2009 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET light

-Tr
aile r t owing ---=--------------
W eig ht dis tri buti on
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car resu lts in a high ly
unstable distribution of weight . If this cannot be avoided drive at
ve ry low speeds only to avoid the risk of los ing steering control.
A "ba lanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that
the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permis ­
sib le whi le keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances. Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
contro l the rig . Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
Reduce your speed even more under unfavorable load, weather or
wind condi tions -particularly when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
imm ed iately if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the s waying by a ccelerating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas speeds for vehic les towing
trai lers are lower than for regular vehicles.
Always app ly brakes early. When driving downhill, shift into lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow down the vehicle. Use
of the brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
C oo lan t tem pe ra ture
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 73 must be observed care ­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or switch off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing -~- , pul l off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
& WARNING
An yone not prop erl y r estr ained in a mo ving ve hic le is at a much
gre ater ri sk in an accident. N ever let an yone rid e in your car who
is not p roperl y wearing the r estraint s pro vid ed by Audi.
c
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trai ler because of
the additional weight and weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will great ly depend on how carefu lly you load your
trai ler and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turn ing, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing unti l you
have comp letely become familiar with the way your vehicle -trailer
combination behaves and responds .
Backing up is difficu lt and requires practice. Backing up with a
trailer genera lly requires s teering action opposite of that when
backing up your vehic le without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between you r vehicle and the one in
front of you. You will need more room to stop.
To compensate for the trailer, you wi ll need a larger than normal
turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you nor mally wou ld because of the added load . Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns o r rapid lane changes.

Cleaning and protection -
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•
High temperatures, as from exposure to intense sunlight, intensify
the corrosive effect particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing may be necessary.
Under other conditions, a monthly washing and waxing may be
adequate.
After the winter, the
underside of the vehicle should be thoroughly
washed preferably in a professional car wash.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~ page 230. •
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any modern auto­
matic car wash.
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle can normally be
washed without problems in an automatic car wash. However, the
effect on the paint depends to a large extent on the design of the
facility, the filtering of the wash water, the type of wash and care
material , etc. If the paint has a dull appearance after going through
the car wash or is scratched, bring this to the attention of the oper­
ator immediately . If necessary, use a different car wash .
The power top does not require specia l precautions before passing
through a car wash.
However, the car must not be treated with hot
wax after the wash cycle!
The wax could adversely affect the power
top and even damage the fabric over a period of time.
The power top does not have to be washed every time you use a car
wash . The power top can be spared if the car wash facility is
equipped with manually adjustable roof brushes or rollers.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to take the usual precau­
tions such as closing the windows and power top. The factory-fitted antennas for the radio, car phone and navigation system* are all
located inside the vehicle interior.
If you have installed additional accessories on the vehicle
-such as
spoilers, etc. -it is best to ask the car wash operator if these should
be removed.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~ page 230. •
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehicle by hand.
- Before you start washing, make sure you have read and
understood the WARNINGS=>
& in "General informa­
tion" on page 230.
- First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then rinse it off.
- As you clean your vehicle, start with the roof and work
your way down to the bottom, using a sponge, a sponge
glove or a clean brush.
- Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often, flushing it
clean each time.
- Use special car shampoo only for very persistent dirt.
- Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
- Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the exterior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the wheels, door sills and other
regions exposed to road dirt. In this way, you wil l not scratch the
paint with coarse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time
you wash the car. ..,.
Vehic le care

-Cleaning and protection P':ft':I _______________ _
& WARNING
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 230.
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if the surface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth or sponge, since this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows.
• Never wash your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as
magnifying lenses and may damage your paint .
• When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle
with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water directly at
locks, or at door or hatch openings - they can freeze shut.
• Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any kitchen
scouring sponges or similar products. They can damage your paint
finish .
• Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean the headlights. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches . It is best to use soapy
water.
<£> For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the vehicle should only be
washed in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high-pressure
power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple
rules.
- Before using the power washer, make sure you have read
and understood the WARNINGS~
& in "General infor­
mation" on
page 230.
Always follow the operating instructions for the power
washer.
Make sure that the jet on the spray hose produces a "fan
shaped spray".
Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to soft materials.
When cleaning the vehicle with a power washer always follow the
operating instructions. This applies particularly to the
operating
pressure and the spraying distance. Maintain a sufficient distance
to soft materials such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration dead­ ening materials {particularly on the underside of the engine hood).
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a
direct stream or one that
has a
rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140
°F (60 °C).
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream.
This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken them,
even if the spray is from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and cause accidents
and personal injury.
0 Note
• Never use a power washer to clean the power top itself.

Cleaning and protection -
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•
• To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is
enough d istance between the sprayer and sof t materials like rubber
hoses, plastic parts and sound -deadening materials . Never aim the
sprayer at the same point for a re latively long period of t ime. This
also applies to cleaning headlights and painted bumpers. Remember : the closer the nozzle is to the surface of the material,
the greater the stress on the material. •
Power top care
The power to p requires s pecial c are.
Keeping your top look ing great and making certain that it lasts a
long time depend to a great extent on proper use and care. Remove
bird droppings as soon as possib le, since the corrosive chemicals in
them wi ll cause the rubber impregnation in your top to swell and
possibly allow the fabric to leak.
With normal soiling, all you need to do is c lear the top with a soft
brush and clear water. Always brush in the direction of the fabric
from front to rear.
If the top is very dirty and has spotted areas clean it with a brush
using a convert ib le top cleaner . Always brush in the direction of the
fabric from front to rear . R inse with plenty of clear water, and allow
t he t op to air-dry .
Chamois are not suitab le for drying the top.
Never use gasoline, spot remover, benzene, paint thinner or
solve nts to remove spots . We recommend that you only use
cleaners especia lly formulated for use on convertib le tops , and that
you fol low the produce use d irections carefully. Authorized Audi
dea ls can provide detailed information.
& WARNING
Always read and h eed all WARNINGS and the information
=> page 2 30 .
0 Note
Never use a high -pressure power was her to clean the power top. •
Wind deflector
Clear the wind deflector with water or, if it is heavily soi led, a chem ­
ica lly neutra l cleaning solution .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=> page 2 30 . •
Waxing
W ax pr otects the vehicle's p ain t.
- U se a manua lly ap plied ca r wa x occasi onall y to p ro tect
t h e paint.
A good wax coat ing protects the vehicle paint to a large extent
against the environmental factors listed under=> page 230,
"Washing" and even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your paint as soon as one
week after your vehic le has been delivered.
Even if you regular ly use a
waxing process in automa tic car was hes,
we recommend that you manual ly apply a coat of wax to give the
paint ex tra p rotecti on, particular ly if wa ter n o longer beads on the
c lean paint.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the same way as the
vehic le body.
Ve hic le care

___ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
During warm weather dead insects tend to collect on the front
bumper an d on the f orwar d area of the hood . They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often .
& WARNING
Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS and other informat ion
=> page 2 30.
0 Note
Do not use ca r wax on
• matte or anodized metal trim
• rubber or rubber -like trim. •
Polishing
Po lis hin g restores t he gloss to the pa int.
Po lish your vehicle on ly if the paint has lost its shine and the g loss
cannot be brought back with wax.
I f the p olish used does not contain preservative c ompounds, th e
paint must be waxed afterwards=>
page 233, "Waxing".
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the inform ation
=> page 23 0.
0 Note
Do not treat matte anodized metal tr im, plastic or rubber parts with
polish or wa x.•
Trim strips
Metal tri m nee ds speci al care.
For environmental reasons , Audi fabricates the bright trim strips
and trim pieces from pure chr omi um -free a luminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be removed w ith a
pH­
balan ced
cleaning agent (do not use a chrome cleaner). Audi
dea lers carry c leaning products which have been tested for use on
your vehicle and are not harmful to the environment.
To avoid co rrosion on the exterior trim strips, only a p H-ba lanced
solu tion should be used for the windshield washer .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other inform ation
=> page 2 30 . •
Plastic and vinyl
Plas tics needs spe cial care.
Use a clean , da mp c loth or sponge to remove dust and light surface
dirt. For other soil, use a lukewarm all -purpose cleaning so lution or
a mild sadd le soap fo r vinyl trim. Re move water sp ots and s oap
traces with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft c loth to
r ub dry .
Grease , tar or oil stains can be removed with a clean cloth or sponge
soaked with al l- purpose cleaner or with a solvent designed espe ­
cia lly to c lean vinyl.
Occas iona lly apply a colorless vinyl or leather preservative to retain
t he material's luster a nd p liabili ty. .,

Cleaning and protection 1111111
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•
Ap plies t o vehi cles : wi th C ast allo y wh eels
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
-Wash the wheels w ith a sponge or hose brush every
other week .
- For deep cleaning after wards, use on ly a dedicated
acid ­
free cast alloy wheel c leaner .
- Rub a co at of
liquid wax onto t he rims every three m onth.
Be sure t o reach and tre at all parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorative appearance of the cas t alloy whee ls,
some special care is necessary . In addition to road dirt and salt,
brake du st is also corr osive. If left on f or to o long, brake dust can
cause pitting .
U se only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated for alloy rims. Safe
p roducts are available at your Aud i dea ler . N ever leave the cleaner
on the rims longer than specified on the label. If not rinsed off
promp tly, the acid conta ined in so me cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts .
Never use abrasive or metal po lishing cleaning agents . If the protec­
tive coating has been chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possib le .
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on br akes may affect braking efficiency
=> page 215 , "General infor mation ". Te st the br ake s c arefully ea ch
time you wash the vehicle .
• Alw ay s read and heed all WARNINGS and ot her informat ion
=> page 2 30 . •
Body cavity sealing
T he body c avity seali ng does not need to be checke d.
A ll body cavities which could be affected by corrosion have been
given thorough protecti on a t the fact ory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or add itional treat ­
ment . If any wax shou ld seep out of the cavity when the ambient
temperature is high, it can be removed with a p lastic scraper and a
suitable solvent.
& WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
• Benz ine is fla mmable and to xic. If you use benz ine for removing
the wax, keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes away . Never
dump benz ine on the ground , into open stream s or do wn sewage
drains .
• Be sure to ob ser ve all safety and environmental regulations .
Follow all in structions on the container.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=> page 230. •
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage from time to
time.
The lower body she ll of your Audi is a lso thoroughly pro tected
against corrosion.
Any damage to the u nde rcoating caused by road ha za rds sh ould be
repaired promptly .
& WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong pla ces can cause a f ire .
Ve hic le care

___ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
in pores, folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can
damage the leather surface as well as weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as needed . After having
been used for a relatively long time, your leather seats will acquire
a rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of natural leather and a
sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehicle, you should follow the recommendations below :
0 Note
• To keep your leather from bleaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunlight for long periods of time. If you have to
leave the vehicle parked outside for long periods, cover the leather
to protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Sharp objects on clothing, such as zippers, rivets or sharp pieces
on belts can leave permanent scratches or scrape marks on the
surface of the leather .
[ i ] Tip s
• After each time you clean the leather and at regu lar intervals, use
a leather preservative creme that contains UV -blockers and that
works into the leather. This creme will nourish and moisturize the leather, helping it to breathe and stay supple . It also helps to build
up a protective coating on the surface .
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc . as soon as possible.
• Preserve the color of the leather as needed by using a special
colored leather care creme to touch up areas of uneven color .•
Ap plies to vehi cles: w it h n atu ral leather
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Norm al c leaning
- Clean soiled areas with a slig htly mo istened cotton or
woolen cloth.
Mor e stubborn dirt
- More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mi ld
liquid soap).
- Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams .
Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth.
Cl eaning spot s
- Remove fresh wate r-ba sed spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) w ith an absorbent c loth or paper towe l.
- Remove fresh greas e or oil-ba sed spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the c leaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface of the leather.
- Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if oil /gr ease spots
h ave dried on .
- Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt
marker, fingernail polish, water-based paint, shoe polish,
etc.) with a spot remover specifically formulated for leather . .,_

_______________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ in ____ g ___ a_n_ d ___ p_r _o _t_ e_ c_ t _i _o _ n __ llllll
•
Leather care
-Every half year use an approved leather care product
(available from your Audi dealer) to care for the leather.
- Apply the product very sparingly .
- Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about cleaning and caring for the leather
in your vehicle, it is best to contact your authorized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our full range of leather
care products, such as:
• Leather cleaning and care kit
• Cremes to care for colored leather
• Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe polish, etc.
• Oil/grease dissolving spray
• New and upcoming products.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=:> page 230.
0 Note
• Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter fluid, turpentine),
waxes, shoe polish or similar products on the leather surfaces in
your Audi.
• To avoid damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commer­
cial cleaning specialist. •
Applies to veh ic les : wi th A lcantara up holste ry
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Removing dust and dirt
- Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water and wipe down
the seat surfaces.
Removing stains
- Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water or with diluted
ethyl (rubbing) alcohol.
- Dab at the stain. Start at the outside and work inwards.
Once the stain is no longer visible, use a soft dry cloth or
tissue to soak up the moisture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Alcantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing dust and dirt.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can scratch and damage the
surface. If the car is left standing in the sun for long periods, the
Alcantara should be protected against direct sunlight to prevent it
from fading. Slight color variations will develop in normal use and
are not an indication of material deterioration .
0 Note
• Never use chemical solvents (e .g. lighter fluid, turpentine),
waxes, shoe polish or similar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
• To avoid damage , have stubborn stains removed by a commer­
cial cleaning specialist.
• Do no t use brushes, stiff sponges or similarly abrasive cleaning
aids. •
Vehic le care