service AUDI S6 2008 Service Manual

- Lack of proper maintenance as wel l as improper use of the
vehic le wi ll impair the func tion of the emission con tro l system
and could lead to damage.
<£> For the sake of th e envir onm ent
Even when the Emission Control System is operating properly, the
exhaust gas can have a su lfur -like exhaust gas smell under some
operating states . This depends on the sulfur content of the fuel
being used. Using a different brand of fue l may help, or filling the
tank with lead-free super grade gasoline. •
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over curbs, steep ramps,
etc., make certain that low- lying parts such as spoi lers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get damaged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung chassis (sports
chassis) * and fully loaded vehicles .
a
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the economy
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and wear on your engine,
brakes and tires largely depend on three factors:
• your personal driving style
• operating cond itions
• technica l limitations
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Dri
ving and environm ent
If you anticipate what you need to do next and drive economica lly,
you can easily cut your fuel consumption by 10 -15 percent . This
section wil l give you some tips on how you can help the environ­
ment and your pocketbook.
[ i ] Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENV IRONMENTAL
PRO TEC TION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre ­
spond to your actua l consumption on the road, which wi ll vary
depending upon vehic le load and speed, road and weather condi­
tions, trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore accelerating.
-Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating . If you antici­
pate what is going to happen next, you wi ll need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possib le - for
examp le when you see that the next traffic light is red. •
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
-Try and keep well below your car 's max imum speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fue l consumption , engine wear, and
does not disturb the environment.
Fue l consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approximate ly
three quarters of top speed, fuel consumption wil l be reduced by
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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one half. Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather
conditions permit. •
Reducing unnecessary =citing
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving the vehicle .
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting
for trains to pass at rai lroad crossings , or at traffic lights that have
long waits on red. Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fu lly when it is
running at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are especially
high when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as
soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while
the engine is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would
go unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in overheating or other damage to the vehicle or other
property .•
Regu1ar ma1--.tenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
-Have your vehic le serviced at regular intervals .
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an Audi dealer helps to
ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition of your
vehic le not only affects its safety and abi lity to hold its value, it also
affects
fuel con sumpt ion.
C hec k your o il e ach time you fill your t ank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is norma l for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest va lue after a certain mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly assess oil consumption .
This also applies to fuel consumption and engine output .
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
the service recommendations in your Maintenance
& Warranty
booklet. Lack of proper ma intenance as well as improper use of the
vehic le wi ll impair the function of the emission control system and
cou ld lead to damage.
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shields,
switches, ignition wires, valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Em ission Control System and other important vehicle
components .•
Fewer short tr ips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips.
- Try to avoid driving short dista nces wi th a cold engine. _,

The engine and catalytic converter have to reach their optimal oper­
ating temperature to reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis ­
sions effectively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid -size car only achieves a
fuel economy of 6-8 miles per gallon (30-40 1/100km) . After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (201/100 kml. After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the engine is at its proper operating temperature
and fuel economy has reached a normal level. So you can see that
you should avo id short tr ips whenever possible.
The outside temperature is also critical in this regard. Your car
consumes more fuel in the winter than in the summer. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Driving
and environment
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Operating instructions
Max im um tra iler weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2
trailer.
T ra ile r l oa d di stributio n
Be sure the load in the trailer is he ld securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways .
Never allo w a passe nger to r ide in a tr aile r~ & in "Driving instruc­
tions" .
Engin e c oolin g sys te m
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additiona l load. Make
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire pr ess ure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the co ld tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the labe l located either on the
driver's side B -pil lar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trai ler tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications.
L ig ht s
The head light settings should be checked wit h the trai ler attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly .
Safe ty c ha in s
Be sure traile r safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to
perm it turning corners . When you i nsta ll safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separat ion from the hitch.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode ~
page 184, "Towing a trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of veh icle and trailer,
please note t he following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
Be espec ia lly careful whe n passing other vehicles.
- Observe s peed limits .
Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed .
Always apply brakes ear ly.
Moni tor t he temperature ga uge.
Weight distr ibution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly
unstable distr ibution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at
very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that
the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and perm is ­
s ib le, while keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances . Whenever possible, transfe r so me cargo to t he luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considera tions . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Wit h chocks i n place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load .
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move the selector lever to
P.
Wh en r est arting aft er parking :
-Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to
D .
- Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
f rom the whee l chocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks .
[ i ) Tip s
If you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P
befor e applying th e parking brake and before blocking th e wheels ,
you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the
P
position .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol}
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must not contain more than 10% ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well for
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change -over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal adjustment
is more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methanol fuels which do not meet these requirements may
cause corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in
the fuel system.
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter.
• If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel
blend meets the specifications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi ­
bility 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 manufacturers is carbon
deposit build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on vital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean,
they are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the offi­
cial website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, carbon deposit
build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by
the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you can still open the flap
manually - for detailed instructions see=>
page 295.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in Technical Data
=> page 363. .,_

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current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc.) that conform
t o Audi oi l standard VW 502 00 .
Changin g the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the
mi leage (ki lometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle's
Maintenance
& Warranty booklet. Do not exceed these interva ls -
harmful deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor­
mance and can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oi l at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating prope rties of oi l decrease gradual ly during
normal vehicle use . If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your author ized Audi Serv ice Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently. Change oil more often if you dr ive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop ­
and -go t raffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay be low freezing point for long per iods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time . This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Damag e or malfunctions due to lack o f mainten anc e
It is essentia l that you change your oi l at the recommended interva ls
using on ly engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or ma lfunctions due to failure to follow recommended
main tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Aud i Owner's
Manual and Maintenance
& Warranty booklet. Your dealer wi ll have
t o deny warranty cove rage unless you present to the dealer p ro o f in
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was pe rformed in a timely manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adeq uate
amount of oil t o lubric ate and c ool all of its m oving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and coo ling of interna l
engine components, al l interna l combustio n eng ines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significant ly over the life of the engine . Typ ically,
engines with a specified break-in period (see=> page 267) consume
more oil du ring the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabi lized .
Unde r normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and v iscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
cond itions. Fur ther factors are the amount of oil di lu tion from wate r
condensation or fue l residue and the oxidation leve l of the oi l. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage bu ilds up, t he oil consump ­
tion may increase over time until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry .
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate o f oi l
consumption can be established or specified . There is no alternative
t o regula r and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yel low engine oil level warning symbo l in the instrument
clus ter lights up, yo u should check the oil level as soon as
possible with the oil dipstick=> page 301. Top off the oil at your
ea rliest convenience => page 302 .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNING S
=> & in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 297.

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Oil level within range
©
- You must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be
within range@.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular intervals. The best times
to do this are whenever you refuel and prior to long tr ips. •
Adding engine oil 'l:::1':
Fig. 234 Engine
compartment: Oil filler
cap locat ion
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 297.
Unscrew the cap ~ fig. 234.
Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in 0.5 liter doses.
- Check the oil level again after two minutes ~
page 301.
Top off the oil again, if necessary.
Screw the cap back on the filling hole and slide the o il
dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts -fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and exhaust system when the
engine is running -fire hazard!
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil , you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
• T he oil level must not be above range @- danger of converter or
engine damage! Contact an au thorized dealership to draw off oil, if
necessary .
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle Warranty.
• Under no circumstances can the oil come in contact with the
sewage network or the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when disposing of empty
oi l containers .•
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station .
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS ~
& in "Working in the engine compart ­
ment" on
page 297.
The engine oil must be changed according to the intervals specified
in your Maintenance
& Warranty booklet. This is very important ...

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•
because the lubricating properties of oil diminish gradually during
normal vehicle use .
Under some circumstances the engine oil should be changed more
frequently . Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predomi ­
nantly stop -and -go traffic conditions, or have your vehicle where
temperatures remain below freez ing for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oi l will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than recommended .
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along with the specia l
tools and necessary expertise required, we strongly recommend
that you have your oi l changed by an authori zed
Audi dea ler or a
qual ified service stat ion.
If you choo se to cha nge yo ur oi l y ou rse lf, please no te the following
important information:
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of per sonal injury if you m ust change the engine
o il in you r veh ic le y our self :
• Wear eye protection.
• To reduce the ri sk of burn s from hot engine oil , let the engine
c ool down to the tou ch.
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fing ers , sta y as far
away as po ssi ble . Alw ay s k eep your f orearm par allel to the gr ound
to help pre vent hot oil from running down your arm .
• Drain t he oil int o a contain er de signed for thi s purpo se , one
large enough to hold at l ea st th e total amount of oil in your eng ine .
• Engine oil i s poi sono us. K eep it well out of the rea ch of ch ildr en .
• Continuou s contact with u sed engine oil i s harmful to your
sk in. Al wa ys prote ct you r ski n by washing oil off thoroughl y with
s oap and w ater.
0 Note
Never mix oil addi tives with your engine oil. These add itives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi Limited New
Vehicle Warranty .
c£> For the sake of the environment
• Before changing your oi l, first make sure you know where you
can properly dispose of the us ed oil.
• Always dispose of used engine oil properly. Do not dump it on
garden soil , wooded areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains .
• Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used engine oil collec ­
tion fac ility in your area , or contact a service station. •
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it keeps the
engine from overheating and it protects the engine from
freezing i n the winter.
The cooling system is sea led and generally requires little attention.
The coo ling system has been fi lled at the factory with a permanent
coolant which does not need to be changed . The coolant consists of
a mixture of water and the manufac turer's glycol-basedcoolant
additive G 12+ an tifreeze with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture both assures the
necessary frost protection and protects metal components in the
engine 's cooling system from corrosion and scaling . It also raises
the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo lant in the summer by
adding plain water.
The p ropo rt ion of co ola nt additiv e mu st be at .,_
Vehicle care
I t •

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•
T he fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level fal ls
considerably below the "MIN" mark , the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian models:
{(j))) will come on~ page 23 and ~ page 32. Do not continue to
operate the vehic le. The complete brake system should be thor ­
oughly checked by an authorized Audi dealer or other qua lified
facili ty and the cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator l ight will illuminate. Contact an au thorized
Audi dea ler
immediate ly .•
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fl uid changed by an experienced techni­
ci an.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the water content in the
brake fluid is too h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid will also
decrease considerab ly and decrease braking performance .
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
e v ery tw o year s. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehic le Stan ­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he brake fluid res ervoir can b e difficult to reach, th erefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho ­
rized
Audi de aler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fl uid and the know -how to do t his fo r you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poi sonous . It mu st be stored onl y in the clo sed
o riginal cont ainer out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake failure c an re sult from old or inappropri ate br ake flu id .
Obs erv e the se pre caution s:
& WAR N IN G (c ontinued )
-Use only brake fluid that meet s SAE specification J 1703 and
c onfo rm s to Feder al Moto r Vehicle St andard 116 . Al wa ys check
w ith your authori zed Audi dealer to make sure you are u sin g
the corre ct b rake flu id. The cor rect type of br ake fluid is als o
indic ated on the brake fl uid reservoir .
- The brake fluid mus t be ne w. Heav y use of th e brake s can
ca use a vapor lock if the bra ke fluid i s left in the sy stem too
long . Thi s can seriou sly affect the efficiency of the brake s as
w ell as your s afety . This could r esult in an a ccident .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle .
Because of the p rob lem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special too ls required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authori zed Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Und er n ormal operating conditions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long
daily drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level
checked by a se rvice facility . The e lectrolyte level should a lso be
checked each time the battery is charged~
page 310 .
Have the batte ry checked when you take your vehic le in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is o lder than 5 years . _,,
Vehicle care I t •