warning light AUDI S6 2009 User Guide

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
/ .J (USA models) / ~ (Canada models)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS and the
electronic differenti al l ock (EDLJ.
T he warning/indicato r ligh t will come on fo r a few seconds whe n the
ignition is switched on . The light will go out after an automatic
check sequence is completed .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
• The war ning/indi cat or l igh t does no t illu minate w he n yo u swi tch
on the ignition.
• The war ning/i ndicat or light does not go out aft er a few seconds .
• T he warning/indicator light il luminates while driving.
The brake system will still respond even without the assistan ce of
the ABS system. See you r authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For mo re in form ati on
re garding the ABS~
page 266 .
The ABS warning light and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will notice a change in braking response and performance.
Malfun ction in the brake system
If the brake warning light~ page 22and the ABS warning illuminate
together there may be a malfunction in the ABS, a nd there may also
be a ma lfunction in the bra ke system itself~& .
I n the even t of a
malfunction in the brake system th e wa rn in g/in di­
cator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ (©) (Canada models) in the instrument
c lus ter flas hes . B y pres sing the [ C HE CK ] bu tton, you ca n bring u p a
driver message wh ich explains the malfunction in more deta il.
P lease note
~ page 30.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning /indi cator lights
Malfun ction in the electroni c differential lock (EDL )
The ED L wo rks toge ther wit h the ABS. T he ABS wa rn ing light w ill
come on if there is a ma lfunction in the EDL system~
page 263 . See
yo ur aut ho rized Aud i dea ler as soon as poss ib le.
& WARNING
• If the AU (USA models )/u (Canada models ) warning light
does not go out , or 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 will not have the protec­
tion ABS provides. Contact your Audi dealer as soon as possible .
• USA models :
If the BRAKE warning light and the -warning
light come on together , the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard b raking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
autho riz ed 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 unde r hard braking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an a ccident . Have your veh icle rep aired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications . •
Electromechanical parking brake
~E (USA models) / (®) (Canada models)
The warning/indicator li ght m onit ors the e lec tromech an­
i c al park ing brake.
W ith the parking brake a pplied and th e ignition tur ned on, the
warning/ indicator light i lluminates. After t he ignition has been
tu rn ed off , th e warni ng/ indicato r ligh t co ntin ues to i llu mina te fo r
about 30 seconds . If t he parking brake is applied with t he ignition _,,
I • •

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
turned off, the warning/indicator light illuminates for about 30
s e co nds.
The warnin g/indicator li ght wi ll go out when the par kin g brak e is
r e lea sed .
I f the wa rn in g/ind ica tor l ig ht flas hes co ntinu ously
after applying th e
par king brake, brakin g force is not sufficient to prevent the veh ic le
fr om r olling u nint enti onally. Ple as e n ote the foll owin g:
• If the s lope of the ground is too steep to park the vehicle, the
additio nal drive message appea rs
Caution: Vehicle parked too
steep .
• In the even t of a parking brake malf unc tion, the yel low I sym bol
appears in the instrument c luster display and the driver m essage
Parking brake malfunction! is displayed. Have the ma lfunct ion
repa ired as soo n as possible b y a qua lified Aud i deale rship. •
Brake system BRAKE (USA models) /(©) (Canada
models)
Th e warn ing/indicator light f lashes if brake fluid level i s
low, if there is an ABS sy stem malfunct ion or a par kin g
b ra ke malfun cti on.
The light illuminate s when the ignition i s turned on . It goes out afte r
the engine has been start ed. Thi s ind icates t hat th e bra ke w arni ng
light is functioning properly .
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfun ction in the electrical system . In this
case , contact your Audi dealer .
If the b rake system warni ng/ind icator l ight flas he s, t here is a b rake
system malfunction . By pressing the [
CH ECK ] button, you can bring
up a dr ive r m essage w hic h exp la in s the mal funct io n i n mor e deta il
=>
page 30 .
If the ABS fai ls, the A BS warning/indicator lig ht _. (USA
mod els)/ (Ca nada mode ls) flas hes toget he r w ith th e brake sys te m
warn ing/ indicator lig ht=>
& -
(U SA mode ls): If the warni ng light BRAKE and the warning light
illumin ate t oget her, im medi ate ly contact yo ur a uth orized Aud i
dea ler or qua lified workshop to have all brake pads ins pected
=>
p age 35.
When the l ig ht comes on, an aud ible warning signal is also giv en .
& WARNING
• USA models : If the BRAKE warning light and the Af'l~ 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 model s: If the brake warning light (Q)) 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 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 mind 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 di stance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an a ccident. •

Driver information display
Sound system display
Fig. 9 Displ ay : s ound
system
If priority 1 or priority 2 faults are not shown by the Auto Check
Cont rol, the name of t he radi o sta tio n you a re tune d to or the
frequency and the recept ion range are shown in the upper area of
the display .
When t he C D is in use, the title of t he trac k bein g pla y ed is shown.
The number of the CD (CD 1 to CD 6) currently being p layed is also
shown. •
Outside temperature display
Fig. 1 O Display:
out side temperatu re
At temperatu res be low 41 °F (+5 °C) a snowfla ke symbol appears
ahead of the te mper atu re disp lay. It is intended to remind the dr iver
to pay special attention to
ice on the road.
If you have selected the °C (degrees Celsius) unit for temperature in
th e
MM I, the outsid e temp erat ure d isp lay also appears automati ­
cally in °C.
& WARNING
• Never rely exclusively on the outside temperature display to
determine if a road surface is icy or not. Keep in mind that road
surfaces , especially bridges and overpasses , could be ice covered
and slippery even at an outside temperature above 41 °F (+5 °C ).
• Always remember , even if the "snowflake " symbol (ice
warning) does not appear in the display , black ice could be on the
road.
• Always reduce your speed and drive with special care in cold
weather conditions when the chance of encountering icy road
surfaces increases .
[ i ] Tips
If t he ve hic le is stat ionary, or if you are dr iving at a very low speed,
the temperature shown in the di splay mig ht be slightly higher than
t h e actua l outs ide temper atu re. This is caused by the heat bei ng
radiated from the engine. •

Digital speedometer
Fig. 11 Display: Digital
speedometer
Current speed appears in the display . Speed is shown in 1 mph
measures (USA models) or 1 km/h measures (Canada models).
You can switch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa
via the MMI. •
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the rear lid have
been left open.
Fig . 12 Display: open
door or rear
lid
warning
With the ignition switched on, the open door or rear lid warning illu ­
minates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
closed. The symbol also shows you which door(s) or lid is not
closed.
In the illustration=> fig. 12 it is the driver's door, the left rear door
and the rear lid. As soon as all the doors, the hood, the rear lid and
the fuel filler cap are properly closed, the door and rear lid warning
turns off and the Driver Information System functions selected are
displayed again .•
Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bulb has become defective.
Fig. 13 Display: defec­
tive light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of the light
bulbs . If this symbol illuminates, a brake light, a turn signal (front
or rear), a headlight, the backup light, a fog light or a rear fog light
has failed.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could explode while they are
being changed causing serious personal injury.
• Work with due care when handling the high-voltage section of
gas discharge (xenon) lights. Failure to do so could result in death
or serious injury . ..,
Vehicle care I I Technical data

On-Board Diagnostic system (08D)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU ~ in the instrument cluster
~ page 16, fig. 7 is part of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD ID system.
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the ignition is
switched on and goes out after the engine starts and the idle has
stabi lized . This indicates that the MIL is working properly.
If the light does not go out after the engine is started, or illuminates
while you are driving, a malfunction may exist in the engine system.
If the light starts flashing, the catalytic converter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoiding sustained high
speeds and/or rapid accelerations) and have the condition
corrected. Contact your authorized Audi dealer.
If the light illuminates, the electronic speed limiter may also be
malfunctioning . For more information~
page 27, "Electronic speed
limiter".
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also cause the MIL light to
illuminate
~ page 297. •
On-Board Diagnostics
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Fig . 16 Location of
Data Link Connector
(D LC )
Driver information display
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the components of your emission
control system. Each monitored component in your engine sys tem
has been assigned a code. In case of a malfunction, the component
wil l be identified and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memory .
The M IL light may also illuminate if there is a leak in the on -board
fuel vapor recovery system. If the light illuminates after a refuelling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler cap is properly closed
~ page 297.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the stored data can only be
d isplayed using special diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool for
OBDl.
In order to connect the special diagnostic equipment, push the plug
into the Data Link Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the right of
the hood release~ fig. 16.
Your authorized Audi dealer or a qua lified service station can inter­
pret the code and perform the necessary repair. •
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires that are rated for a
maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operated at excessive
speeds, your vehicle also has an electronic speed limiter. The elec­
tronic speed limiter prevents your vehicle from going faster than the
tire speed rating. For more information~
page 329.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle roadspeed signa ls,
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU will i lluminate . If this
occurs, contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for assistance. .,.
Vehicle care I I Technical data

Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automatically.
For example, the symbol appears in the display, indicating low
windshield washer fluid level. The following message also appears:
Please top up washer fluid
The driver message disappears after a few seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by briefly pressing the
I CH ECK]
button. •
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER.
-Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
Turn off the engine.
Fig . 18 Display: engine
coolant level warning
(priority 1)
- Check the malfunctioning system. Contact your autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop for assistance.
Red symbols indicate a priority 1 malfunction -Danger!
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
With a priority 1 malfunction, a large symbol appears in the center
area of the display => fig. 18. When the symbol appears,
three
warning tones sound in succession. The symbol continues to blink
until the malfunction has been repaired.
If there are
more than one priority 1 malfunctions, the symbols
appear one after the other for about 2 seconds.
An additional driver message can also be displayed by briefly
pressing the
! CHECK ] button.
The red symbols mean:
0
BRAKE
<CD>
[ i] Tips
Alternator malfunction
USA models:
Brake system malfunction
Canada models:
Brake system malfunction
Engine coolant level too
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
Engine oil pressure too low
Faulty steering
Faulty ignition switch
=> page30
=> page 30
=> page30
=> page 31
=> page32
=> page 32
=> page 33
• If the warning/indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ © (Canada
models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunction. By pressing the
I CH ECK] button, you can bring up a
driver message which explains the malfunction in more detail.
Please note
=> page 30. ..
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
• Speed warnings threshold 1 8 (USA modelsl/ 8 (Canada
models) and threshold 2
e , (USA modelsl/ 8 (Canada models) are
a lso shown as red symbols. The warning is always shown as a small
symbo l in the upper area of the display =>
page 36. •
Alternator malfunction 0
If the O symbol in the ins trument pane l disp lay flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the alternator or the vehicle electronics. A
warning to the driver will appear, too . The driver warning goes out
after about 5 seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by
pressing the
( C H ECK ] button again .
Usually, you can sti ll drive to the next dealership . Turn off a ll but the
most necessary electrical consumers, since these drain the vehicle's
battery.
0 Note
If the _t warning symbol (coolant system malfunction) also lights
up on the instrument pane l during the trip=>
page 31, then you
have to stop immediately and turn off the engine . The coolant pump
is not working anymore -danger of damage to the engine! •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning /indi cator light BRAKE (USA models)/ (©)
(Canada models) in the instr ument cl uster flashes, there is
a brake system malfunct io n. By pressing the [ CHECK ]
button, you can bring up a driver message w hich explains
the malfunction in more detail.
Stop v ehi cle a nd ch ec k brak e fluid l eve l
- Pull off the road .
- Stop t he vehicle .
- Tur n o ff the engine .
- Check the brake fluid level=>
page 310.
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if neces-
sary .
Warning! Fault in ABS brake syst em . Conta ct
workshop
- D rive carefully to the nearest au thorized repair fac ility
and have the malfunction corrected
=> ,& .
Parking br ake ! Ple ase c onta ct work sh o p
- If the warning/indicator light flashes when the vehicle is
stationary or after the ignition is turned on, c heck to see
if the parking brake c an be released . Dr ive to an aut ho­
rized repair facility as soon as possible a nd have the
ma lfunctio n corrected. If the pa rking brake cannot be
released, contac t your nea rest authorized repa ir facil ity .
- If the warning/indicato r light flashes w hile you are
dr iving, i t is possible tha t the traction con tro l or the
emerge ncy brake has ma lfunc tioned . It is poss ib le that
the park ing brake cannot be applied . It is a lso possible
that the pa rking brake cannot be released after it has
been app lied . Drive to an aut horized A udi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected.
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS warning/indicator light i llu ­
minates together with the brake system malfunction warning/indi -
cator light=>& . .,_

& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in => page 293, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard . Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• USA models : If the BRAKE warning light and the -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 «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 workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction _t
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the -t symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the [
CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driver information display
Check coolant level ~ page 308.
-Add coolant if necessary~ page 309 .
Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be
the cause of the malfunction.
If the O warning symbol (alternator malfunction) also lights up on
the instrument panel=>
page 30, then the fan belt may be damaged.
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights =>
page 67, "Emer­
gency flasher
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment - you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
=>
page 293, "Engine compartment" .
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the -F-symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine .•
I • •

Ignition lock malfunction ~
A malfunction in the ignition Jock must be repaired imme­diately.
If the ~ symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver message
can also be displayed by press ing the [CHECK] button:
Ign iti on lock defe ctive . C ont ac t wo rkshop !
- Do not turn the engine off.
- Drive immediately to an auth orized A udi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected .
If there is a malfunction in the electronic ignition lock, the ignition
cannot be turned off . Drive immediately to an authorized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of the malfunction corrected .
On vehicles with Convenience key*, the engine should not be
switched off using the [
STOP] button because the engine cannot be
started again after the ignition is switched off. •
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Fig . 19 Dis pl ay: low
fu el le ve l wa rning
(pr io rity 2)
Dri ver inf orm atio n di spl ay
Ye llow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunction -Warning!
When a yellow warning symbol appears,
one warning tone sounds.
A driver message appears as well to explain the malfunction in more detail. The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up again at any time by pressing the [ CHECK
I button .
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If
more than one
priority 2 malfunction is detected , a ll symbols will appear one after
the other for about 2 seconds.
Yellow symbols mean:
Convenience key*
~ page 120
Key not in vehicle
USA models: ~ page25
Defective brake light
Canad a mod els: ~ page25
Defective brake light
11 Defective light bulb
~ page25
-
Light/rain sensor defective ~ page34
Windshield washer fluid ~ page34
level low
Low fuel leve l
~ page34
Battery voltage ~ page35
Worn brake pads ~ page35
IIDynamic headlight range ~ page35
control defective
-
Check engine oi l level ~ page35
~ page305 ...
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Battery voltage ~
If the battery's state of charge is not in the optimal range, the
symbo l is shown in the display and the driver message
Low battery
c harge : battery will be charged wh ile dr iving
appears .
Whi le th is d river notification is displayed, you have to be p repa red
for limited starting capabi lity.
Driver message appears and goes out again
If this driver message appears after the ignition is turned on or
w hile driving and it g oes out agai n after a w hile , th e ba tte ry has
been adequately recharged.
Driver message appears and does not go out again
I f this dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
while driv ing and does n ot go out aga in, the bat tery's state of
charge is not in the optimal range. Starting capability is restricted.
H ave the ba ttery checke d by an au tho rize d Audi deale r as soon a s
poss ible .•
Worn brake pads
Brake pads!
If the wa rning light i lluminates, immediate ly contact your autho ­
rized Aud i d eal er or qualified wor kshop to have a ll brake pads
inspected. On USA models the warning light comes on together
wit h the warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brak e pads o n an a xle must
a lways be replaced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light • and the warning light
BRAKE11 with the
message Brake pads ! comes on in the instrument cluster display ,
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driv er information display
& W ARNING (continued )
immediately contact your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .•
Headlight range control defective ">
l ) Headlight range control defective
If th e sy mbol ill uminates , the dyna mic headlig ht ra nge c ont rol is n o
longer working properly . Have the system checked and repa ired at
yo ur Au di d eale r.•
Engine oil level "'·
Please check oil level
When the symbol il luminates, check the engine o il leve l as soon as
possible =>
page 305. Top off the oi l at your earliest opportu nity
=>
page 306. •
Engine oil sensor defective ~,m,
Oil level! sensor defective
If the symbo l il luminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer and
h ave th e oil sensor insp ecte d. Unt il y ou hav e thi s do ne, c heck the oil
leve l each time you refue l just to be on the safe side=>
page 305. •
11 BRAKE : USA models only
I • •