engine AUDI A6 2018 Service Manual

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

Intelligent Technology
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understand­
ing how a vehicle's systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle dy ­
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less . The EDR in this
veh icle is designed to record such data as :
-How various systems in your vehicle were oper ­
at ing;
-Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
-How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
-How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understand­ ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in ­
juries occur. NOTE : EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e .g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other pa rties , such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data wit h the
type of persona lly identifying data routine ly ac­
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, specia l equip­
ment is required, and access to the veh icle or the
EDR is needed. In add it ion to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the specia l equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the
E DR .
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs installed in a vehi­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af­
ter an accident or crash event without the own ­
er's consent.
124
Audi will not access the EDR and/or simi lar data
or give it to others
-
-un less t he ve hicle owne r (or lessee if the vehi ­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
-upon the offic ial request by the police; or
-upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
-for the defense of a lawsuit through the jud icial
discovery process .
-Audi may also use the data for research about
veh icle operat ion and safety performance or
prov ide t he data to a third party for research
purposes without identify ing t he specific vehi­
cle or information about the identity of its own­
er or lessee and only after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is also equ ipped with a numbe r of
electronic cont rol modules for various vehicle
systems, such as engine management, em iss ion
contro l, airbags, and safety be lts.
These elect ronic control modules record data
during normal vehicle operation t hat may be
needed by trained technic ia ns for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is limited to data (no sound is record ­
ed). Only a sma ll amount of data is actually re­
corded over a very limited period of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a control
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
vehicle speed, d irection, or braking, as well as re­
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash. Stored data can also only be read a nd
down loaded w ith specia l equipment that is di­
rectly connected to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped w ith Aud i con­
nect. Your use of certain Audi connect fea­
tures requires wire less services that are pro­
vided by a third party wireless telecommuni ­
cations provider. For details regarding how in­
formation obtained through Audi connect is
collected, processed, transmitted, used, and
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommun ications provider .

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Checking and Filling Fuel
Gasoline grade
A pplies to: ve hicles with gasoline engines
The correct gasoline grade is stated on the inside
of the fuel filler door .
The vehicle is equipped with a catalytic converter
and must only be driven with
unleaded gasoline .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. Additiona l information on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline can be found on the official web­
site (www .topt iergas.com).
The individual gasoline grades are differentiated
by
octane ratings. T his value is given with (R +M)/
2 equating to AKI or in RON.
The following headings match the corresponding
sticker in the fuel fi ller door.
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY MIN. (R+M)/2 87
Regular/ MIN. RON 91 Regular
Use regu lar gasoline with minimum 87 AKI/
91 RON
i::> (@ .
The maximum engine power is only reached if
premium gasoline 91 AKI/ 95 RON is used.
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY PREMIUM MIN . (R
+M)/2 91 / SUPER MIN. RON 95
Using premium gasoline with minimum 91 AKI/
95 RON is recommended.
If premium gasoline is not available, you can also
use regular gasoline 87 AKI/ 91 RON . However
this does reduce the engine power slightly.
({D) Note
-Fill in g the tank just one time with leaded
fuel or other metallic additives will cause
permanent deterioration to the catalytic
converter function.
- When gasoline with an octane rating that is
too low is used, high speeds or heavy engine
load can lead to eng ine damage.
Checking and Filling
(D Tips
The vehicle may be filled with fuel that has a
higher octane rating than what is required by
the engine .
Blended gasoline
Applies to : vehicles wi th gasoli ne e ngi ne
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al ­
coho l or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if the blended mixture meets the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than
3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than
2% co-solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must not conta in more than
15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
- Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must not contain more than
15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iving . Dur­
ing seasonal change-over, we suggest that you
fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal
adjustment is more likely to be made in time .
@ Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these re­
quirements may cause corrosion and dam­
age to plast ic and rubbe r components in the
fuel system.
- Do not u se fuels that fail to meet the speci-
fied criteria in this chapter.
.,.
185

Checking and Filling
-If you a re unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fuels differ­
ent from those specified a re not the respon­
sibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends , we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manu­
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vital engin e
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TI ER Dete rgent Gas­
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline , please go to the official website
(www .toptiergas .com) .
After an extended per iod of us ing inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
en­
gine of peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel qual­
ity is not covered by the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
186
Refueling
Fueling procedure
Fig. 172 R ig ht re ar sid e o f th e ve hicle: o penin g th e fu el
filler door
Fig. 173 F uel fille r doo r with at tached fuel cap
The fuel filler door is unlocked or locked by the
central locking system.
.,. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open
~ fig. 172.
.,. Unscrew the tank cap counterclockwise .
.,. Place the cap from above on the open fuel filler
door
~ fig.173.
.,. Insert the fuel pump nozzle all the way into the
fuel filler neck .
.,. Begin fueling. Once the fuel pump nozzle turns
off the first time, the fuel tank is full. Do not
continue fueling, or else the expansion space in
the tank will be filled with fuel.
.,. After the fuel pump has switched off, wait five
seconds before removing it to allow the rest of
the fuel to finish dripping into the fue l tank.
.,. Turn the fuel cap clockwise until you hear it
lock.
.,. Close the fuel filler door and then press on the
left side until it latches.
The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a label located on the inside of the fuel
.,.

Checking and Filling
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
Fig . 17 4 Right side trim in the luggage co mpartme nt: re­
mov ing the tr im
F ig. 175 Luggage compa rtment: fuel fille r doo r eme rgency
r elease
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim pane l in the luggage
compartment.
Removing th e side trim
• To remove the right side trim, first remove the
retaine r from the mounts @¢
fig. 174.
• Turn both locking mechanisms 90° to the left
us ing a coin or a similar object and remove the
locking mechanisms.
• Tilt the reta iner upward and pull the trim out .
Lay the trim down on its side, because there is
an electrical w ire for the socket* on the back .
Fuel filler d oor em ergenc y relea se
• Loosen the strap from its bracket and pu ll on it
¢ fig. 175 ¢(D. The filler door is released.
• Presson the left side of the fuel f iller door to
open it
¢page 186, fig. 172.
188
(D Note
Only pu ll on the loop until you feel resistance .
You will not hear it re lease . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­ nism.
Emissions control
system
Cat alytic converter
The vehicle may only be driven w ith unleaded
gaso line , otherwise the catalytic converte r will be
dest royed .
Never dr ive until the tank is completely empty.
The irregular supply of fuel that results from that can cause engine misfires. Uncombusted fuel will
enter the exhaust system, which can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalytic converter .
&_ WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
h igh, both when driving and a fter stopp ing
the engine.
-
- Never tou ch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This cou ld resu lt in burns.
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials s uch as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the emissions con­
trol system could start a fire .
- Do not apply unde rbody protectant in the
exhaust system area, beca use this increases
the risk of fire.

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
0 0 <..:l ' On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
The On-Board Diagnostic System monitors the
engine and transmission components that influ­
ence emissions.
F ig . 176 Footwell o n le ft s ide of th e vehicle: con nectio n
port fo r th e On -Board Diagnostic System (OBD)
On -Board Diagnostic S ystem
Eng ine data can be read out at the On-Board Di ­
agnostic System connection port using a special
testing device
r::;, fig . 176.
Ind icat or light
If thE' ¢..ift indicator light blinks or turns on, there
is a malfunction that is causing poor emissions
quality and that could damage the catalytic con­
verter .
Drive s lowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the mal­
function corrected .
The indicator light can also turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correct ly
c::;, page 186.
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the connection port for the
On-Board Diagnostic System can cause mal­
functions, which can then result in acc idents
and ser io us injuries .
- Only allow an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to read out the
engine data.
-
Chec king and Filling
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For wo rk in the engine com part ment , such a s
che cking and filling fluids, there i s a ris k of i n­
jur y, sc alding, a cci dent s, and b urn s. For t his
r easo n, foll ow all the w arnings and g en e ral
s afe ty pre ca ution s pro vided in the f ollowing
in ­
formati on. Th e engine compartm ent i s a dan­
ge rou s area in the vehicle .
r::;, &..
A WARNING
-Turn the engine off.
- Sw itch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Select the "P" selector lever position .
- Let the eng ine cool down .
- Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­ ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned . Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the eng ine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained in the coolant) can catch fire.
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which increases the ris k of personal injury .
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm . The
coo ling system is under pressure.
-To protect your face, hands, and arms from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening .
- Do not remove the eng ine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
bu rns .
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
g ine runn ing, there is add it iona l danger due
to mov ing components (such as the ribbed
~
1 8 9

Checking and Filling
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances give gas in­
advertently (for example, by hand from the
engine compartment) if the vehicle is sta­
tionary but the engine is running and a gear
is engaged. Otherwise, the vehicle will start
to move immediately and this could result
in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke.
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi­
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­ tor lever in the P (park) position first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution so that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine.
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as
possible~ &..
A WARNING
California Proposition 6S Warning:
190
-Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
@ Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If there are visible spots from oil or other fluids, bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
0 0 <..:l ' Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 177 Dr ive r footwell: release leve r
Fi g. 178 Rocker sw itc h under the hood
Make sure the w iper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the pa int could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the leve r be­
low the instrument panel in the direct ion of the
arrow ¢ fig. 177 .
Checking and Filling
.. Raise the hood slightly ¢.&_ .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢
fig. 178. T his releases the catch .
.. Open the hood.
Closing the hood
.. Push the hood down until yo u over ride the
force of the strut .
.. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch. Do not
press it in.
¢ .&_ .
A WARNING
-
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­ ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned . Wait unti l no steam or coolan t is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing . Because of
this, always check t he hood afte r closing i t
t o make sure it is latched correct ly . T he
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you no tice that the hood is not latched
while you are d riving, stop immed iately and
close it, because drivi ng when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident .
191

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

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' Audi rec ommends
~ Castrot /lftlg;'f.E@t Frtrrr.::--.~lri,'lAl.
A ud i recomm ends using the Lo ng Life h igh ­
perfo rm ance eng ine oil from Aud i Genu ine
Parts .
Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info ­
tainment system
Observe the safety precautions ¢ A in Working
in the engine compartment on page 189.
~ Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Shut the engine off when it is warm .
~ Switch only the ignition back on.
~ Wait approx imately two minutes.
~ Select : the ICARI function button > (C ar)* Sys ­
tem s
control button > Service & control > O il
l e v el.
~ Read the o il level in the display. Add eng ine oil
i f t he ba r in the oil leve l ind icator is just before
"min" ¢ page 194.
(UJ) Note
The engine oil leve l mus t not be unde r the
"min" mark ing, as this will increase the risk of
engine damage.
(D Tips
The o il level indica tor in the disp lay is on ly an
informationa l display. If the o il level is too
low, a minimum oi l warning appears in the in ­
strument cluster. Add oil and close the hood.
The current oil level is d isplayed in the Info­
tainment system the next t ime the ignition is
sw itched on.
(D Tips
The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 m iles (0.S liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on driving style and operating condi­
tions. Consumpt ion may be h igher during the
first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Because of this,
the eng ine oil level m ust be checked regu lar­
ly. I t is best to chec k each t ime yo u refuel
your veh icle and befo re long d rives .
Ch eck ing and F illing
-In order to prov ide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l engine components, a ll
internal comb ustion engines consume acer ­
tain amount of oil. Oi l consumption var ies
from engine to engine and may change sig­
nificantly over the life of the engine . Typi­
cally, eng ines with a specified break-in peri­
od consume mo re o il du ring the break-in pe­
r iod than they consume afte r oil cons ump­
t ion has s tabilized.
-Under norma l co ndit io ns, the rate of oil
cons umption depe nds on the q ual ity and
vis cos ity of the oil , the R PM (revo lutions per
m inute) a t which the engine is operated, the
ambient temperature and road conditions .
Further factors are the amount of oi l di lu­
tion from water condensat ion or fue l resi­
due and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage builds
up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry.
-With all these var iables com ing into play,
no sta ndard rate of o il consumption can be
established o r specified. There is no a lter na­
ti ve to c hec king the oil leve l reg ularly and
frequently.
-If you have the impress ion your e ngine co n­
sumes excessive amo unts o f oil, we recom ­
mend that you consult an author ized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that t he
acc urate measurement of o il cons umption
requires great care and may take some
time . An authorized Aud i dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measu re o il consump­
tion accurate ly.
-You can find informat ion on engine oil and
eng ine o il capacit ies for the USA at
www.aud iusa.com/he lp/ma intenance, o r
for Ca nada at www.aud i.ca/ ca/web/en/
cu stomer -area/ ca re -and -m a i ntena nee/ a u di ­
serv i ce -sched u les. htm l, or ca ll
800 -822-2834 .
193