2018 AUDI A6 engine oil

Instrum ent s and ind icat or light s
-The front spoiler also he lps to distribute
cooling air while driving . If the spoiler is
damaged, the cooling effect w ill be im­
paired and the r isk of the engine overheat­
i ng will increase. See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for
ass istance.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM) .
You should shift to the next lowest gear when
the speed is below 1,S00 RPM. The beginn ing of
the red zone in the tachometer indicates the maximum permissible engine speed for all gears
once the engine has been broken in and when it is
warmed up to operating temperature. Before
reaching the red zone, yo u should shift into the
next higher gear, choose the Dor S se lector lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera ­
tor peda l.
@ Note
The needle in the tachometer @ ¢ page 9,
fig. 3
may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or there is a risk of engine
damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early he lps you to save fuel and re ­
duces operating noise.
(D Tips
Applies to: S models
The engine speed is limited when the eng ine
is cold - the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a hig her RPM range .
Fuel level
The display @ only wo rks when the ignition is
sw itched on. If the fuel level d rops below 2 .6 gal
(10 li ters), a red L ED w ill tur n on and t he
rD indi ­
cator light will turn
on ¢ page 17. The LED
blinks red when the fuel leve l is very low .
10 The possible range based on the cu
rrent fue l lev ­
e l is shown in
tab @ ¢page 19 , fig . 4 .
Fo r th e tank capacity i n your veh icle, refe r to the
Techn ica l
Data ¢ poge 245.
@ Note
Never drive until t he tank is comp lete ly emp­
ty. The ir reg ular supply of fuel t hat res ults
from tha t ca n cause engine m is fires. Uncom ­
b usted fue l w ill then enter the exhaust sys ­
tem . This can cause overheating and damage
to t he catalyt ic converter .
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or tur n on. They ind icate functions or mal ­
functions .
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 in the instr u­
ment cluster disp lay can be covered by ot her dis ­
plays . To show them again, se lect the tab for in­
dicator lights and messages using the mu ltifunc­
tion steering wheel
¢ page 19 . lfthere are sev­
eral malfunctions, you can display them one at a
time us ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicator lights in the display can disp lay in
several colors.
Central indicator light
App lies to : vehicles wit h mo nochrome display
If a message appears together with a central in­
dicator light . or
0. the central ind icator light
will indicate the priority of the warning. If a
wh ite ind icator light a lso appears, the centra l in­
dicator light w ill have its ow n colo r. Fo r example,
i1' ii ::ippea rs togethe r wi th • • read the descr ip ­
tion
for • .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a function
check when you switch the ignition on. These sys­
tems are marked with
a./ in the fo llow ing tab les. 1111-

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-

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' -If the engine oi l leve l is correct and t he in dica ­
tor light st ill tu rns on, turn the eng ine
off and
do not continue driving . See an a uth orized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac ility for as ­
s istance .
(D Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an o il level in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regu la rly.
'.!2" .. Engine oil level
App lies to: ve hicles wit h oil level warn ing
• Please add oil immed iately .
Add engine oil imme diate ly r=:>poge 192.
II Add oil max . x qt (l). You may continue driv­
ing
Add the disp layed amo unt of o il immed iate ly
r=:> page 1 92.
@ -Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle : Steering defective
There is a malfunc tion in the elec tronic stee ring
l o ck. You ca nnot t urn th e igni tion o n.
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steered . See an au thor ized A udi dealer or au thor ­
iz ed A udi Service Fac ility for assis tance .
l!llt Steering lock: System fault Please contact
dealer
There is a malfunction in the elect ronic stee ring
l ock .
Dri ve to an autho rize d Aud i dea ler o r a uth o rized
Au di Service Faci lity immediately to have t he
mal funct ion corrected .
A WARNING
Do not tow your veh icle when there is a mal­
function in the electronic stee ring lock - this
increases the r isk of an accident.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
-
Instruments and indicator lights
D o not switch the ignition o ff because you may
not be able to switch it on again .
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au thoriz ed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity immed iate ly to h ave the
malfu nction corrected.
ml Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
T he re is a ma lf u nct ion in the engine s ta rting sys­
tem .
Drive to an author ized A udi dealer or autho rized
A udi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: System fault. You can drive
slowly (max . speed 35 mph))
The re is a ma lf u nct ion that can resu lt in restric t­
ed dr iving stab ility .
Drive to an author ized A udi dealer or autho rized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly at a maxim um
speed of 35 mph (60 km/h) to hav e the malfunc­
t io n co rrected .
• Air suspension: Service mode . Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Caref ully drive to an aut ho rize d Aud i dea le r o r
autho rize d Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the service mode deact ivated.
rl Air suspension: System fault.
T he re is a syste m malfu nction t hat can resul t in
r es trict ed dr iv ing stabilit y or reduced grou nd
cl ear ance.
D rive to an author ized A udi dealer or autho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Fac ility i mmed ia te ly to have the
m alfu nction corr ecte d .
rl Air suspension: Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is ve ry low due to a system
malfu nction . Wait u nti l the a ir su sp ension sys­
tem has res to red normal g ro und clea rance . O th­
erwise, con ditions s uch as an un even roa d surface
c a n l ead t o ve hicle dam age .
15

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \.J ' Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked.
! ?) Engine speed limitation
Applies to: ve hicles with eng ine speed lim itat ion
Ill Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the instrument cluster. This
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature range and you have released the accelerator ped­
a l once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine contro l ma lfunction, the
ll:a indicator
light also turns on. Make sure that the speed
does not go above the speed displayed. Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
Q) Tips
Applies to: S models
The engine speed is limited when the engine
is cold
-the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the red area in the tach ometer moves
to a highe r RPM range.
~;... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
The senso r to check the engine oil level has
fa iled. Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or a u­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
f Engine warm-up request
0 Please warm up engine
Fuel has en tered the engine oi l, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives. Drive unti l the engine is warm so that the fue l in
the eng ine oil will evaporate. Avoid high engine
Instruments and indicator lights
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this.
Bil Tank system
II] Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 2.6
gallons ( 10 liters) of fuel left in the tank.
II] Fuel tank system malfunction! Contact deal­
er
T here is a ma lfunct ion in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iately to have the
malfu nction corrected .
(D Tips
For additional informat io n on refueling, see
c::>page 186 .
.. Washer fluid level
m Please refill washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid for the windsh ie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignit ion is switched off
c::> page 199 .
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunction w ith the windshield wip­
ers .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
i§! l0$ Defective light bulb warning
If the 1:1 ind icator light turns o n, a light has
failed . The message indicates the location of the
lig ht. If the
IJ indicato r light also turns on, then
a rear fog light has failed. The position of the in­
dicator light corresponds with the location on the
vehicle.
..,.
17

Intellig ent T echn olo gy
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you insta ll
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
brakes are venti lated properly. Otherwise,
the brake system could overheat, wh ich re­
duces the ir effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impairs braking
performance, which increases brak ing dis­
tance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest author ized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac il ity.
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press muc h ha rde r on the bra ke
peda l to compe nsate for the lack of the
booste r.
0 Note
- Neve r let the brakes "rub" by press ing the
pedal light ly when bra kin g is not actually
ne cessa ry. Th is ca u ses the brakes to over ­
hea t an d increases bra king d istance and
causes wear.
- B efo re dr iv ing downh ill a long distance on a
steep hi ll, de crease your speed and se lec t a
l ower gear . This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes . If
you need to brake additionally, brake in in­
tervals and not continuously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front spoil ­
er, whee l covers or s imilar items, make sure
that the a ir flow to the front whee ls is not
i nterrupted. Otherw ise the brake system
can become too hot .
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
122
Indicator lights and me ssag es
• Do n ot driv e vehi cle: Ste ering d efe ctiv e
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the veh icle in a safe location as soon as pos ­
s ible. Do
n o t continue driving . See an authorized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Fac ility for
ass ista nce.
kr-D S te ering: System fault You can cont inu e
dri ving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more d iffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driv ing stra ight.
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to have the mal ­
funct ion corrected.
l;rfl D ynamic steer ing: Init ializing
If the indicator light is blinking and this message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
The steering wheel will be easy to move after
start ing the engine. Re-initialization might be
necessary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and r ight while the veh icle was not
moving. T he d isplay turns off if the in it ial izat ion
was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or ':r,y indicator l ight only stays on
for a sho rt time, you may cont inue d riv ing.
- The dynamic steering stability systems
~page 119 are not ava ilable in the event of
a system malfunct ion.
- For add itional information o n dynamic
steering,
see~ page 104 .

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles wit h all wheel drive
In oil wheel drive, oil four wheels ore powered .
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels. This happens automatical­
l y depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions. Also see
c:> page 119, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) .
A center differential distributes the driving power
variab ly to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving through curves
c:>poge 119. With the sport differential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted w ith drive select
c:> poge 104 .
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characteristics
both under normal driv ing cond itions and on
snow and ice. Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions
c:> .&, .
Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward mot ion with standard tires in winter con­
ditions . However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on all four w heels, be­
cause this will improve the braking effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
c:> page 217, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
For vehicles with all wheel drive, only wheels with
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid using tires with different tread depths
c:> page 208, New tires or wheels .
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficult terrain.
Intelligent Technology
A WARNING
--
- Also, in veh icles with all wheel drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and
traffic conditions . Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks,
because this increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- The braking ability of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the wheels. In this way, it
is not different from a two wheel drive vehi­
cle. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippery, be­
cause t his increases the risk of an accident .
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydrop lane" if driving at speeds that
are too high. Unlik e front wheel drive
veh icles, the engine does not rev higher sud­
denly when the vehicle begins hydroplaning.
For this reason, adapt your speed to the
road conditions to reduce the risk of an acci­
dent.
Energy management
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent ener­
gy management system for distributing electrici­
ty . This significantly improves the start ing ability
and increases the vehicle battery life.
(D Tips
- If you dr ive short distances frequently, the
veh icle battery may not charge enough
w hile driving. As a result, convenience func­
tions for electr ical equipment may be tem­
porarily unavailable.
- Th e vehicle battery w ill gradually drain if
the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time, or if electrical equipment is used
when the engine is not running. To ensure
that the vehicle can still be started, the
electrical equipment will be reduced or
switched off.
123

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.

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 179 Typical location of the rese rvoir and the engine o il filler open ing
(D Jump start point(-) with hex head screw
~page 198, ¢page 239
@ Jump start point(+) under the cover
~ page 198, ¢ page 239
® Engine oil label* with VW standard
¢page 192
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) ¢page 197
® Eng ine oil filler opening(~)¢ page 194
@ Coolant reservoir ( - L) ~ page 196
(j) Washer fluid reservoir (0) ¢ page 199
The engine oil filler opening ® may be located in
a different area depending on the specific engine.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine
compartment¢ &
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 189.
192
Engine oil
If the engine oil level is too low
If you need to add engine oil, use an oil that is
listed on the sticker.
The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine
compartment¢ page 192,
fig . 179 .
If the recommended engine oil is not availab le,
in an emergency you may add a maximum of 1
quart(! liter) of ACEA C3 or API SN eng ine oi l
one time until the next oil change .
For more information on the correct eng ine oil
for your vehicle, contact an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility . Have the oil
c h anged by an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Service Facility.