engine overheat AUDI A6 2016 Owners Manual

-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 until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant escap ing .
Q) Note
-Mounting additional lights or accessories in
front of the air inlets reduces the cooling ef­
fect of the radiator. At h igh outside temper­
atures or h igh engine load, the engine cou ld
ove rheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the veh i­
cle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
could red uce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat . Ask your author ­
ized Audi dealer for assistance.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM).
You shou ld shift to the next lowest gear when
the speed is below 1500 RPM. The beginning of
the red zone in the tachometer indicates the maximum permissib le 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, you should shift into the
next h igher gear, choose the Dor S selector lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera ­
tor pedal.
CD Note
The tachometer needle© c::> page 10, fig. 3
should only be in the red zone br iefly: other­
w ise, this increases the risk of e ngine dam-
age. The location where the red zo ne begins
varies depend ing on the eng ine.
@, For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duce operating noise.
In strum ents an d ind ic a to r ligh ts
Fuel level
The fue l gauge only works when the ignition is
on.
If t h e fue l level drops below 2.6 gallons (10
lite rs), the bottom LED turns red and the indica­
tor light
t]J turns on c::> page 21. The bottom
LED blinks red when the fue l level is very low.
T he possible range based on the c urrent fue l lev­
el is shown in tab@c::>
page 23, fig . 4 .
Fo r the tank capacity in your veh icle, refer to the
T echn ica l Data c::>
page 2 71.
CD Note
Never drive until the tank is completely emp­
ty. The irregu la r supply of fuel that resu lts
from that can cause t he engine to m isfire. Un­
combusted f uel w ill then en ter the exha ust
system . This can cause ove rheating and dam­
age to the catalytic converter.
Indicator lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They i ndicate functions o r mal­
funct ions c::>
.&,.
Messages may appear with some ind icator lights.
A war ning s ignal will sound at the same time.
T he ind icator lights and messages in the ce nte r
of the disp lays may be replaced by other displays.
T o s how them again, select the tab for indicator
li gh ts and messages using the m ultifunction
steering wheel c::>
page 23. If there are several
malfunctions, you can display them one at a time
us ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicators lights in the display can t urn on
in several colors.
A WARNING
- Fai lure to heed wa rning lights and other im­
portant vehicle information may result in
serious personal injury or vehicle damage.
- 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 c::>
page 47.
11

.... N
0 <.J 'SI:
If the indicator light does not turn off, drive im­
mediately to an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Fac ility to have the malfunction
corrected.
_&. WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions . You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommendations.
(D Tips
For additional information on the diesel par­
ticulate filter, refer to
c:> page 196.
! 7l Engine speed limitation
A ppl ies to vehicles: with e ngin e s pee d l imitat ion
(II Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed d isplayed 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
al.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the~ indicator
light also turns on . Make sure that the speed
does not go above the speed d isplayed . Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
<&,... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your author­
iz ed Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect­
ed. Until you have this done, check the oil leve l
each time you refuel just to be on the safe side
<=>page 220.
f Engine warm-up request
~ n Please warm up engine
M v:, ....
Instruments and indicator lights
Fuel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
Drive until the eng ine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine oil will evaporate. Avoid high engine
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this .
Eli) Fuel tank system
IIJ 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 .
D Fuel tank system malfunction! Contact deal­
er
There is a ma lfunction in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
More information on refueling is available on
page
c:> page 210.
<9 Washer fluid level
g, rj iJlease refill washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid fo r the windsh ie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignition is switched off
c:> page 229.
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a ma lfunction w ith the windshield wip­
ers .
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
If the S:$ ind icator light turns on, a light has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
light. If the
BB indicator light also turns on, then
a rear fog light has failed. The position of the ..,.
21

-Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptronic" .
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re ­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system .
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamp
l!] illuminates
and a driver message appears
¢ page 111
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 216 . Otherwise, any increase in en ­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied .
(D Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in
N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(D} Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Automatic transmission
Hill descent control
Hill des cent control assists the driver when driv­
ing down hills .
Hill descent control is activated when the sele c­
tor lever is in the D or S posi tion and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically selects a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
¢ page 82, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
,&. WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
109

DYNAMIC driving mode in drive select
¢page 101.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left food
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
~ At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way dow n with your right foot unt il the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
~ Remove your foot from the b rake pedal within
5 seconds
¢ /1. .
& WARNING
-
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the tra ffic flow.
- Only use the La unch control prog ram when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth ­
er drivers wi ll not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I~ OF FI button briefly to tu rn the sport
mode off.
@ Tips
- The t ransmission temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few m inutes. It w ill be
available again after a cool-down pe riod .
- When accelerating using the la unch control
p rogram, all veh icle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear .
Transmission malfunction
[il Transmi ssion : Please press brake pedal and
s elect gear again.
Press the brake pedal and se lect the des ired se­
l ecto r lever pos it io n aga in . You can t hen continue
,... driving.
N
~ [il Transmission overheating : Pl ease drive con-
~ se rvatively . Lil
M v:, ....
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
The t ransmission temperature has inc reased sig ­
nificantly due to the sporty driving manner . Drive
i n a less spo rty manner unt il the temperatu re re­
turns to the normal range and the ind icator light
switches of.
[il Tran smission malfunction: you can continue
driving
T he re is a system malfunction in t he tra nsmis­
s ion . You may contin ue driving . Dr ive to your A udi
dealer or authorized A udi Service Faci lity soon to
have the malfunction cor rected.
[il Transmission malfunction: You can continue
dri ving with limited functionality
T he re is a system malfu nction in t he transmis ­
s io n. The transm ission is swi tc hi ng to eme rge ncy
mode. This mode only sh ifts into ce rtain gears or
will no longer shift at a ll. The eng ine may sta ll.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
l'iJ li'J Transmission malfunct ion: No reverse
gear . You can continue driving
S tronic t ransm iss io n: Th ere is a sys tem ma lf u nc­
t io n in the t ransm iss ion. The tra nsmission is
swi tching to emergency mode . This mode only
shifts into ce rtain gears or w ill no longer shift at
al l. The engine may stal l. You cannot engage the
reve rse gear. Dr ive to an a uthori zed Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected .
[il Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle and
shift to park.
Do not continue dr iving. Se lect t he P selector lev­
er position and see an authorized A udi dealer or
autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility for ass istance.
(D Note
If t he transm ission has swi tched to emergen ­
cy mode, drive to your autho rized Aud i dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Facility immediate­
l y to have the ma lfunction co rrected.
111

Intelligent Technology
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed¢& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed ¢
&..
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid level
is monitored e lectronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure
which is created only when the engine is running
c:;> &, .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c;> page 253, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken- in" dur ing
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies later
when new pads are installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
-
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and diminish brak ing efficiency.
190
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care­
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Fa ilure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.

CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch the Start-Stop-System* off
when driving through water
9 page 79.
@ Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water (corrosion).
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline 9 page 208,
Fuel supply.
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
9 page 220, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle. The catalytic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
Driving and the environment
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
9page220.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
195

Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
~ Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automat ically reduced for
veh icles w ith the Start-Stop-System. It is effi­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles without
the Start-Stop-System when stopped at ra ilroad
crossings and long red lights . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
b ur ned by sta rting the engine ag ain.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is runni ng at idle . Howeve r, wear
and noxio us emiss ions a re espe cially high when
the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld d rive
away as soon as you sta rt the engi ne and avoid
r u nning at high rpms whi le the engine is still
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine id ling unatten ded a fter
starting . If warning lights should come on to
indicate im proper operation, they wou ld go
unheeded. Extended id ling a lso produces
heat, wh ich could result in overheat ing or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
~ Have your veh icle serviced at regu lar intervals.
By having your veh icle reg ularly serviced by an
Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it runs proper ly
and econom ica lly. The condition of your veh icle
not on ly affects its safety and ability to ho ld its
va lue, it a lso affects
fuel consumption .
Check you r oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil use d i s re lated to e ngine lo ad
a nd speed.
Driving and the envir onment
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new e n­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mi le­
age has been dr iven.
Yo u m ust dr ive your ve hicl e abou t 3,0 00 m iles
(S, 000 kilometers) befo re yo u can properly as ­
sess oil consumption .
T h is also ap plies to f ue l cons umption and eng ine
o utput .
CD Note
-Have your ve hicle maintained pro perly and
in acc ordance w ith the se rvice rec ommend a­
ti ons i n your W arra nty
& M ain ten ance book­
let . Lack of proper maintenan ce as we ll as
improper use of the ve hicl e w ill impair the
function of the em ission cont rol system and
co uld lead to damage.
- Do not alte r or remove any component of
the Emission Contro l System unless ap­
proved by the man ufacturer.
- Do not alte r or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ign it ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Contro l System a nd othe r
im por tan t ve hicle components .
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips.
~ Try to avo id driv ing short distances with a cold
eng ine .
T he engine and cata lytic conve rter have to reach
their opt imal
operating temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt io n and noxious emiss ions effec­
tively.
Just afte r starting, a cold engine in a mid-size car
only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles per
gallo n (30-40 l/ 100 km) . After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km) . Afte r about
2 .5 m iles (4 km), the eng ine is
at its p roper operat ing temperature and fue l
eco nomy has reached a no rma l level. So yo u can
see th at yo u should avoid short trips w heneve r
poss ible. .,.
197

braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a tra ile r, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI :
ICARI function button > (Car)* systems control
button>
Vehicle settings> Air susp.: towing>
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
For more information about ind icator lights, re­
fer to. ¢
page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not p roperly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know -
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and
economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come comp letely fami liar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer comb inat ion behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer-
Trailer mode
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally wo uld because of
the added load . Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your veh icle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 2 73.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
"Apply the foot brake .
" Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
"W ith chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
" App ly the parking brake.
" Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
"App ly the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
"S elect the D/S se lector lever position.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
" Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
201

Checking and Filling
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
Cooling system
Coolant
T he engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially conditioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant additive G13 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod­
els · 60% for Canadian models). This mixture
'
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine 's cool­
ing system from corrosion and scaling. It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding plain water.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive must be at least 50% but not more than 60%
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
gine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN-
222
INGS ~&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­ ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold . If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi­
tive G12++ or G13 (check the label) for
your vehicle. This coolant additive is avail­
able at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The resulting
corrosion can cause a loss of coolant and
serious engine damage .
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling
system and could result in damage not cov­
ered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 189 Eng in e compar tment: cover on the cool ant expan­
s ion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 216. ..,.

• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Switch
off the ignition.
• Read the engine coolant level from the coolant
expansion tank¢
fig. 189, ¢ page 218,
fig. 186.
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" mark­
i ngs . When the engine is warm, the level may
be s light ly above the "max " marking.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
¢pag e 218.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be sw itched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
c:> page 15 wi ll il­
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an
e lectric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from t ime to t ime.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot . Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the eng ine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es­
caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
Checking and Filling
-To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certain cond itions,
the ethylene glycol in engi ne coolant can
catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add ing radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢.&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 216.
• Requ irement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
c:> (D .
•Turnoff the engine .
• Let the engine cool down.
• Place a thick rag over the coolant expans ion
tank
c:>p age 222 , fig. 189 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise
c:> _& .
• Add coo lant mixed in the correct ratio
c:> page 222, Coolant up to the MAX marking .
• Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
• Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex ­
act specifications
c> page 222, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive Gl2+
+ , Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa­
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coo l­
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is co ld.
Always use
new engine coolant when refi lling.
223