AUDI A6 2011 User Guide

If the needle is well in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
tempe rat ure is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the engine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized dealer.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe th e warning in => page 271, "Engine comp art ­
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting additiona l lights or accessories in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
t ur es o r high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spo iler has bee n des igned to prope rly d istribute the
coo ling air when the vehicle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
cou ld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your author ized A udi dealer for assistance .•
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicat es th e engine RPM (revolutions
per minutes).
Th e tac home ter @ => page 8, fig. 2 is the left of the two large cloc k­
type displays.
Th e engine tu rns at a speed
1,000 times the si ng le dig it in the
display, e.g. if the need le is po int ing at the "2 " the engi ne is t urning
at 2,000 RP M.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If e ngine RPM drops below 1,500, you s hould dow nsh ift to t he next
lower ge ar. T he re d area at t he e nd of the s cale i ndic ates m aximum
permissible e ngine RPM after the break-in per iod . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to posit ion "D (Drive)" or ease yo ur
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachome ter needle s houl d not move into the red range. If it does,
then only fo r a very short period of time . You could damage your
e n g in e by driv ing at h igh RPM .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel a nd reduces e ngine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in the MM I.
Fig. 3 Instrumen t
cluster with digital
clock
Th e d ate, t ime o f day, and time and date fo rmat c an be se t in the
MMI. You can find o ut more in the MMI manual.
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
(I) Tips
• T he dig ita l clock and the odomete r are t urned on for about 30
seconds when the driver's door is opened .
• When the ign ition is turned off, the odometer read ing and the
digital clock with date disp lay can be switc hed on for about
30 se conds by press ing the
[CH ECK! button~ page 11, fig. 5. •
Speedometer with odometer
The speedometer shows you the vehicle speed, and the
odometer shows you how many miles (kilometers) you
have driven .
Fig. 4 Instrume nt
clu st e r O dom eter a nd
r e se t bu tton
The odometer and tr ip odometer are located inside the speedometer .
• USA models -Miles
• Canada models -Kilometers
You can sw itch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa via
t he MM I.
Lower odometer
The lowe r odometer shows the total n umber of m iles ( kilometers)
dr iven .
Upper odometer (trip odometer)
The upper odometer shows the total n umber of m iles (k ilometers)
dr iven since you last reset the odometer to zero . You can use th is
odometer when yo u want to keep track of how many m iles (kilome ­
ters) you have dr iven for a sing le trip or errand. The last d igit indicates
1/10 of a mile (100 meters) .
You can reset t he tr ip odometer to zero by pressi ng t he Rese t bu tto n
~ o.o.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunction somewhere in the instrument cluster, dEF
w ill appear in the tr ip odomete r and will s tay on . Con tact yo ur autho­
r ized Audi dealer to have the problem corrected.
[ i ] Tips
• The d igita l clock and the odometer are turned on for about 30
seconds when the driver 's door is opened .
• When the ignition is turned off, the odometer reading and the
dig it a l cl ock with date d isp lay can be sw itched on for abou t
30 seconds by pressing the [
CHECK! button=> page 11 , fig. 5. •
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is on.
When the need le reaches the rese rve mark, the~
page 30 symbol
appea rs in the instrument cluste r display as we ll as the message
Plea se refuel. T here are approximate ly between 1.8 and 2.4 gallons
(7-9 l ite rs) of fuel left . This message is meant to remind yo u to
refuel.
Th e to tal tank capa city of yo ur vehicle is liste d in ~ page 343.

0 Note
Never run the tan k comp letely d ry . An irregular s upply of f ue l can
cause engine misfiring and fue l cou ld enter the ex ha ust system . T he
c ata lytic co nve rter co ul d the n overhea t and be damaged .•
[ C HECK ) button
You can per form differen t functions wi th this button.
Fig . 5 CHE CK button
i n the in strume nt
clu ste r
Th e [ C H ECK] bu tton perfo rms the fo llowing func tions :
Switching on the clock and odometer
With the ignition tu rned off, the odome ter read ing and the dig ita l
clock with date d isplay can be switched on for abo ut 30 seconds by
pressin g the [
CHECK ] button ~ fig . 5.
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
The Auto-Check system~ page 2 4 constantly monitors ce rtain indi­
vidual functions and components of the vehicle when the ignit ion is
tur ned on and w hen the vehicle is movi ng.
With the ignition turned on, yo u can sta rt the "A uto-Check sequence"
by pressing the
!CHECK ] button. You can perform an Auto -Check
sequence whe n the veh icle is st ationa ry a nd the ignition is turned on
or when the vehicle is moving not faster than 3 mph (5 km/h) .
Control s and equ ip­
m ent Vehicle OP-eration
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
The nu mber of keys programmed to the vehicle is a lso displayed . The
di splay
3\3 indic ates th at three keys have been programmed . T his
allows you to make sure you have received all of the keys w hen you
purc hase a used ve hicle.
For example, if you o nly receive two keys, yo u sho uld ta ke tho se keys
to your a uthorized Audi dealer to have the missing key deactivated so
i t ca nn ot be used. You sh ould also re port the mis sing key to you r
insurance compa ny.
Calling up the driver information
A ye llow or red symbol appears in the instrument cluster display,
us ua lly w it h a dr ive r mes sage . T he driver message display di sappe ars
after about 5 seco nds. The driver message can be displayed again by
br iefly p ressing t he
[CHECK ] but to n.
Setting the speed warning
By press ing t he I CH ECK] button br iefly, you can set t hreshold 1 of
the speed warning while yo u are driving ~
page 33. By maintaining
pressure on the
I CHECK ] button, you de lete the warning th reshol d.•
Instrument cluster illumination
The basic brig htness of the illumination for the inst ru ­
ments, the center console and the display can be
a dju sted.
Fig. 6 Instrument
clu ste r illum inat ion .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
- Press the"+" button to increase the brightness during the
hours of darkness.
- Press the"-" button to decrease the brightness during the
hours of dark ness.
A light sensor in the instrument cluster contro ls the illumination for
the instrument cluster, the center console and the displays. In a
br ight env ironment, using the buttons to change the br ightness has
no effect .
[ i ] Tips
The illumination for the instrument cluster lights up whenever you
switch on the ig nition with the vehicle head lights off. As the daylight
fades, the instrument cluster illum inat ion likewise d ims automati­
cally and w ill go out completely when the outside light is very low.
Th is feature is meant to remind you to sw itch on the headlights when
outside light conditions become poor. •
Warning/indicator lights
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate different functions
or a possible malfunction .
Fig . 7 Instr um ent cluste r w ith warn in g/ indicato r lig hts
Your vehicle is equipped with several important warning and ind i­
ca tor lights to he lp you moni to r the continued re liable operat ion of
your vehicle =>& .
AIR
BAG
Electronic power control => page 14
Elect ronic Stabilization Program (ESP) => page 14
USA models: ~page 14
Airbag system

Canada models:
Airbag system
Tire pressure monitoring system*
L eft turn signal
Malfunct ion Indicator Lamp (MIL)
/ : Lane assist (system is ready)
Lane assist (system is not ready)
Safety belt
Adapt ive A ir Suspe nsio n*
-~ Adaptive Air Suspension"
D H igh beam
--
Q Right turn signal
CRUISE USA models:
Cruise contro l a ct ivate d =>page
14
=> page 15
=>page 15
=> page 15
=> page 15
=> page 15
=>page 15
=> page 16
=> page 16
=> page 16
=> page 15
=>page 16
Canada models: => page 16
Cruise control activated
USA models: => page 17
Ant i-lock brake system (ABS) defective
Canada models : => page 17
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) defective
USA models: PARK BRAKE Elect romecha nica l parki ng b rake
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
=:::, page 17
-
-
-
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
(®)
BRAKE
--
<CD>
Canada models: => page 17
E lectromechanical parking brake
USA model s: => page 18
Brake ma lf u nct ion
-Canada models: => page 18
B rake malfunction
Vehicles with the Adaptive Cru ise Control* have the following addi­
ti onal check lamps:
Open road
i;:;::::::, 1111 i;:;::::::, D ri vi n g i n traffic
i;:;::::::, 1111 i;:;::::::, Request for dr iver to
assume con trol
& WARNING
=> page 12 7
=:::, page 127
=> page 127
• Failure to heed warning light s and other important vehicle
information may result in s erious personal injury or vehicle
damage.
• Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe
distan ce off the road, st op the engine, and turn on the emergency
flasher =>
page 61.
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle i s a potentially
hazardous area . Befo re you check anyth ing in the engine compart ­
ment, stop the engine and let it cool down. Always exercise
extreme caution when working under the hood=>
page 2 71,
"Engine compartment". .,.
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
(I] Tip s
Many fun ct ions a re mon itored by the Auto-Check system=> page 24.
Malfunctions or faults will be identified either with a red symbol
(pr iority
1-Dange r!) or w ith a ye llow symbo l (prio rity 2 -Warn ing). •
Electronic power control C
This warning/indicator light monitors the electronic
power control.
The warn ing/indicator light (Electro nic Power Control) illumi-
nates when you turn on the ignition as a function check .
(I] Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates while you are driving, then
there is a malfunct io n in the engine electron ics . Have the ma lfunct io n
corrected as soon as possib le by your authori zed Audi dealer or qual­
ified repair fac ility. •
Electronic stabilization program (ESP) •..
This warning/indicator light monitors the electronic
stabilization program.
T he warn ing/indicator lig ht has the follow ing funct ions:
• It blinks while you are driving when the ESP is working.
• It illumina tes when you sw itch on the ignition fo r approximately 2
seconds as a function check .
• It illuminates whe n there is a malfunction in the ESP .
• It illuminates when ESP or ASR (Ant i-Slip Regula tion) is deacti­
vated .
• It ill umina tes if t he re is a malfunction in the A BS, s ince the ESP is
part of the ABS system. If the battery terminals were disconnected and re-connected, the
vehicle was jump st arted o r th e bat tery is very weak, t he ESP se nsor
system goes through a learning process for the first few yards. The
warning/indicator light illuminates. The war ning/indicator light goes
out as soo n as the learning process is complete .
If the ESP warning/indicator light ill uminates and stays on after yo u
have sta rted t he engine, t his may mean that the co ntrol system has
temporarily switched off the ESP . If this is case , you can react ivate
t he ESP by tu rning the igni tion off and t hen o n ag ain . The
warning/indica tor light should go out to show that the system is fully
functional again.
For more information about the ESP=>
page 242. •
Airbag system
~i (USA models) l!.!r (Canada models)
This warning/indica tor ligh t monitors the airbag and the
pretensioner systems.
The G>! (USA models)/ !.!r (Canada mode ls) warn ing light illuminates
fo r a few seconds ea ch time yo u sw itch on the ignitio n.
If the
G>! (USA models)/ !.!r (Canada mode ls) warn ing light does not go
out, or if it illuminates while you are driving, or if it starts to blink,
then there is a malfunction somewhere in the system . If the light
does not illuminate when yo u switch on the ignition, this a lso means
there is a malfunction.
& WARNING
If you have a malfunction in th e airbag syst em, contact your
authorized Audi deale r immediately . Otherwi se the airbag or the
belt pr eten sion er may not work properly in an accid ent .•

App lies to vehicl es: wi th t ir e pr essure mon it o ring system
Tire pressure monitoring system - telltale
indicator Lamp '
The warning/indicator light appears in the event of a
significant loss of tire pressure or if there is a malfunc­
tion .
The indicator light 'J illuminates to check the func tion when you
switch on the ignition.
If the
I symbol remains on or blinks after you sw itch on the ignit ion,
there is a loss of tire pressure or a system malfunction . If there is a
system malfunction, see your author ized Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
Detailed information on the tire pressure monitoring system can be
found in=>
page 314. •
Turn signals ¢ ¢
The indicator light blinks when you use either turn signal.
Whenever you use the left¢ or the right¢ turn signal, the indicator
light blinks. When you use the emergency flashers, both indicator
lights flash .
If one of the turn signa l light bu lbs burn out, the turn signal will blink
twice as fast as normal. •
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) !'.I
The Malfunct ion Indicator Lamp ( MIL) is part of the On-Board Diag­
nostic (OBD II) system . The symbol lights up when the ignition is
t u rned on and will turn off after the engi ne has started and has
sett led at a constant idle speed. This indicates that the MIL is working
properly .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
In
strum ents and warning /indicator lights
The warning light illuminates when there is a malfunction in the
engine electron ic system. Contact your author ized Audi dealer and
have the malfunction corrected .
An imp rope rly clo sed fu el fille r cap ma y al so cau se the M IL l ight to
illum in ate =>
page 2 75.
For more information=> page 23. •
App lies to vehicles : w ith lane ass ist
Lane assist (system is ready) /:
T he ind icator light shows that the system is ready to use . A warn ing
aler ts the driver when the veh icle drives over de tected lane boundary
lines.
More information about lane assist=>
page 134. •
Applies to vehi cles : wit h lane assis t
Lane assist (system is not ready) I
The indicator light shows that the system is turned on but unab le to
send a warn ing .
Mo re information about lane assist =>
page 134. •
Safety belts ,i
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put on your
safety belt.
The 4t warning/indicator light illuminat es when th e ignition is
switched on to rem ind the d river and (on USA models only) any front
pass enger to put on the safety b elt. Add itionally, an acoustic wa rning
(gong) will a lso sound.
For more Information=>
page 187, "Safety belt warning light~".•
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Adaptive Air Suspension
~
This warning/indicator light has the following functions :
• It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is t urned on as
function check and then goes out .
• If the warn ing/ind icator light illuminates or blinks continuously,
there is a system fault in the Adaptive Air Suspension . A system fault
can result in limited r ide comfort and
lo w gro un d cle arance. Drive
safely to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop,
and have the fault corrected .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes, you should not drive the
vehicle . The flashing warning/indicator light po ints to an extreme
High level. A very
pronounced lifting of the vehicle (extreme High
level) can resu lt, for example, when a heavy load is removed from the
vehicle . As soon as the level has returned to normal, the
warning/indicator light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
• If the warning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the
a,
warning/ indicator light, you shou ld not drive off immediately in order
to prevent damage to the underbody . The two warn ing/indicator
lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A
very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low leve l) can result,
for examp le, from a heavy load. As soon as the leve l has returned to
normal , the warning/ indicator lights stop flash ing, and you can drive
away.
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the a,
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle because low ­
lying vehicle parts can bottom ou t as you drive over uneven ground
and be damaged as a result. •
Adaptive Air Suspension c.:)
This wa rning/indicator light has the following functions : •
It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
fu nction check and then goes out.
• It comes on for approximately 15 seconds as a warning of
redu ced
gr oun d clea ra nc e,
if the dynamic mode is activated and if the ignition
is switched on =>
page 169, "Chassis controls" .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
warning/indicator light, you shou ld not drive the vehicle immed iate ly
in orde r to prevent damage to the underbody. The two wa rning/indi­
cator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the veh icle (extreme Low leve l) can res ult,
for example, from a heavy load . As soon as the level has returned to
normal, the warning/indicator lights stop flashing, and you can drive
away.
0 Note
If the wa rning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle because low ­
lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven ground
and be damaged as a result. •
High beam ~D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or whe n you use the headlight flasher. Fo r more informat ion about
using the high beams, see=>
page 62. •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) /(lJ1 (Canada models)
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the cruise control is
activated .•

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
A ...
.j {USA models) /..., {Canada models)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS and the
electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light will come on for a few seconds when the
ign ition is switched on . The light w ill go out after an a utomat ic check
sequence is comp leted .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when: • Th e warn ing/ indic ator light does not ill uminate when you swi tch
on the ig nit io n.
• Th e warn ing/ in dic ator lig ht does not go out a fter a few se conds .
• The warning/ind icator light illuminates while d riving.
The brake sy stem will still re spond even without the a ssistance of
the ABS system . See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For more i nformat ion
regarding the ABS=>
page 246.
The ABS warning l ight and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will noti ce a change in
brak ing response and performance.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light=> page 18 and the ABS warning ill uminate
together there may be a malfu nction in t he A BS, a nd there may a lso
be a malfunction in the brake system itself=>& .
In the even t of a
malfunction in the b rake system the warning/ indi ­
ca tor light
BRAKE (U SA mode ls)/ ((])) (Canada models) in the instrume nt
cl uster flashes . By p ressing the
I C H ECK ) button, you ca n bring up a
dr iver message w hic h explains the malfunc tion in mo re de tail. Please
not e=>
pag e 26 .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
Malfunction in the electroni c differential lock (EDL)
Th e ED L wor ks toge ther w it h the ABS . The A BS wa rning light will
come on if t he re is a malfunction in the EDL system=>
page 243. See
your authorized Aud i dea le r as soon as poss ible.
& WARNING
• If the ... Is~ (USA models)/ d (Canada models ) warning light
does not go out , o r if it comes on while driving, the ABS system is
not working properly . The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brakes (without ABS ). You w ill not have the protec­
tion ABS provide s. Contact your Aud i dealer as soon as pos sible.
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the 9 warning
light come on together, the rear wheel s could lock up fir st under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cau se los s of vehicle control
and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired immediately by you r
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work shop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models : If the brake warning light «D> and the ABS
warning light come on together , the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work shop.
Drive slowly and a void sudden, hard brake applications. •
Electromechanical parking brake
~E {USA models) /(®) {Canada models)
The warning/indicator light monit ors the electromechan­
ical parking brake.
With the parking bra ke app lied and the ignition turned o n, t he
warning/indicator light illum inates. After the ign ition has been
t u rned
off, the wa rni ng/ind icator light co nti nu es to i llumi nate for
abou t 30 seconds . If the parki ng brake is applied w it h the ignition _,,
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
tu rned off, the warning/ind icator light illum inates for abo ut 30
s e co nd s.
Th e warn ing/i ndicator lig ht w ill go out whe n the parking brake is
re lease d.
If the w arn ing/ indi ca tor li ght flas hes c ontinuou sly
after applying th e
park ing brake, braking force is not suffic ient to p revent the vehicle
fro m rolling unin te n ti onally. Pleas e note the following:
• If th e slope of the g round is too ste ep to pa rk the vehicle, the addi­
tional drive message ap pea rs
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep .
• In th e eve nt of a pa rk ing bra ke malfunc tion, t he yellow symbol
appea rs in the inst rument cluste r display a nd the dr ive r message
Parking brake auto release: system fault is displayed . Have the
ma lf u nctio n re paire d as soo n as poss ible by a qualified Audi
dea le rs hi p.•
Brake system BRAKE (USA
models)
/ {Q)) (Canada models)
The war ning/in dic ator li ght flash es i f br ake fluid le vel is
low , if t he re i s an A BS sys te m malfu nction or a pa rking
b rake malf unct ion.
The lig ht ill um inates when the ign it io n is tu rned on . It goes out afte r
t he engi ne has been st arted. This indicat es tha t the b ra k e war ning
light is functioning proper ly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking, there may be a malfunction in the electrical system. In
this case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the b ra ke sys tem w arning/i nd ic a tor light flashes, there is a br ake
system malfunction . By press ing the [
CHECK ] button, you can bring
up a driver mess age whi ch expl ain s t he m alfunc tion in mo re de ta il
=>page 26 .
If the ABS fa ils, t he ABS war ning/ indica to r li ght (USA
mod els)/ (Canada mo dels) fla shes toge ther wi th th e bra ke syste m
warni ng/ind icator light=> &.
(USA models):
If the warning light BRAKE and the wa rnin g light illu­
m inate toge ther, im media tely con tac t you r author ized A udi dealer or
qualif ied workshop to have all brake pads inspected=>
page 31.
When the ligh t comes on, an a udible w arnin g signal is also give n.
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the r i,~ warning
light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models : If the brake warning light (CD) and the ABS
warning light :::; come on together, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­ di ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released, or lights up while you are
driving, the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility
and have the brake system inspected.
• Always keep in m ind that after several brake applications , you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle.
Do not rely on strained brakes to respond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations. You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident. •