2012 AUDI A5 COUPE warning

228 Cleaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
So lvents can c hange the properties of
some plas tics and ma ke it ha rder for the
a irbag to deploy .
-
-Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents w ill make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injur ies can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 221.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves.
Natural leather
App lies to vehicles: with natura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leather on
our veh icles. Most are different types of nappa
l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in var ious colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu­ a l characteristics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural cond ition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. F ine veins, closed g rains, insect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in co lor
remain visible. These c haracte ris tics demon­
stra te that the mater ia l is na tural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, w hich is something you need to
conside r if ch ild ren, anim als or othe r fa ctors
might p rove to be particular ly hard on the
leather . By cont
rast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durab le . T his
has a positive effect on the leather's resist ­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather a re barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil­
i ng, etc.), you will need to be somewhat ca re­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. Fo r example , da rk clothing
mater ials can dis co lor le athe r seats (especia l­
l y if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt parti cles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
wea ken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as neede d. After having been used for a relatively
l ong time, your leather seats will acq uire a
rich aged fin ish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the val ue of this nat ural
product over the life of your veh icle, you
shou ld follow the recommendat ions be low:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from b leaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to b right
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the ve hicle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
pro tect i t from direct expos ure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects o n cloth ing, such as z ip­
pers, rivets o r sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent s cratches or s crape
ma rk s on the s urfa ce o f th e leathe r.
(D Tips
-Aft er each time you clean the leather and
a t regular intervals, use a leathe r
1111>

preservative cream that contains UV­
blockers and that works into the leather .
This cream w ill nourish and mo istur ize
the leather, he lp ing 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, lipst ick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as possib le.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention.
Norm al cleaning
.,. Clean soiled areas w ith a slightly mo istened
cotton or woolen cloth.
Mor e stub born dir t
.,. More stubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a m ild soap so lution (2
tablespoons m ild liquid soap) .
.,. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
.,. Wipe off the soap solut ion with a soft, dry
cl oth.
Cleaning spots
.,. Remove fresh water -b ased spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.,. Remove fresh
gr eas e or oil -ba sed spot s
(such as b utter, mayon naise , chocolate) wi th
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleaner from the leat her ca re kit i f the
spot has not yet penetrated into the s urface
of the leather .
.,. Use an oil/grease disso lv ing spray, if
oil /
grease spots h ave d ried on.
Cleaning and protec tion 229
.,. Remove specific k inds of spots (ba llpoint
pe n, fe lt marker, fingernai l polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for leather.
L e ather care
.,. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized Au ­
di dea ler) to care for the leather .
.,. App ly the product very sparingly.
.,. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any q uestions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in yo ur vehicle, it is best
to contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as :
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to ca re fo r colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpoin t pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products .
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other in formation
r::!) page 221 .
(D Note
- N ever use chem ica l so lvents (e .g . lighte r
fluid, tu rpe nti ne), waxes, s hoe polish o r
simi la r prod ucts on the lea ther surfaces
i n yo ur Audi .
- To avoid damage, have stubbo rn sta ins
remove d by a comme rcial clean ing spe­
c ialist .
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara® upholste ry
R emoving du st and dirt
.,. Mois ten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces .
Removing stains
.,. Moisten a cloth with lukewa rm wate r o r
w ith di luted
ethyl (rubbing ) alc ohol.
•
•

230 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
• Once the stain is no longer visible, use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois­
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara ®.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt .
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long periods, the
A lcantara ® 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 .
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim­
i larly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
ution. Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can b reak in a crash . -
Anything that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety belts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 221.
' Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine comportment.
Alwa ys switch off the ign ition before cle an­
i ng the eng ine
c> .&, .
Plenum pan el
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Cor rosi on protec tion
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well. ..,_

If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
sion treatment is almost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long­
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces , seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
.8, WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area .
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be s ure to read the informat ion
~ page 237 .
-Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key .
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
cou ld unintentiona lly be switched on,
poss ibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ign it ion is
off .
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine w ith
the engine running . Moving or hot parts
could inju re you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts w ithout protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on
s harp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
othe r information ~
page 221.
l) Use o nly the co rr ect clean in g s olu tio ns. Ne ve r use ga s­
o line or d ie sel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 23 1
•
•

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- 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 responsibility 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 prob­ l ems 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 manufac­
turers 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 supply and filling your fuel tank 233
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec ­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more info rmation on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for deta iled
instruct ions see¢
page 235 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 292.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 232.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on -board refue l­
li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and pollut ing the environment while you
refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
•
•

234 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al ­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportat ion and storage of
such fuel containers . Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
AS TM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring . Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 197 Rig ht rear vehicle s ide: Opening th e fuel filler
f lap
Fig . 198 Fu el filler fla p with attached fuel c ap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
fi ller flap is automatically un locked or locked.
Refuel the vehicle with the ignition turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
,.. Turn off the ignit io n.
,.. Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to
open it
.?) fig . 197-a rrow -.
,.. Unscrew fuel cap counter-clockw ise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap
~ fig. 198.
Refuelling procedure
,.. Insert the fu el nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it will
go .
,.. Select a medium r efuelling rate so that the
no zzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
,.. After fi lling your tank, tw ist the fuel cap
clockwise as far as it will go .
,.. Close the fue l fill er flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel cap properly and
complete ly.
A WARNING
-
Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over­
flow . Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire .
- Never use a cellular telephone while re­
fueling . The electromagnet ic rad iat ion
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle white re­
fueling .
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static e lectricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any­
where in or near your veh icle when refu­
eling or filling a portab le fuel conta iner.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 201 Dr iver's s ide footwell: engine hood release
lever
"' Open the driver's door .
"' Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
i=:> fig. 201 in the d irection
of the arrow.
The hood pops up slight ly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
F ig . 202 Re lease lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshie ld wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
r::!> fig. 202 . This releases the catch.
"' Open the hood all the way
c::> &,.
Checkin g and fillin g 237
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the eng ine
compartment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c;, &, .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper­
ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured prope rly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whene ver y ou must pe rform any wo rk in the
eng ine compartment, for e xample checking
and filling different fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury, burns and accid ent s. To pr event per­
s o nal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS . The engine compa rtment of an y
vehicle i s a hazardou s are a
c;, Lh,.
A WARNING ~
To help avoid injury, be fo re yo u check any­
thing under the hood:
- Tu rn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.

238 Check ing and filling
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans­
mission in Neutral.
- Always let the engine coo l down . Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk o f being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill flu ids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electr ic fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the eng ine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressur ized and hot coo l­
ant could spray out .
-Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot eng ine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the coolant reservoir .
-If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary :
- A lways disconnect the battery.
- Never smo ke or work near heaters or
open flames . Fluids in the engine com ­
partment co uld start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire ext inguisher im­
mediately available.
- T o avoid ele ctrical shock and persona l in ­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fi rst, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lec to r l ever o f automat ic trans- mission to
"P" (Park); put manua l
transmission in Neutra l.
- Always use extreme caution to p revent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wea r clothing that
will hang o r droop into the engine.
- M inim ize exposure to em iss ion and
chemical hazards
~ &, .
A WARNING
=
Ca lifo rnia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its const ituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cance r and birt h de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fl uids contained in veh icles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
b irth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or fil ler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regular ly. If
you see spots from oil or o ther ve hicle flu­
i ds, have your vehicle insp ected by a n au­
thorized Audi dealer.