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Controls and equipment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
e tc. A well ca red for Audi c an look lik e new many ye ars after pur cha se.
Regu lar and correct care w ill contribute to mai nta in ing t he bea uty
a nd valu e of your Au di.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Yo ur au thori zed Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or other comme r
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please make sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ign ition on or the engine running .
& WARNING (continued )
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 239, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re quent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicle.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How oft en thi s is requ ired depen ds on :
• How m uch the vehicle is used
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, etc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• Environ mental influences
T he longer bird droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on t he veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~
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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 shou ld be thoroughly
washed, p referably in a profess ional car wash.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 256. •
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any modern auto
matic car wash.
Th e 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 lar ge exten t 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.
Before going thro ugh a car wash, be sure to take the usual precau
tions such as closing the windows and the roof. Factory installed
antennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on the vehicle -such as
spoilers, roof rack, etc. - it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 256. •
Safety first
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehicle by hand.
-Before you star t washing, make sure you have read and
understood the WARNINGS~
& in "General informa
tion" on
page 256.
- 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, flush ing 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 will not scratch the
paint with coa rse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time you
wash the car.
& 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 256. _..
Vehicle care Technical data
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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.
• You should remove debris (such as insects) from the headlight
lenses on a regular basis, for example when refueling your vehicle .
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 256 .
- 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 deadening
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 °() .
& 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
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber
hoses , plastic parts and sound-deadening materials. Never aim the
spray head at the same point for a long time. 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. •
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Waxing
Wax protects the vehicle's paint.
- Use a man ually applied car wax occasionally to protect the
paint .
A good wax coat ing p ro tects the vehi cle pa int to a la rge exte nt
against the environmental factors listed under=>
page 256,
"Washing " and even against slig ht s cratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your paint as soon as one week after your vehicle has been delivered .
E ven if you regularly use a
waxing p ro cess in a utomatic car washes,
we recommend that you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
pai nt extra p rotectio n, part icularly if wate r no longer beads on the
clean pa int.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the same way as the vehicle
body .
Dur ing warm weather dead insects tend to collect on the front
bumpe r and on the forward area of the hood. They a re much easier to
remove from pa int that is waxed
often .
& WARNING
Alway s read and heed all WARNING S and other information
=> pag e 256 .
0 Note
Do not use car wax on
• matte or anodized meta l trim
• rubber or rubber-like tr im. •
Safety first
Polishing
Polishing restores the gloss to the paint.
Polish your vehicle only if the pa int has lost its shine and the gloss
c annot be bro ught back wi th wax.
If the polish used does not contain preservative compounds, the
paint must be waxed afterwards=>
page 259, "Waxing".
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other informa tion
:::> page 256 .
0 Note
Do not treat matte anodized metal tr im, plastic or rubber parts with
polish or wax. •
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For env ironmental reasons, Aud i fabr icates the bright trim strips and
trim p ieces from p ure chrom ium-free alum inum .
Dirt and marks on the tr im strips should be removed with a
pH ·
balanced cleani ng agent (do no t use a chrome cleane r). Au thori zed
Audi dealers carry cleaning products wh ich have been tested for use
on you r vehi cle and are not harmful to the env ironment.
T o avo id corrosion on the exterior trim strips, only a pH-balanced
solution sho uld be used for the windshie ld washer .
& WARNING
Always re ad and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:::> page 256 . •
Vehicle care Technical data
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Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove dust and light surface
dirt. For other soil, use a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim . Remove water spots and traces of
soap with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a clean cloth or sponge
soaked with all-purpose cleaner or with a solvent designed especially
to clean vinyl.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather preservative to retain
the material's luster and pliability.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:::> page 256. •
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots and deposits from
aluminum surfaces. Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners will
attack aluminum surfaces and can damage them over time .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 256. •
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up immediately.
- Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray paint to cover
minor scratches and nicks.
Your authorized Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor scratches
and stone chips. Scratches should be touched up soon after they
occur to prevent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple touch-up job will not be
enough. The affected surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust primer before the painted finish can be restored.
The number for the original vehicle paint can be found on the vehicle identification label=>
page 336.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 256. •
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean all windows regularly to remove road film and car wash
wax buildup.
- Remove snow from windows using a brush.
- Use a plastic ice scraper to remove ice from windows and
mirrors.
- Remove other residue on the windows with a spray-on glass cleaner.
- Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of cloth or
kitchen paper towel.
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The best way to remove snow from windows and mirrors is to use a
brush. Use a non-abrasive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mirrors.
Th e windows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax since
these can interfere with the function of the windshie ld wipe r blades
(chatter).
Oil , grease, or silicone residue can be removed with
glass cleaner or
silicone remover. However, wax residue requires the use of a specially
formulated solvent . P lease contact your authorized Audi dea le r for
advice on safe products for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regular intervals .
Never dry windows w ith the same chamo is that you use to dry painted
surfaces. Wax residue on the chamois can impair vision through the
windows.
& WARNING
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 256.
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent
materials. They can increase glare under poor visibility conditions
such as wetness, darkness, or when the sun is low on the horizon.
In addition, they can cause the windshield wipers to chatter.
0 Note
• Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from
windows and mir rors . This could cause the glass to crack.
• To prevent damage to the wires of the rear defogger, do not place
any adhesive stickers on the inside of the rear window over the wires.
• T o help prevent dirt from scratching the window, a lways scrape in
a forward direction -pushing the scraper away from you -never back
and forth.
• Water leaking from the inside of the rear windows may damage
sensitive e lectrica l components located either under the rear parce l
Safety first
shelf or in the rear trunk area. Always ensure that water never leaks
t hrough the body section of the vehicle . You can do this by using
waterproof protection over the vehicle's electrical components (e .g.
when installing window tinting).
• Damage or malfunct ion of electrical components due to water
damage or any other outside influence is not covered by the Audi New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. See your Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet
for additional details about your warranty .•
Weatherstrips
Complete car care includes the weatherstrips as well.
-Apply a suitable rubber conditioner to the weatherstrips
from time to t ime.
To be able seal properly, the weatherstrips around the hood, doors,
rear lid, etc. must remain pliable. Spray the weatherstrips with sili
cone or coat them with talcum powder or glycerin to reta in the flexi
bility of the rubber and to protect them against freezing in the
wi nter.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 256.
[ i ] Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to avoid wiper smear in rain .•
Cast (Light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
- Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose brush every other
week. _,.
Vehicle care Technical data
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- For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a ded icated acid
free cast alloy wheel cleaner .
- Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rims every three mont h.
B e s ure to re ach a nd tre at all part s o f the rim .
To preserve the d ecorative ap pea ra nce of the cast alloy whe els, so me
special care is necessary. In a ddition to roa d dirt and sa lt, brake dust
is a lso co rrosiv e. If left on fo r too long, b rake dus t can ca u se p itting .
Use only spec ial
acid-free cleaners formulated for a lloy rims. Safe
pro duct s ar e availa ble at your author iz ed Audi de aler. Neve r leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than spec ified on t he labe l. If not rins ed
off promptly, the acid con tain ed in some cleaners can att ack t he
t hr eads o n the wheel bolts .
N ever us e abrasiv e or metal po lish ing cleaning a gents.
If the protec
t ive co ating has b een ch ipped, e.g. by kick ed up ro ad dir t, to uch it up
as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency
=> page 239, "General information" . Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 256. •
Body cavity sealing
Th e bo dy cavi ty sealing d oes n ot need to be ch ecked.
All body cav it ies which co uld be affecte d by co rrosion have been tho r
oughly protected at t he factory .
T hi s sea ling does not require any inspection or additiona l treatment.
If any wax s hould seep ou t of the cavi ty when the amb ient temp era
ture is high , it can be removed w it h a plastic sc raper and a suitable
so lvent .
& WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
• Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you use benzine for
removing the wax, keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away . Never dump benzine on the ground, into open streams or
down sewage drains.
• Be sure to observe all safety and environmental regulations.
Follow all instructions on the container.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:>page 256. •
Chassis
Have th e undercoating c hecke d f or da mage fr om time t o
tim e.
Th e lower body she ll of your A udi is a lso thoro ug hl y protec ted against
co rrosion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road haza rds sho uld be
re paire d pr omp tly.
& WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong places can caus e a fire.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or ru stproofing on or
near the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. While driving , the substance used for undercoating
could overheat and cause a fire.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:>page 256 . •