ignition AUDI A6 2012 Owners Manual

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overv iew of the instrument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge .. .
@ Tachometer (eng ine rev counter)
@ Turn signals ............... .
@ Display with
®
®
-Driver information system .. .
- Wa rning/ind icator lights
Tachometer Fuel gauge
@ Tips
11
12
43
23
12
12
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) turns on when the ignition is on
and the vehicle lights are turned off. As
the daylight fades, the illumination of the
dials likewise dims automatically and wil l
go out completely when the outside light
is very low. This feature is meant to rem ind
you to switch on the headlights when out­
side light conditions become poor.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge CD¢ page 11, fig. 3
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your eng ine, please note the fol­
l owing important points:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the eng ine has not reached operating
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applica­
tions.
Normal temperatu re
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving cond i­
t ions. The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the engine is under heavy load or the exterior
temperature is high. This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru ­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the display and the indica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢ page 214, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine 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 .
@ Note
-Mounting additional lights or accessories
i n front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo iler has been designed to
proper ly distribute the cooling air when
t h e ve hicle is moving.
If the spoiler is
dam aged, th is co uld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler for
assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine RP M drops be low 1,500, yo u should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le indicates maximum
perm iss ib le engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D/S (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle should on ly br iefly
be in the red zone: you could damage your
engine! The beginn ing of the red zone var­
ies depending on the engine .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
on .
If the fuel level d rops below 2 . 6 ga llons (10 liters), the bottom LED turns red and the
indicator
light~ turns on ¢
page 21. The
bottom LED blinks red when the fuel level is
very low.
T he possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@¢
page 23, fig . 4 .
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry. An ir ­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter the ex ha ust
system . The catalytic converter could then
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator Lights
Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate funct ions or
malfunctions ¢,& .
Messages may appear with some indicato r
lights. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indicator lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other d isplays . To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
i ng the multifunction steering wheel
¢
page 23. If t here are several malfunc­
t ions, you can display them one at a time us­
ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicato rs lights in the d isplay can turn
on in severa l co lors.
A WARNING
- F ailure to heed w arning l igh ts and other
important vehicle in forma tion may res ult
in ser io us personal inj ury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe d istance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher¢
page 42.
-The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you chec k anything in the engine

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when working under the hood
<=> page 214, Engine compartment
@ Tips
Ma lf u nctions or faults wi ll be identified ei­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (pr iority 2 -
Warn ing).
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when you switch
the ignition on. These systems are ma rked
with an./ in the fo llow ing tab les. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, there is a malfunction in that system.
Red indicator lights
Red symbols indicate a prio rity malfunction -
D anger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine.
- Check the ma lf u nctioning system . Contact
your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
workshop for assistance.
USA mode ls:
Brake ma lf u nction./
c::>page 14
Canada models:
Brake malfunction./
c::>page 14
- USA models:
----
Electromechanical parking brake
<=> page 16
Canada models:
Electromechanical parking brake
<=>page 16
Engine cooling system
<=>page 16
Engine oil pressure
<=>page 17
I
Engine oil level
Q page 18
Battery
Qpage 17
Safe ty belt
Q page 17
Electromechanical steering ./
<=>page 193
Electronic steering column lock
Qpage 18
Engine start system
Qpage 18
Speed wa rning system
Qpage 76
Adaptive cruise control./
Qpage 80
---Pedestrian warn ing
Qpage97
Yellow indicator lights
Ye llow symbo ls indicate a priority 2 malfunc ­
tion - Warning!
I
USA models: Safety systems
Q page 18 •
m
Canada models : Safety systems
Qpage 18
Ji]
Ele ctronic Sta bilizat ion Prog ram
( E SP)./
Q page 19
I
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP) ./
Qpage 19
rm
USA models:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ./
c::> page 19
--
E
Canada models:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ./
<=>page 19
l
I

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
ll
Worn brake pads
¢ page20
•
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page 73
g
Tire pressure monitoring system
./
¢page253
11111 Tire pressure monitoring system
¢page253
rm
Electronic power control./
¢page20
g
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
./
¢page20
•
Engine speed limitation
¢page 21
•
Engine oil level
¢page 18
•
Engine o il sensor
¢ page 21
•
Battery
¢page 17
~
Tank system
¢page 21
•
Windshield washer fluid level
¢page 21
m
Windshie ld wipers
¢ page 21
--
I!
Remote control key
¢page 70
I
Remote contro l key
¢ page 72
!!
Battery in remote control key
¢page 31
I:~
Defective light bulb warning
¢ page 21
I a
Rear fog light(s)
¢page 21 Headlight range control
¢
page22
adaptive light *
¢page22
-
Light-/rain sensor faulty
¢page22
Transmission
- multitronic ®
¢ page 106
-tiptronic ® ¢page 111
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 18
Engine start system
<=>page 18
Electromechanical steering./
¢page 193
Other indicator lights
11!1 1!11 Turn signals
m 111 <=>page22
~ USA model s: Cruise control "
~ <=> page 76
ra
I
I
•
Canada mod els: Cruise control*
<=> page 76
Adaptive cruise control *
<=>page 80
Adaptive cru ise cont ro l*
¢ page80
Adaptive cruise control *
¢page80
H igh beam
¢page43
BRAKE /( (f) ) Brake system
The light i lluminates when the ignition is
switched on . It goes o ut after the engine has
been started. This indicates that the brake
warning light is functioning properly .
If the brake warn ing light does not light up
when the engine is cranking , there may be a
Ill-

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-Always keep in mind that after several
brake applicat ions, you will need greater
pressure on the brake pedal to stop your
vehicle . Do not rely on strained brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must a llow for
increased bra king distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident .
PARK /(®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models) ;II
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the ignition is
off, the indicator light turns off af ­
ter about 20 seconds .
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the parking brake is released .
-(USA model s) /. (Canad a mo dels )
Caution : Vehi cle parke d too s teep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from ro lling. The brakes have
ove rheated. The vehicle could ro ll away even
on a small incline.
Pre ss brak e pedal to r eleas e parking br ake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with start ing ass ist at the same time
¢ page 74.
Pleas e rele ase p ark ing brake
To release the parking brake manua lly, press
the brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time. The parking brake on ly release au ­
tomatically if the dr iver's safety belt is fas­
tened.
BJ Par king brake!
If the BJ indicator lig ht t urns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off en gine and che ck cool ant le vel
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too
high or the coolant level is too low.
.. Pull
off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Turn
off the engine .
.,. Check coolant leve l~
page 22 7 .
.. Add coo lant if necessary ~
page 228.
.,. Continue dr iv ing on ly after the engine cool­
ant warning/indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
If the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the ca use of the malfunc­
tion .
• Cool ant t emp erature too hi gh! Pl ease l et
en gin e r un wit h ve hicl e s tat ion ary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs in trailer mode*, let the eng ine
run at idle for a few minutes to cool down .
A WARNING
- If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the eng ine and turn on the hazard
warn ing lights
¢ page 42, Emergency
flasher.
-
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coo lant escaping from the en­
g ine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait unt il you can no longer see or
hear steam or coolant escap ing .
- The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area . Before you perform
any wo rk in the engine compartment,
turn of the engine and allow it to cool.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
Follow the warning stickers¢ page 214,
Engine compartment.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you co uld damage
your eng ine.
D Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the engine has started.
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or vehicle e lectrica l system.
Drive to you r authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediately. Because the vehi­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec­
essary electrical equipment such as the radio .
Seek professional assistance if the battery
charge leve l is too low.
(•i Low battery charge : battery will be
charged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited star ting
ability.
I f this message turns off after a litt le wh ile,
the battery charged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop
correct the malfunction.
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Additionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) wi ll also sound.
For more Information¢
page 133, i Safety
belt warning light.
~ Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair . Driving
with a low-oil-pressure indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light turns on the message ap­
pears, the oil pressure is too low.
"" Pull off the road .
... Stop the vehicle.
... Tur n off the engine .
"" Check the engine oil level¢ page 225.
"" If the eng ine oil level is too low, add eng ine
oil ¢
page 225. Make sure that the oil pres­
sure warning symbol. appears no longer
in the display before you start dr iv ing again .
"" If the engine oil level is correct and the indi ­
cator light still turns on, turn the engine off
and do not continue driving. Seek professio­
na l assistance .
(D Tips
-The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel ,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning . starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil ..,

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
!;.!~ Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic stabilization program.
When you sw itch the ignition on, the indicator
light
G1 turns on briefly to check the function .
If thE:
G1 indicator lamp blinks while dr iving,
the ESP or ASR (Ant i- Slip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating.
If thE:
hJ indicator lamp illuminates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESP off.
If the indicator light
I turns on, the ESP was
switched to ESP sport mode with the button
I!]<=>
page 189. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESP by switching the ignition off and
then on again . The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functiona l again.
Stability program and ABS fault! See own­
er's manual
If the indicator light D] and the ABS indicator
light
m (USA mode ls) ;fl] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a
malfunct ion in the ABS system or electron ic
differential lock . This also interrupts the ESP.
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer immedi ­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
If the battery term inals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards . The warning/ind icator
light illuminates . Th e warn ing/ indicator light
goes o ut as soon as the learning process is
comp lete.
For more informat ion about the ESP
<=> page 189. ABS/(
8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light B (USA mod­
els)
/ l(O] (Canada models) w ill come on for a
few seconds when the ignition is sw itched on .
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is comp leted.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illumi·
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- The warning/indicator light does not go out
after a few seconds.
- The warning/indicator light illuminates
while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illuminates if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS . The mes ­
sage
Stability program and ABS fault! See
owner's manual
a lso appears in the instru­
ment cluster d isp lay and a warning tone
sounds .
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
Fo r more information regarding the ABS
<=>page 189.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light<=> page 14 and the
ABS warning illum inate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
<=>
&. . The ABS will not work and you will no­
tice a change in braking response and per·
formance .
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
system
the warning/indicator light _
(USA models)/ . (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes <=>
page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
T he EDL works t ogether w ith the ABS. The
ABS warning light will come on if there is a

26 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Odometer
Fig . 10 In str ument cl uster: Odomete r an d reset but­
ton
The odometer shows yo u how many mile s
(kilome ters) yo u have driven. You c an switch
the disp lay from mi les to kilome ters and vice
ve rsa via the M MI.
Upper odometer
Th e trip odom eter shows the d istance d riven
si nce i t was last rese t.
It can be used to meas ­
u re shor t distances. The l ast d igit in di cates
1/1 0 of a m ile ( 100 mete rs) .
You can reset th e trip o dom eter to ze ro by
p re ss ing the Reset button~-
Lower odometer
The lower odometer shows the total numbe r
of m iles (k ilometers) d rive n.
Malfunction message
If t here is a ma lfunction in the instrument
cluster ,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer
d isplay area. Contact your authorized Audi
deale r to have the p roblem corrected.
Time and date display
F ig. 11 I n str ume nt cluster : cloc k an d date
You can set the time and t he date disp lay in
the MMI. Refer to the M MI owne r's manual
f or instructions.
When yo u open the driver's door, the date and
time appea r in the inst rument cluster disp lay
for 30 seconds .
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due.
Fig . 12 Instrume nt c lu ste r: Se rvice inte rval disp lay
The schedule for the next o il change or inspec­
tion is ca lculated automatically and disp layed
accord ingly . Th e d isp lay works in two stages:
Service reminder
30 days be fore the next service is d ue, a serv ­
ice reminder appears in the display when you
switch the ign ition on
¢ fig. 12.
After about 5 seconds the display switches
back to norma l. The distance and time re­
mai ning are updated each t ime the ignit io n is
switched on until the date due for service is
r eached.
Service due
When the due date for se rvice is reached, the
message
Service due! appears in the instru­
ment cluster immed iate ly after yo u sw itch the
ignition o n. Add it iona lly, a warning tone
sounds . After about 5 seconds the disp lay
switches bac k to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspection is due,
can be shown in the MMI display by selecting
t h e service interval d isplay in the car menu.
II>

30 Opening and clo sing
Opening and closing
Keys
Key set
Fig . 16 Key set
@ R emot e control k ey with mechan ical
ke y
You can centrally lock and unlock your vehicle
and start the engine with the master key with
remote control. A mechanical key is integrat­
ed in the remote control key
r:::;, page 31 .
@ Eme rgency ke y
The emergency key is not intended for con­
stant use.
It should only be used in an emer­
gency. Keep it in a safe place and do not carry it on your key ring .
Key replac em ent
If you lose a key, contact your authorized Audi
dealer immediately to have the
lost key disa­
bled. Be sure to bring all your keys with you.
P er sonal c omfo rt se ttin gs
If two peop le use one vehicle, it is recom­
mended that each person always uses "their
own" master key . When the ignition is switch­
ed off or when the vehicle is locked, personal
convenience settings for the follow ing sys­
tems are stored and ass igned to the remote
maste r key.
- Automatic climate control
- Central locking system
- Amb ience light ing*
- Seat memory*
- Parking system*
- Adaptive c ruise control* - Audi side assist*
-
Aud i drive select
- Night vision assistant*
- Heated steering wheel*
The stored settings are automatically recalled
when you unlock the vehicle, when you open
the doors or w hen you switch the ignition on.
A WARNING ,~
- Do not leave your vehicle unattended . Al­
ways take your ign it ion key with you and
lo ck your vehicle. Ent ry by unauthorized
persons could endanger yo u or result in
theft or damage the vehicle .
- Do not leave ch ildren unatte nded in the
veh icle, especially with access to vehicle
keys . Unguarded access to the keys pro ­
vides children the opportunity to start the engine and/or activate vehicle sys­
tems such as the power windows, etc.
Unsupervised operation of any vehicle
system by children can result in serious
in J ur y.
(D Tips
- The operat ion of t he remote control key
can be temporarily disrupted by interfer­
ence from transm itters in the vic inity of
the vehicle working in the same frequen­
cy rang e (e .g. a cell phone, radio equ ip­
ment).
- For security reasons, rep lacement keys
are only ava ilable from Audi dealers.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United States FCC and Industry Canada reg ula­
tions
r:::;, page 281 .

-When you leave the vehicle, always take
the ignition key with you. This will pre­
vent passengers (children, for example)
from accidentally being locked in the ve­ hicle should they accidentally press the
power locking switch in the doors .
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised. In an emergency it would
be impossible to open the doors from
the outside without the key.
- Applies to vehicles with power side door
closer*:
- When closing a door, make sure noth­
ing can interfere with the door. This
could cause serious personal injury.
- You can stop the door from closing at
any time by pulling on the inside or
outside door handle .
@ Tips
-In the event of a crash with airbag de­
ployment all locked doors will be auto­
matically unlocked to give access to the
vehicle occupants from the outside.
- If the power locking system should mal­
function, you can lock the driver's door
using the mechanical key¢
page 36 .
-If the power locking system should fail,
you can still open the fuel tank flap in an
emergency ¢
page 218.
-You are well advised not to keep valua ­
bles inside an unattended vehicle, visible
or not . Even a properly locked vehicle
cannot provide the security of a safe .
- If the LED in the upper edge of the driv­
er's door panel comes on for about 30
seconds after the vehicle is locked, there
is a malfunction in the power locking or
the anti-theft warning system. Have the
malfunction corrected by an authorized
Audi dealership or qualified repair facili­
ty.
Opening and closing 33
Setting power locking
T he driver can determine the functions for
power locking in the MMI .
.,. Select: !CAR !function button> Car systems
control bu tton > Vehicle settings > Central
lo cking .
Unlock doors -
You can decide if All doors or
only the
Dri ver should unlock. The rear lid al­
so unlocks when
All is selected . If you select
Driver in a vehicle with a convenience key* ,
only the door whose handle you pull will un­
lock.
If you select
Driver , all the doors and rear lid
will unlock if you press the
ffi button on the re­
mote control master key twice .
Lock exterior trunk handle -If you selec t On,
the rear lid handle is locked . In this case the
rear lid can be opened with the button
a on
the master key or with the
a button in the
driver's door . In vehicles with a convenience
key* , you can still open the rear lid using the
handle if an authorized master key is near the
proximity sensor .
Fold mirrors* -If you select On, the exterior
rearview mirrors fold in automatically when
you press the
(TI button on the remote contro l
master key or touch the sensor* in the handle .
Lock when driving -If you select On, the vehi ­
cle locks automatically when driving. All of
the doors and rear lid lock.
Tone when locking -When you select On, a
confirmation tone sounds when you lock the
vehicle.