2012 AUDI A5 COUPE Owners Manual

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 powe r washer, make sure
you have read a nd u nderstood the WARN­
INGS¢ &.
in General information on
page 221.
~ Always fo llow 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 materia ls.
When clean ing the veh icle w ith a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the s praying distanc e. Maintain
a sufficient d istance to soft materials such as
r ubber hoses and sound/vib rat ion deadening
materia ls (par ticu larly on the underside of the
engine hood) . Do not use a jet which sprays
water in a direct st ream or one t hat has a ro­
tat ing
jet.
Wa ter tempe ratu re shou ld no t excee d 140 ° F
(60 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires w ith a jet that s prays wa ­
ter in a direct stream . This cou ld cause in­
visib le damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance a nd for a short time . Dam­
aged a nd weakened t ires can fai l and cause
accidents and persona l injury .
(D Note
To avo id damag ing your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient distance
between t he spray head a nd soft mate rials
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound­
deadening mate rials. Never a im the spray
head at t he sa me po in t for a long ti me.
This also applies to clea ning he ad lig hts
and p ainted bumpe rs . Remember: the
Cleaning and protec tion 223
closer the no zzle is to the surface of the
mater ia l, the greater the stress on t he ma­
terial.
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under¢
page 221, Washing and
even against s light scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one wee k after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regular ly use a
wa xing process in
automat ic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to g ive the
paint extra protection, part icularly if water no
longer beads on t he clean paint .
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the veh icle body.
D uring warm wea ther dead insects tend to
collect on t he front bumper an d on the fo r­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from pa int that is waxed
often.
Polishing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be broug ht back
with wax .
If the po lish used does not co ntain preserva­
t ive compoun ds, the pain t must be waxed a f­
te rwards.
& WARNING
A lways read and heed all WAR NIN GS and
other information ¢
page 221.
(D Note
Do not use ca r wax on
- matte o r anodized met al trim
- ru bber or ru bber- like trim.
•
•

224 Cleaning and protection
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmenta l reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright tr im strips and trim pieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH -b ala nced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Authori zed Au­
d i dealers carry clean ing products wh ich have
been tested for use on your veh icle and are
not harmful to the env ironment .
To avoid corros ion on the exterior trim strips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the w indshield washer .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
c:> page 221.
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 clean ing solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim. Remove water
spots and traces of soap w ith a clean, damp
clot h or sponge. Use a clean, soft clot h to rub
d ry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked w ith all-purpose
cleane r or with a solvent designed especially
to clean viny l.
Occasionally apply a colorless vi nyl or leather
preservat ive to reta in the material 's luste r
and p liability.
A WARNING
Alw ays read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c:> page 2 21.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum s urfaces. Chrome care products and a
lkaline cleaners
will attack a luminum surfaces and can dam­
age them over t ime.
A WARNING "--
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c:> page 221.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
... Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to cover m inor scratches and nicks .
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler has touch- up
paint for minor scratches and stone chips.
Scratches sho uld be to uched up soon after
they occ ur to prevent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rus t, however, a s imple
touch -up job will not be eno ugh. The affected
s u rface m ust be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust prime r before the painted
finish can be restored.
T he number for the original veh icle paint can
be fo und on the vehicle identification label
c=> poge 290 .
I
'
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c:> page 221.
Windows
Clear vision to oil sides.
C lean all w indows regularly to remove road
film and car wash wax buildup.
.,. Remove snow from w indows us ing a b rush .
... Use a plastic ice s craper to remove i ce from
w indows and m irrors.
... Remove ot her residue on the windows with
a spray-on g lass cleaner .
... Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.

The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush. Use a non-abra­
sive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect
remover or wax sin ce these can interfere with
the function of the windshield wiper blades
(chatter).
Oil, grease, or silicone residue can be removed
with
glass cleaner or silicone remover. How­
ever, wax residue require s the use of a special­
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer for advice on safe prod­
ucts for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regular intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair vision through
the windows.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r::.> page 221.
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
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.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
Cleaning and protection 225
-Water leaking from the inside of the rear
windows may damage sensitive electrical components located either under the
rear parcel shelf or in the rear trunk area.
Always ensure that water never leaks
through the body section of the vehicle.
You can do this by using waterproof pro­ tection over the vehicle's electrical com­
ponents (e.g. when installing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malfunction 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
& Maintenance book­
let for additional details about your war­
ranty.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
.,. Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other
week .
.,. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
.,. Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake
dust is also corrosive . If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your authorized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e.g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it up as soon as possible . .,..
•
•

226 Cleaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 207, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
-
other information ¢ page 221.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked .
All body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed w it h a plastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
8_ WARNING , ~
Solvents can be dangerous .
- Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted c igarettes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into ope n streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iro n­
me ntal regulations. Follow all instruc­
t ions on the con tainer .
- Always read and hee d all WARN INGS and
other information
¢ page 221 .
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
ough ly protected against corrosion .
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards shou ld be repa ired promptly .
8_ WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
ver ter or heat shields. While driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other info rmation ¢
page 221.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the material in the e xhaus t tail pipes
i f they a re not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with w hee l cleaner, paint polish,
chrome polish or other abras ive cleaners .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
MMI display
Applies to vehicles: with MMI
.,.. Clean the MM I d isplay with a soft clean
cloth and an LC D cleaner .
T he M MI display can be cleaned wit h a profes­
s io nally available " LCD cleane r". The cloth
sho uld be slightly dampened with the clean­
ing fluid to clean the disp lay.
(J) Note
To avoid sc ratching the M MI disp lay, yo u
shou ld neve r clean it dry.
MMI control console
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h MMI
.,.. First clean the MMI contro l conso le w ith a
brush to remove dust from the housing . .,..

~ Then wipe the MMI contro l conso le with a
clean, soft, slightly damp cloth.
The MM I control console shou ld be cleaned
with a brush first so that no dirt is trapped be ­
tween the buttons and the housing . We rec­
ommend giving the MMI contro l console a fi­
na l wipe with a cloth moistened with water
and d ish washing detergent.
(D Note
To prevent damage, make sure that no flu ­
id ever gets into the MMI control console .
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
Ch rome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum su rfaces and can dam­
age them ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 2 2 1.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at reg ular
interva ls with a vacuum cleaner. Th is removes
surface dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleane rs should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Norm al cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes should o nly be used for carpets
and floor mats, s ince other fab ric su rfaces
could be harmed by b rushes .
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the surface of the fab ric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
r ate the fabric. Then pat the foam d ry using
Cleaning and protec tion 22 7
absorbent, dry cloths (e .g . m icrofiber cloth)
and vac uum it after it has dried completely .
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fr uit
j u ic e, etc.) ca n be treated w ith a mild de ter­
gen t solu tion. Apply the detergent sol ution
with a sponge. In the case o f stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric . After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the rema ining detergent. Apply the
water wit h a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabr ic dry with an absorbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed into them . After­
wards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab ­
sorbent mater ial. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
te r.
In the case of general soiling of the up hols ­
te ry and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a spec ia list t hat has the equipment to clean
the seat cove rs and othe r fabr ic surfa ces by
shampooing a nd spray extraction.
A WARNING ~ -
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
the information
~ page 221 .
(D Tips
Open Ve lcro fas teners on yo ur clothing can
d am age the sea t cover. Please m ake su re
that Ve lcro fasteners are closed .
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For persistent d irt
use an Aud i approved
sol vent -free p lastic
cleaner/protectant. ..,. •
•

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. ..,_