2013 AUDI A4 light

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the head lights. Only use
we t cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches . It is best to use soapy water .
@) For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated w ith
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, wash ing vehicles outs ide of
these facilities is prohib ited.
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 f ew simple rules.
• Before using the power w asher , make sure
yo u have read and understood the WARN­
INGS
q A in General information on
page 202.
• Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer.
• Make sure that the jet o n the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls .
Keep a d is tance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses o r insulat ing mater ial as we ll as
sensors and camera lenses .
When cleaning t he vehicle wit h a power wash­
er
always fo llow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance . Do not po int
the spray direc tly at the sea ls around the s ide
windows, aro und t he doors, on the re ar lid or
on the sunroof* . Likew ise, do not point it di­
rectly at tires, r ubber hoses, ins ulation mate­
rial or sensors
q page 205. Hold the spray nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m) away from the
vehicl e.
Do no t use a high-pressu re power was her to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a d irect
st ream o r one that has a rotating je t.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °() .
A WARNING ,..__
Neve r wash t ires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . Thi s could cause in­
v is ible d amage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative ly
l ong distance and for a short time . Dam ­
aged and wea kened tires can fail a nd cause
accidents and personal in jury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging yo ur vehicle, a lw ays
make sure tha t the re is sufficien t distance
betwee n the spray head and soft materia ls
lik e rubbe r hoses, plast ic parts and sound ­
deaden ing mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never a im the spray
head at the same point fo r a long time.
This also app lies to cleaning headlights
and paint ed bumpers . Remembe r: t he
closer the no zzle is to the surfa ce of the
m at erial , the gre ater t he s tress on the ma ­
terial.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: wit h matte finish paint
Vehicles with matt e finish paint require spe ­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing by hand
T o avoid damaging the pain t when was hing,
fi rst remove dust and la rge particles from
yo ur vehicle . Insects, grease spots and finger­
prints are best removed with a
special cleaner
for matte finish pa int .
1111>

Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly with water . Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to ­
ward the bottom using a
neutra l sh ampoo
and a soft mi crofiber cloth . Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thorough ly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
s pon ge on these areas .
R inse the vehicle tho roughly aga in and let i t
a ir dry. If there are any wa ter spots, they can
be removed using a
le ather cloth.
Clea n again with the sp ecial cl eaner for matt e
finish paint
i f ne cessary.
Removing stubborn dirt
B ird dropping s or tree sap a re best removed
with plenty of water and a m icrofiber cloth .
You shou ld r inse off
gasoline residue immedi­
ately with plenty o f water.
A WARNING
- Wash your veh icle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
c rash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 202.
0 Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte f inish paint usi ng polish ing mate­
r ials or hard wax . These products could
cause damage to the appearance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use p rotective wax. It can destroy
the matte fin ish effect .
- Do not p lace any st ickers or magne tic
s igns on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The pa int co uld be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sun ligh t.
Cleaning and protec tion 205
- To prevent damage to the pa int sur face,
do not use insect remova l sponges ,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ila r items .
- Yo u should remove deb ris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle . Only clean the head­
lights using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy water is
recommended.
(D Tips
For more information on special cleaning
products designed for matte finish paint,
see your Aud i deale r.
, Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brus h and remove
ice with a de- ic ing sp ray that does not con­
t ain so lvents.
- Clean the senso rs (adaptive cruise co ntrol*,
pa rking system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
tha t does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth .
(D Note
-If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors i n the rear bumper.
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
cou ld cause the lens to crack .
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive products .
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under~
page 202, Washing and
even against s light scratches.
ii,.
•
•

206 Cleaning and protection
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been de livered.
Even if you regularly use a
waxing process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particular ly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
Polishing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 202.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anod ized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim .
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmenta l reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim 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
Aud i dealers carry cleaning products which
have been tested for use on your vehicle and
are not harmful to the environment . T
o avoid corrosion on the exterior trim strips,
only a pH-ba lanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer.
A WARNING "--
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.
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 espec ially
to clean v inyl.
Occasiona lly app ly a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material's luster
and pliability .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.
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 dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.

208 Clea ning and protec tio n
- Damage or ma lfunction of electrical
components due to water damage or any
other outside influence is not covered by
the Aud i New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
See your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
l et for additional details about your war­
ranty.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
.. Wash the whee ls with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
.. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner.
.. Rub a coat of
liqui d wax onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some specia l care is neces­
sary. In addit ion to road d irt and sa lt , brake
dust is a lso cor ros ive.
If l eft on for too long,
brake dus t can cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims. Safe p roducts are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r 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 whee l bolts.
Never use ab ras ive 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 .
.&, WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 188. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked .
All body cav ities which could be affected by
corros ion 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 .
.&, WARNING '"-'--
Solvents can be dangerous .
- Benz ine is flammable and toxic. If you
use benz ine for removing the wax, keep
spa rks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
g round, into open streams or down sew ­
age drains .
- Be s ure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulations. Follow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 202.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly p rotected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoat ing caused by
road hazards should be repaired promptly .
.&, WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalyti c con­
ver ter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.

and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams .
The leather sho uld be cleaned reg ularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
l ong time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n o rder to maintain the va lue of th is natura l
p roduct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep yo ur leather from bleach ing out,
do not a llow 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 d irect exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather .
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regular inte rva ls, use a leather preser­
vat ive cream that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
c ream will nourish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping i t to brea the and stay
supple .
It also helps to b uild up a protec­
tive coating on the s urface .
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh mar ks made by ba llpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, e tc. as
soon as possib le .
- Preserve the colo r of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneven co lor.
Cleaning and protec tion 21 1
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles : with natural lea ther
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention .
Normal clean ing
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More st ubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild 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 so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cleaning spots
.. Remove fresh wat er-bas ed spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grea se or oil-ba sed spot s
(such as bu tte r, mayonnaise, chocola te) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner 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/
grease spot s ha ve dried on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically fo rmu lated for leather.
Leather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Aud i dealer) to care for the leather.
.,. App ly the product very spar ingly.
.. Wipe it off with a damp clot h.
If you have any questions about clean ing and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact you r authorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut o ur
f ull range of leather care products, such as : .,..
•
•

212 Cleaning and protec tio n
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpo int pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc .
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 202.
{[) Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe pol ish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stai ns
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Appl ies to vehicles: with Alcantara ® upho lste ry
Removing dust and dirt
"" Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat s urfaces .
Removing stains
"" Moisten a clot h w ith lukewarm water or
with diluted
ethyl (rubb ing) alcohol.
"" Dab at the stain. Start at the o utside and
wor k inwards.
"" Once t he stain is no longer v isib le , use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois ­
ture .
Do not use leather cleaning produc ts on Al ­
cantara ®.
You may use a suitable shampoo fo r removing
dust and dir t.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface .
If the car is
l eft stand ing in the sun fo r long pe riods, the
A lcantara ® sho uld be p rotected against direct
sun light to prevent it from fad ing. Slight color
variations will develop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration.
(D Note
- Never use chemica l so lvents (e.g. lighte r
fluid, tu rpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
sim ilar products on A lcantara® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubbo rn stains
removed by a commercial clean ing spe­
cialist.
- Do not use b rushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilar ly abrasive cleaning a ids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed.
"" Keep belts clean .
"" For cleaning, use a mild soap a nd water so l­
ution. Let belts dry thorough ly and away
from d irect sunlight .
"" Do not allow inertia ree l safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
"" Check the condition of your safety be lts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly.
A WARNING
D amaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing that might damage your safety
be lts could mea n that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequate ly pro­
tec ted in a n accident.
- Safety belt pe rformance depends on co r­
rect insta llation. Neve r remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
b leach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which wea ken the webb ing.
- When clean ing you r safety belts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam­
a ge, see yo ur authori zed A udi dealer.
- Always read a nd heed a ll WAR NINGS and
other info rmation
~ page 202.

214 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the righ t fuel helps keep the environ­
ment cle an and preven ts engine dam age .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recomme nded for you r vehicle is un­
lead ed premium
g rade gasoline . See a lso
r::;, pag e 277, Data . Audi recommends usi ng
T OP TIER D eterge nt Gaso line wi th a mini mu m
octa ne ra tin g of 9 1 AKI (95 RON). For more
in fo rmation on TO P TI ER De tergent Gaso line,
p lease go to the officia l webs ite (www.toptier ­
gas.com).
Th e re commended g asoline oct ane r ating for
your engine can a lso be fo und on a label loca t­
e d on the ins ide of the fue l filler flap . This rat ­
ing may be specified as A KI or RO N.
Your veh icle m ay also be oper ated using un­
l ea ded regular g asoline with a min imum o c­
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 R ON. However, using
87 AKI/91 RON octa ne f ue l w ill slightly re ­
d uce eng ine perfo rmance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded g aso­
line is availab le th rou gho ut the USA, Canada ,
and in most E uropean countries . We recom­
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle t o
areas or countries where unleaded gasoline
may not be ava ilable.
F or mo re in format io n on refue ling your ve hi­
cle, seer::;,
page 216.
Octane rating
Octa ne r ating in dicates a gaso line's abili ty to
res ist engine damagin g "knoc k" ca used by
p remature ign ition and detonation. Therefore,
buy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
important to help prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the Unite d
States a nd Canada has the following octane r
at ings t hat can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
pump:
- Pre mium G ra de: 91 -9 6 A KI
- Regular Grade : 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti K nock Index= (R+M) /2 = (RO N
+ MON)/2
R ON= Resea rch Octane Numb er
MON = Motor Octane Num ber .
(D Note
-Do not use a ny f ue l w it h octane rat ings
lower tha n 87 A KI or 9 1 RO N othe rwise
expensiv e engine damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline . The use of
lead ed gasoline w ill severely damage
yo ur v ehicl e's catalytic co nve rter a nd its
ability to co ntrol exha ust e mission s.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded g asoline blende d with
alcohol o r MTBE (commonly re ferred to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets t he
f o llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -kno ck index mus t be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no mor e than 3% me th-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-sol-
ve nts .
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
- Anti -knoc k index must be 87 AKI or higher .
- Blend must not conta in mo re than 10%
ethanol.
- Ve hicl es w ith flexible f uel engine: blend
m ust not contain more t han 85% etha no l.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE .,.

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig . 182 Dr iver's side footwell: eng ine hood release
lever
... ~ - ---
F ig . 183 Re lease lever un der the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshield w ipers are flat against the
windshield. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel in the direction of the ar­
row
Q fig. 182.
.. Raise the hood slightly QA
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward
c::> fig . 183 . This re leases the catch .
.,. Open the hood.
& WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To redu ce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if yo u see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or Checkin
g and fillin g 219
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced .
.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c::> .&, .
_&. WARNING
-
A hood that is not comple tely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, chec k it
to make sure the safety catch has p ro pe r­
ly engaged . The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrounding 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 .
Whenever yo u mu st p erform an y w or k in th e
eng in e compa rtment, for example checking
and filling differ ent fluid s, there i s a ri sk of
injury , burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always obser ve the following
WARNINGS . The eng ine compa rtment of any
v ehicle is a hazardous are a
QA .
_&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake .
- Move selector lever of automatic trans -
mission to "P" (Park); p ut manual trans­
miss ion in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact .