E@t Frtrrr.::--.~lri,'lAl.
A ud i recomm ends using the Lo ng Life h igh ­
perfo rm ance eng ine oil from Aud i Genu ine
Parts .
Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info ­
tainment system
Observe the safety precautions ¢ A in Working
in the engine compartment on page 189.
~ Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Shut the engine off when it is warm .
~ Switch only the ignition back on.
~ Wait approx imately two minutes.
~ Select : the ICARI function button > (C ar)* Sys ­
tem s
control button > Service & control > O il
l e v el.
~ Read the o il level in the display. Add eng ine oil
i f t he ba r in the oil leve l ind icator is just before
"min" ¢ page 194.
(UJ) Note
The engine oil leve l mus t not be unde r the
"min" mark ing, as this will increase the risk of
engine damage.
(D Tips
The o il level indica tor in the disp lay is on ly an
informationa l display. If the o il level is too
low, a minimum oi l warning appears in the in ­
strument cluster. Add oil and close the hood.
The current oil level is d isplayed in the Info­
tainment system the next t ime the ignition is
sw itched on.
(D Tips
The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 m iles (0.S liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on driving style and operating condi­
tions. Consumpt ion may be h igher during the
first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Because of this,
the eng ine oil level m ust be checked regu lar­
ly. I t is best to chec k each t ime yo u refuel
your veh icle and befo re long d rives .
Ch eck ing and F illing
-In order to prov ide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l engine components, a ll
internal comb ustion engines consume acer ­
tain amount of oil. Oi l consumption var ies
from engine to engine and may change sig­
nificantly over the life of the engine . Typi­
cally, eng ines with a specified break-in peri­
od consume mo re o il du ring the break-in pe­
r iod than they consume afte r oil cons ump­
t ion has s tabilized.
-Under norma l co ndit io ns, the rate of oil
cons umption depe nds on the q ual ity and
vis cos ity of the oil , the R PM (revo lutions per
m inute) a t which the engine is operated, the
ambient temperature and road conditions .
Further factors are the amount of oi l di lu­
tion from water condensat ion or fue l resi­
due and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage builds
up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry.
-With all these var iables com ing into play,
no sta ndard rate of o il consumption can be
established o r specified. There is no a lter na­
ti ve to c hec king the oil leve l reg ularly and
frequently.
-If you have the impress ion your e ngine co n­
sumes excessive amo unts o f oil, we recom ­
mend that you consult an author ized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that t he
acc urate measurement of o il cons umption
requires great care and may take some
time . An authorized Aud i dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measu re o il consump­
tion accurate ly.
-You can find informat ion on engine oil and
eng ine o il capacit ies for the USA at
www.aud iusa.com/he lp/ma intenance, o r
for Ca nada at www.aud i.ca/ ca/web/en/
cu stomer -area/ ca re -and -m a i ntena nee/ a u di ­
serv i ce -sched u les. htm l, or ca ll
800 -822-2834 .
193

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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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Contact an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility for more infor­
mation.
- Do not connect or disconnect the charging
cable while charg ing because this increases
the risk of an explosion.
(D Tips
-Only charge the vehicle battery through the
connections in the engine compartment.
- Read all of the manufacturer's instructions
for the charger before charging the ve hicle
battery.
Windshield washer system
F ig. 184 Eng ine co mpartment: washer flu id reservoir cap
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The winds hield washer reservoir O contains the
cleaning solution for the windshield and the
headlight washer system*
c::;,page 192 , fig . 179.
The reservoir capacity can be found in
c::;, page 245 .
To reduce the risk of lime sca le deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water w ith low amounts
of calc ium . Always add window cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outs ide temperatures are cold, an
anti-freez ing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze.
0 Note
- The concentration of anti-freezing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operating
cond itions in the respect ive climate. A con­
centration that is too high can lead to vehi­
cl e damage.
Checking and Filling
- Never add radiato r anti -freeze or other addi­
tives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, because this could damage
the paint.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve ­
hicle is due for service .
The service interval display works in two stages:
-Inspection or oil change reminder : after a cer-
tain distance driven, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each time the igni­
tion is switched on or off. The remaining dis­
tance or time is disp layed briefly.
-Inspection or oil change due: if your vehicle
has reached an inspection or oil change interval
or both intervals at the same time, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears briefly af­
ter switching the ignition on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un ­
til the next oi l change or next inspection in the
Car menu. To do this, select: the
I CAR I function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals .
Resetting the indicator
An authorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility w ill reset the service interval dis­
play after perform ing service .
If you have changed the oi l yourse lf, you must re ­
set the oil change interval.
To r eset the indicat or, select: the
I CARI function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals . Turn the control
knob downward to
Reset oil change interval and
press the control knob.
@ Note
- Only reset the oi l change indicator if the oi l
was changed.
199

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0 0 \,;J ' Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma intain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inf lation has not reached the level
to trigger illum ination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale .
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped w ith a TPMS
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined w ith the low tire
pressure telltale. Whe n the system detects a
malfunct ion, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minu te and then remain cont inuous ly
i llum inated. This sequence wi ll continue upon
subseq uen t veh icle start -ups as long as the ma l­
function exists.
When the malfunct ion i ndicator is ill uminated,
the system m ay not be ab le to detec t or sig nal
l ow tire press ure as intended. TPMS ma lfunctions
may occur for a var iety of reasons, incl uding the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after rep lacing one or
more t ires or whee ls on your vehicle to ensu re
that t he replacement or alternate ti res and
wheels allow the TPMS to cont inue to func tion
p roperly.
If the tire pressure monitoring system
indicator appears
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with Tire Pressure Moni toring System in­
di cato r
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction .
Fig. 1 89 Instrument cl uste r: in dicator l ight w it h m essage
Wheels
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monito r­
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer­
ence and vibration characterist ics of the ind ividu ­
al tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
t ires, th is is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator l ight
IE and a message .
If only o ne tire is affected, the location of tha t
t ir e will be indicated .
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­ ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or afte r changing or replac ing a tire on
yo ur vehicle
Q page 220. The tire p ressure mon i­
tor ing system on ly mon itors the t ire pressure you
have stored. Refer to the t ire press ure label fo r
the recommended ti re pressure for yo ur vehicle
Q page 211, fig. 188 .
Tire tread c ircu mfe rence and vibr ation cha racter ­
istics can change and ca use a tire press ure warn­
ing if:
- the t ire pressure in one or more tires is too low
- the t ire has str uctural damage
- the t ire was replaced or the t ire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
Q page 220
- the spare tire* is i nstalled
Indicator light s
IE-toss of pressure in at least one tire Q & .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary .
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressu re again in the Infotainment sys­
tem
Q page 220.
m ( T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Ti re
pressure: System malfunction!.
If rn:m appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
te r blinks for approx imately one minute and then
stays on, the re is system malf unct ion . Try to
store the co rrect t ire pressu res
Q page 220. If
t h e indicat or light does turn off or turns on agai n
af ter a sho rt pe riod o f time, d rive to an au thor­
ized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facili ­
ty immediate ly to have the ma lfunction correct-
ed.
~
219

Fuses
Fuses
Replacing fuses
A fuse that has blown will have metal strips that have burned through .
Fig . 20 1 Driver 's side cockpit : cove r
The fuses a re located on front left and r ight of
the cockpit and behind the trim on the rig ht side
of the luggage compartmen t.
.. Switch the ignition and all e lectr ica l equipment
off.
.. Che ck the following table to see which fuse be­
l o ngs to the equipment .
.. Remove the cor respond ing cover or remove the
rig ht side trim panel in the l uggage compart ­
ment
Q poge 188 .
.. Remove the colored plastic clip from the fuse
panel, if necessary
Q page 235, fig. 202. You
can d ispose of t he p lastic clip .
.. Remove the clamp from the rea r side of the
cove r
Q fig. 201 .
.. Remove the fuse using the clamp .
.. Repl ace t he b low n fu se only with an iden tic al
new one .
.. Install the cover.
Fuse color identification
Color Current rating
in amps
Bl ack 1
Purp le 3
Li ght b rown 5
B rown 7.5
Red 10
B lue 15
234
Color Current rating
in amps
Yellow 20
W hit e or transpa rent 2 5
Green 30
O range 4 0
A WARNING
Do not repair fuses and neve r replace a blown
f u se with one that has a higher amp rat ing.
This can cause damage to the e lectr ica l sys­
tem and a fire.
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again shortly after you h ave insta lled it, have the e lectrical system
checked as soon as possible by an authorized
A udi dealer or authorized Aud i Service Fac ili­
ty .
(D Tips
- The following tab le does not list fuse loca­
t ions that are not used .
- Some of the equipment listed in the fo llow­
ing tables applies on ly to certain model ver­
sions or certa in optional equipment .