2012 AUDI Q7 warning

242 Cleaning and protection
Polishing
Polish your vehicle on ly if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax.
I f the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239 .
~ Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized metal trim
- rubber or rubbe r-like tr im.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special core .
For environmental 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-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Authorized 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 environment .
To avoid corros ion on the exterior trim str ips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the w indshield washer .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special core.
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 cloth
or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
G rease , tar or oil sta ins can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a so lvent designed especially
to clean vinyl.
Occas ional ly apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to re tain the materia l's luster
and pliability.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ~
page 239.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam­ age them over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~page 239.
Touch-up paint
Minor point damages should be touched up
immediately.
"' Use e ither a touch-up paint stick or spray
pa int to cover m ino r 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 veh icle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification label
~page 314. ..,.

& WARNING
Always read an d heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean all windows regularly to remove road
film and ca rwash wax bu ildup.
.,. Remove snow from windows using a brush .
.,. Use a plast ic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
.,. Remove other res idue on the wi ndows with
a spray-on glass cleaner .
.,. Wipe the windows dry with a cle an p iece of
cloth o r kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from w indows
and mir rors is to use a b rush . U se a non -abra­
sive
pla stic ice scra per -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors.
The window s m ust no t be cleaned wi th insect
r emover or wax s ince these can interfere wi th
the function of the windshield wipe r blades
(chatter) .
O il, g rease , or silicone residue can be removed
with
gla ss cleaner or silicone r emover. How­
ever, wax residue req uires the use of a specia l­
l y form ulated solvent. P lease contact yo ur au­
thorized Audi dealer for adv ice on safe prod­
ucts for wax removal.
Windows sho uld a lso be cleaned on the inside
at regular interva ls .
Never dry w indows w ith the same chamois
that you use to dry pain ted s urfaces. Wax resi­
d ue on the chamois can impair vision thro ugh
the windows .
& WARNING
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239.
-The windshie ld m ust not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visib ility condi-
Cleaning and protec tion 243
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
@ Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
Th is could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ickers on the ins ide of the rear w indow
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­
rection -pushing the sc raper away from
you -never back and forth.
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
ded icated
acid-fre e cast alloy wheel cleaner .
.,. Rub a coat of
liquid wa x onto the rims every
three month. Be su re to rea ch and treat all
pa rts of the rim.
T o preserve the decorative appea rance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­ sa ry. In addi tion to road d irt and salt, brake
dust is a lso co rrosive . If left on fo r too long,
brake d ust can cause pitting.
U se only spec ia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy r ims. Safe produc ts a re ava ilab le at
your aut ho rized Aud i dea le r. Neve r leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the labe l. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive o r metal po lish ing clean­
ing agents . If the protective coating has been
c hi pped, e .g . by kicked up road dirt, to uch it
u p as soon as possible .
•
•

24 4 Cl eaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 222, Gen eral
information.
Test the brakes carefu lly
e ach time you wash the veh icle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
-
other information ¢ page 239.
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 sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with 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
sparks, flame and lighted c igarettes
away. Never dump benzine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iron­
menta l regulations. Follow all instruc­
tions on the con tainer .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information
¢ page 239 .
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosion .
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be repa ired promptly .
8_ WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation ¢
page 239.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the material in the exhaus t tail pipes
i f they a re not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel 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
.,. Clean the MM I display wi th a soft clean
cloth and an LC D cleaner .
T he M MI display can be cleaned wit h a profes­
s io nal ly availab le " LCD cleane r". The cloth
sho uld be slightly dampened with t he clean­
ing fluid to clean the disp lay.
CIT) Note
To avoid sc ratching the M MI display, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
MMI control console
.,. First clean the MMI contro l conso le with a
brush to remove dust from the housing .
.,. Then wipe the MMI control console with a
clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. .,..

The MMI control console should be cleaned
with a brush first so that no dirt is trapped be ­
tween the buttons and the housing . We rec­
ommend giv ing the MMI control console a fi­
nal w ipe with a cloth mo istened with water
and d ish washing detergent.
Q;) Note
To prevent damage, make sure that no flu­
id ever gets into the MMI control console .
Aluminum trim
Use only neutr al- pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
C hr ome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum in um s urfaces and can dam­
age them ove r time.
& WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239 .
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regu lar
intervals with a vacuum cleaner . Th is removes
surface dirt particles which could become em­ bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleaners 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 only be used for carpets
a nd floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by b rushes.
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercia lly available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the surface of the fab ric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not sat u­
r ate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e .g. microfiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried comp lete ly.
Cleaning and protec tion 245
Cl ean ing sta in s
Stains caused by beverages (e.g . coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter ­
gent solution. Apply the detergent sol ution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the s tain and worked into the fabric . After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema ining detergent . Apply the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry cloth.
Stains from chocolate or makeup should have detergent paste (e .g . ox -gall soap) rubbed in ­
to them . Afterwards, 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 necessa ry to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
te r.
In the case of general soiling of the uphols­
tery and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a specia list that has the eq uipment to clean
the seat cove rs and othe r fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢ page 239.
(D Tips
Open Ve lcro fas teners on yo ur cl othing can
damage the seat cover . Please make sure
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
s olvent-fre e plastic
clea ner/protectant . .,.. •
•

24 6 Cl eaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag 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 239.
(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.
Gen eral
We offer many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu­ al 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 condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. F ine veins, closed grains, insect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in color
remain visible. These characte ristics demon­
strate that the mater ial is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if chi ld ren, anima ls or othe r factors
might prove to be particular ly hard on the
leather. By cont
rast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable . This
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 are barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and h andling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil ­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is requ ired . For example , dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor leathe r seats (especia l­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed . After having been used for a relatively
l ong time, your leather seats will acqu ire a
rich aged fin ish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ural 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 recommendat ions below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from b leaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the veh icle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on cloth ing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent s cratches or s crape
ma rks on the su rface of the leather.
(D Tips
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leathe r
1111>

preservative creme that contains UV­
blockers and that works into the leather .
This creme 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
creme 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 absorbe nt 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 247
.,. 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 spr ay
- New and upcom ing products .
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other in formation
r::!)page 239 .
(D Note
- Never 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 .
- T o avoid damage, have stubbo rn sta ins
remove d by a comme rci al clean ing spe­
c ialist .
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing 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.
•
•

248 Clea ning 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 deve lop 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 ¢
page 239.
' Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine comportment.
Alwa ys switch off the ign ition before clean ­
i ng the engine¢ .&, .
Plenum panel
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 rosion protection
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 h azardous
area .
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be s ure to read the informat ion
~ page 258 .
-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 protecti ng 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 239.
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 249
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