service indicator AUDI A6 2021 Owner´s Manual

Instrument cluster

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Depending on the vehicle equipment, the follow-
ing items may appear in the instrument cluster:
@

12
Display
— Engine coolant temperature ~E . .
Left dial
—Tachometer ................-
Status line (one or two lines)
Right dial
— Convenience display
— Speedometer
Fuel level
14
15
13
13.
239

(8) Right additional display with speed-

ometer
(9) Left additional display with:
SIG OOM wice es eosenes 2 a were 2 8 wate @ oe 98
— Audi drive select mode ......... 112
ZA WARNING
Applies to: vehicles with Audi virtual cockpit
If there is a severe malfunction in the instru-
ment cluster, the display may turn off. The A
indicator light may also turn on. Stop the ve-
hicle safely. See an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.

Instrument cluster

Adjusting the display
aI 2 S| ee x |
cc|

Applies to: Audi virtual cockpit
Fig. 6 Upper display: adjusting the display
Switching the view
Applies to: Audi virtual cockpit
> Press the VIEW button to switch between the
default view @ and the enhanced view (2).
Adjusting the layout
Applies to: Audi virtual cockpit
Depending on the vehicle equipment, various lay-
outs may be available.
> Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
SETTINGS > Display & brightness > Audi virtu-
al cockpit.
> To adjust the desired layout, press @).
Setting the automatic layout change
Applies to: RS models
Requirement: depending on vehicle equipment,
the RS Performance or RS Runway layout must
be set.
> Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
SETTINGS > Display & brightness > Audi virtu-
al cockpit > Configure > Automatic activation
of RS layout.
Depending on vehicle equipment, the RS Per-
formance or RS Runway layout will be automati-
cally set when switching into the RS modes
=> page 112.
Adjusting the additional display
Applies to: Audi virtual cockpit
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the addi-
tional displays that can be selected may vary.
» Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
SETTINGS > Display & brightness > Audi virtu-
al cockpit > Configure.
14
> Select the desired additional display.
Reducing the display
Depending on the vehicle equipment, you can
hide the central area in the instrument cluster.
» Applies to: analog instrument cluster: Press the
VIEW button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
> Applies to: Audi virtual cockpit: Select on the
instrument cluster: vehicle functions tab >
button > Reduced display.
Coolant temperature
display
The coolant temperature display @) > page 12
only functions when the ignition is switched on.
To reduce the risk of engine damage, please ob-
serve the following notes about the temperature
ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem-
perature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full accel-
eration, and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera-
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on. If the Bg indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster display turns on, the coolant tem-
perature is too high > page 249.
@) Note
— Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the air intake impair the cooling ef-
fect of the coolant. This increases the risk of
the engine overheating during high outside
temperatures and heavy engine load.
— The front spoiler also helps to distribute
cooling air correctly while driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over-
heating will increase. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa-
cility for assistance.

4K0012721BE
Instrument cluster

Tachometer
The tachometer (2) 9 page 12 displays the engine
speed in revolutions per minute (RPM). The be-
ginning of the red zone in the tachometer indi-
cates the maximum permissible engine speed for
all gears once the engine has been broken in. Be-
fore reaching the red zone, you should shift into
the next higher gear, select the "D" or "S" selec-
tor lever position, or remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal.
Engine speed limitation
If the By indicator light turns on, the engine will
be automatically limited to the RPM displayed in
the instrument cluster. This will protect the en-
gine components, for example during a cold start
or from overheating.
The engine speed limitation is deactivated if you
release the accelerator pedal while the engine is
at normal operating temperature.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the B indicator
light also turns on. Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam-
ple when downshifting. Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im-
mediately to have the malfunction corrected.
@) Note
The needle in the tachometer may only be in
the red area of the gauge for a short period of
time before there is a risk of damaging the
engine. The location where the red zone be-
gins varies depending on the engine.
Odometer
The trip odometer and odometer are displayed in
the status bar G) > page 12.
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
short distances. The odometer shows the total
distance that the vehicle has been driven.
Resetting the trip odometer
> Select on the instrument cluster: vehicle func-
tions tab > E] button > Reset mi.
(i) Tips
Distances are displayed in mi (miles) or km
(kilometers).
Outside temperature
display
The outside temperature is displayed in the sta-
tus bar ©) > page 12.
If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driving at
very low speeds, the temperature displayed in
the instrument cluster may be slightly higher
than the actual temperature outside due to heat
radiating from the engine.
At temperatures below 41 °F (+5 °C), a snowflake
symbol appears in front of the temperature dis-
play > A\.

ZA\ WARNING
Do not assume the roads are free of ice based
on the outside temperature display. Be aware
that there may be ice on roads even when the
outside temperature is around 41 °F (+5 °C)
and that ice can increase the risk of accidents.

Engine oil temperature
indicator
Applies to: vehicles with Audi virtual cockpit
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the engine
oil temperature %7 may be indicated by a bar in
the instrument cluster.
> Open the vehicle functions tab and switch to
the enhanced view > page 14.
When engine oil temperatures are low, the dis-
play --- °F (--- °C) appears in the instrument clus-
ter. The engine has reached its operating temper-
ature when the engine oil temperature is be-
tween 176 °F (80 °C) and 248 °F (120 °C) under
normal driving conditions. The engine oil temper-
ature may be higher if there is heavy engine load >
15

Lights and Vision

does not affect the service life of the light-
ing.
— When the parking lights are switched on
and the ignition is switched off, the 200-} sym-
bol appears in the light switch module.
Turn signal and high beam lever

BFV-0012


Fig. 37 Lever: switching on the turn signal and high beams
The lever operates the turn signals, the high
beams and the headlight flasher.
Turn signals (>>
The turn signal will activate when you move the
lever
into a turn signal position while the ignition
is switched on. The respective a or B indicator
light flashes.
@ Right turn signal
@ Left turn signal
The turn signal blinks three times if you tap the
lever (convenience turn signal).
If an indicator light blinks twice as fast as usual,
a turn signal bulb has failed. Carefully drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the malfunction cor-
rected.
High beams 20 and headlight flasher
> Move the lever to the corresponding position:
@) High beams on (vehicles with high beam assis-
tant*) > page 54
@ High beams off or headlight flasher
The EJ indicator light in the instrument cluster
will turn on.
54

AN WARNING
High beams can cause glare for other drivers,
which increases the risk of an accident. For
this reason, only use the high beams or the
headlight flasher when they will not create
glare for other drivers.
item
Applies to: vehicles with high beam assistant


The high beam assistant automatically turns the
high beams on or off depending on the surround-
ing conditions.
A camera on the rearview mirror mount can de-
tect light sources from other road users. The high
beams switch on or off automatically depending
on the position of vehicles driving ahead and on-
coming vehicles, the vehicle speed as well as oth-
er environmental factors and traffic conditions.
Activating high beam assistant
Requirement: the AUTO light function must be
selected and the high beam assistant must be
switched on in the MMI > page 56.
> To activate the high beam assistant, tap the
lever
forward @) > page 54, fig. 37. The Fag i
dicator light will appear in the instrument clus-
ter display and the high beams will be switched
on or off automatically. The Ed indicator light
will turn on if the high beams are switched on.

Activating and deactivating the high beam
head lights manually
If the high beams did not switch on or off as ex-
pected, you may switch them on or off manually
instead:
> To activate the high beams manually, tap the
lever
forward @) > page 54, fig. 37. The & in-
dicator light will turn on.
> To deactivate the high beams manually, pull
the lever back @) > page 54, fig. 37. The high
beam assistant is deactivated.
Operating the headlight flasher
> To operate the headlight flashers, pull the lever
back @) > page 54, fig. 37. If the high beam >

Lights and Vision

The B indicator light turns on if the laser lights
are switched on.
The laser lights are switched off when the speed
decreases below approximately 30 mph (50
km/h) or when the high beam assistant switches
the LED headlights off.

Z\ WARNING
— Observe the safety precautions and note the
limits of the assist systems, sensors, and
cameras > page 122.
— All repair procedures on the headlights must
be performed by an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility that will
perform the work according to Audi factory
specifications. Incorrect repairs could result
in eye injury, impair the function, and may
void the vehicle's operating license.
— Opening the laser module is not permitted
and could cause permanent injuries to the
eyes.
— Dangerous exposure to laser beams may oc-
cur if the covers are removed or if the head-

lamp module housing is opened.

@ Tips
— The headlight contains a class 4 laser. The
technical design converts the laser beam so
that there is no danger when it is used for
its intended purpose.
— The laser beam emission from the head-
lamp has been classified in accordance with
IEC 60825-1:2007.
— The possible emission is below the thresh-
old for laser class 2.
— Maximum laser beam output: 5W (continu-
ous emission), wavelength range A= 400 nm
-700 nm.
— The headlamp light functions are rated in
accordance with IEC 62471-5:2015.
— The beam emitted from the headlamp was
classified as risk group 2.
Adjusting the exterior lighting
You can adjust the exterior lighting separately.
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
56
» Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
VEHICLE > Light & Visibility > Exterior light-
ing.
Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following settings in the Auto-
matic
headlights menu:
Activation time - You can adjust if the headlights
switch on Early, Medium, or Late based on the
sensitivity of the light sensor.
High beam assistant - You can switch the high
beam assistant on and off.
Laser lights - You can switch the laser lights on
and off.
Entry/exit lighting
The Entry/exit lighting illuminates the area
around the vehicle when the vehicle is unlocked
or when the driver’s door is opened while the ig-
nition is off. The entry/exit lighting works when it
is dark and when the AUTO light function is
switched on. The front and rear daytime running
lights* switch on automatically each time the ve-
hicle is unlocked regardless of how bright it is
outside the vehicle.
Daytime running lights
USA models: The daytime running lights can be
switched on and off.
Canada models: The daytime running lights can-
not be switched off. The lights activate automati-
cally each time the ignition is switched on.
mergency flashers


Fig. 39 Center console: emergency flashers

4K0012721BE
Lights and Vision

The emergency flashers help to make other driv-
ers aware of your vehicle in dangerous situations.
» Press the A @ button to switch the emergency
flashers on or off.
When the emergency flashers are turned on, the
|<] and B indicator lights will flash at the same
time.
You can indicate a lane change or a turn when the
emergency flashers are switched on by using the
turn signal lever. The emergency flashers stop
temporarily.
The emergency flashers also work when the igni-
tion is turned off.
@ Tips
You should switch the emergency flashers on
ifs
— you are the last car in a traffic jam so that
all other vehicles approaching from behind
can see your vehicle
— your vehicle has broken down or you are
having an emergency
— your vehicle is being towed or if you are tow-
ing another vehicle
Messages
If the 8, indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The displayed message indicates the cause
and possible solutions. If one of the messages re-
mains on, drive immediately to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to
have the malfunction repaired.
Bg Audi adaptive light: malfunction! See own-
er's manual
Adaptive light* is not working. The headlights
still function. Drive immediately to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to
have the malfunction repaired.
High beam assistant: malfunction! See own-
er's manual
You can still switch the high beams on or off
manually. Drive immediately to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to
have the malfunction repaired.
High beam assistant: currently unavailable.
Camera view limited due to surroundings. See
owner's manual
This message appears if the camera's visual field
is blocked. The system will switch itself off. Try
switching the systems on later.
a Automatic headlights: malfunction! See
owner's manual
The light/rain sensor is malfunctioning. When
the AUTO light function is on, the low beams will
remain switched on at all times for safety rea-
sons. Drive immediately to an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to have
the malfunction repaired.
Interior lighting


Fig. 40 Headliner: interior lighting
Interior lighting buttons
ax* — Interior lighting on/off
4 - Door contact switch on/off. The interior light-
ing is controlled automatically.
Touch-sensitive reading lights
> To turn a reading light on or off, touch the sur-
face @ briefly.
> To activate the manual dimming function,
touch the surface @) when the light is switched
off and keep touching it until the desired
brightness is reached.
57

4K0012721BE
Lights and Vision

Cleaning/changing the rear wiper blade

Applies to: vehicles with rear window wiper

RAZ-0637,



Fig. 48 Rear window wiper: installing the wiper blade
Cleaning the wiper blades
> Fold the wiper arm away from the rear window.
> For information on cleaning, see > table on
page 281.
Removing the wiper blade
> Fold the wiper arm away from the rear window.
> Remove the wiper blade from its holder.
Installing the wiper blade
> Press the wiper blade mount into the retainer.
> Fold the window wiper arm back onto the rear
window.

ZA\ WARNING
For safety reasons, the windshield wiper
blades should be replaced once or twice each
year.
Messages
If the &S indicator light turns on, then there is a
windshield wiper malfunction. The message that
is also displayed indicates the cause and possible
solutions. If one of the messages does not turn
off, drive immediately to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to have the
malfunction repaired.

>} Automatic wipers: malfunction! See owner's
manual
The light/rain sensor is malfunctioning. You can
still control all functions that are not controlled
by the rain sensor using the windshield wiper lev-
er. Drive immediately to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to have the
malfunction repaired.
Digital compass
ican iare maa meel il eel e ie mel al
Applies to: vehicles with digital compass

BFV-0288


Fig. 49 Rearview mirror: digital compass is switched on
> To turn the compass on or off, press the button
@ until the compass display in the mirror turns
on or off.
The digital compass only works when the ignition
is turned on. The directions are indicated with ab-
breviations: N (north), NE (northeast), E (east),
SE (southeast), S (south), SW (southwest), W
(west), NW (northwest).
(i) Tips
To prevent inaccurate compass readings, do
not bring any remote controls, electrical devi-
ces or metallic objects near the mirror.
63

Sitting correctly and safely


— In an emergency, the recall process can be
canceled by pressing the seat adjustment
button on that seat.

Airbag system
Z\ WARNING
— If you have not fastened your safety belt,
you are in an incorrect seating position, or
you are too close to the airbag system, the
airbag system will not be able to protect
you. This increases the risk of serious or fa-
tal
injuries. Make sure that every vehicle
passenger has their safety belt correctly fas-
tened and is sitting in a correct seating posi-
tion > page 65. This is necessary regardless
of whether the seat is equipped with an air-
bag or not.
— Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, out of the window, or on the seat sur-
faces. To help ensure that the airbag system
can deploy correctly, never bend forward or
lean on the door or the side window. Other-
wise, serious and possibly fatal injuries can
occur if the airbags deploy.

— People, animals, or objects between the
passengers and the airbag system can inter-
fere with the correct deployment of the air-
bag or can be thrown through the vehicle in-
terior, increasing the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Make sure that nothing is located
between the vehicle occupants and the air-
bag system. Do not secure or transport any
objects within the deployment zone of the
airbag systems, especially on the steering
wheel, on the instrument panel, on the
doors, on the windows, or in the footwell.
— Never put stickers on the airbag system cov-
ers or cover them with any objects.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.

74
— You must not use seat or protective covers
that are not specifically approved for use on
Audi seats with side airbags. Since the side
airbags deploy from the seat backrest, such
covers could impair the protective function
of the side airbags.
— Damage to the original seat covers in the
side airbag deployment area must always be
repaired by an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
— Airbag system components are installed at
various locations in your vehicle. Incorrect
work or repairs on the vehicle could damage
the airbag system components or impair
their functionality. This may prevent the air-
bags from deploying or cause them to de-
ploy incorrectly in the event of an accident,
which increases the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Only have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility make re-
pairs or modifications to a vehicle.
— The airbag system can only provide protec-
tion during one collision. If there is another
collision, the airbag system will not deploy
again. If the airbag system has deployed,
have it replaced immediately by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
— Fine dust may appear if the airbags deploy.
This is completely normal and does not indi-
cate a fire in the vehicle. The fine dust can ir-
ritate the skin and mucous membranes in
the eyes and can cause difficulty breathing,
particularly for individuals who have or have
had asthma or other health issues that af-
fect breathing. Exit the vehicle or open the


windows or doors to get access to fresh air.
@ Tips
If you are transporting children in the vehicle,
read the information and follow the safety
precautions > page 78.
Safety systems monitoring
The Ea indicator light in the instrument cluster
monitors the safety systems such as the airbags
(including the control modules, sensor, and

>

4K0012721BE
Sitting correctly and safely

wiring) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when
you switch the ignition on and turns off after sev-
eral seconds.
If the indicator light does not turn on when the
ignition is switched on, does not turn off after
several seconds, or turns on or flashes while driv-
ing, there may be a malfunction in one of the
safety systems. Drive to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
Descript

Z\ WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems in-
spected immediately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
an accident, which increases the risk of seri-
ous or fatal injury.





RAZ.0239)



The locations of the airbags are labeled with
“AIRBAG”. The following airbags are installed in
your vehicle:
©@ Driver's airbag
@ Front passenger's airbag
@® Front and rear side airbags, if applicable
@ Head curtain airbag with ejection mitigation
© Knee airbags
Airbags offer the best possible protection in your
vehicle during an accident when they are used to-
Fig. 62 Airbag overview image (enlarged section: deployed airbags)
gether with safety belts that are fastened cor-
rectly, and when passengers are sitting in the cor-
rect seating position. Airbags are a supplementa-
ry restraint system and do not replace safety
belts.
Airbags may deploy during front-impact, side-im-
pact, or rollover accidents.
The deployment area for the airbag system can-
not be defined for every situation, since the cir-
cumstances surrounding accidents can vary wide-
ly. Factors that play an important role include the >
75

Sitting correctly and safely

condition of the object that the vehicle hits (hard
or soft), the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.
The deciding factor for the deployment of the air-
bag system is the deceleration that occurs during
an accident. Sensors in the vehicle are designed
to detect the severity of an accident in conjunc-
tion with the control module, and to provide a
targeted and timely deployment of the restraint
system. If the vehicle deceleration that is meas-
ured during an accident is below the specified
reference values in the control module, then the
airbags will not deploy, even though the vehicle
may be severely damaged from the accident. In
these cases, the vehicle occupants will be pro-
tected by the safety belts if they are fastened and
worn correctly.
The deployment of the front passenger's airbag
will depend on the occupancy of the seat
=> page 76.
Each deployed airbag is filled with gas. When this
occurs, the airbag covers open and the airbags
unfold with great force into the deployment zone
within milliseconds. Inflated airbags reduce the
movement of passengers wearing safety belts in
the direction of the impact and thus help to re-
duce the risk of injury. They can help to protect
the head, upper body, and lap, for example. How-
ever, there is the possibility that airbag deploy-
ment can cause injuries.
The airbag system only works when the ignition
is turned on.
If you or other vehicle passengers have physical
limitations that prevent sitting in a correct posi-
tion, modifications to the vehicle may be neces-
sary. For more information, contact an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty, or call Audi customer support at
1-800-822-2834.
G) Tips
The side curtain airbags in your vehicle have
ejection mitigation functions. This reduces
the risk of being ejected from the vehicle inte-
rior during an accident, especially in the event
of a vehicle rollover.
76
Advanced airbag system

Fig. 63 Headliner: indicator light to display the status of
the front passenger's airbag
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has
been certified to comply with the requirements
of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applica-
ble at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
According to these requirements, the front Ad-
vanced Airbag System on the passenger’s side
has been certified for “suppression” for infants
approximately 12 months old and younger, and
for “low risk deployment” for children aged 3 to
6 years old (as defined in the standard).
The advanced airbag system will activate or deac-
tivate the front passenger's airbag based on the
occupancy of the seat. If a front airbag deploys
during an accident, the deployment force will
adapt to the passenger.
Components
The advanced airbag system consists of the fol-
lowing components:
— Front airbags in the steering wheel and in the
instrument panel on the front passenger's side:
these can protect the front passengers during
an accident
— Passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat: this detects if the front
passenger's seat is occupied (for example, by a
person or a small child in a child safety seat)
— Seat position sensors on the front seats: these
determine the distance between the seat and
the steering wheel or instrument panel
— Sensors in the front seat belt latch: these de-
tect if the safety belts are fastened