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>
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.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
11-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 corros ion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job w ill not be enough. The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust pr imer before the pa inted
f inish can be restored.
The number for the original vehicle paint can be found on the vehicle ident ificat ion label
¢page 275.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
C lean a ll windows regularly to remove road
fi lm and car wash wax buildup.
11-Remove snow from windows using a br ush .
11-Use a plastic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors.
11-Remove other res idue on the windows with
a spray-on glass cleaner.
11-Wipe the windows dry with a clean p iece 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
p lastic ic e scraper -better still, a spray
de icer - to remove
ic e from windows and mir
r ors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax s ince these can interfere with
the function of the w indshield wiper blades
(chatter).
Cleaning and protec tion 207
Oil, grease, or si licone residue can be removed
with
gl ass clea ne r or s ilicon e remo ve r. How
ever, wax res idue requires the use of a spec ia l
l y formulated solvent. Please contact your au
thorized Audi dealer for advice on safe prod
ucts for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regu lar intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces . Wax resi
due on the chamois can impair v is ion through
the windows .
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 202.
- The windsh ield must not be treated w ith
water-repellent materials. They can in crease glare under poor v is ibility condi
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi
tion, they can cause the w indshie ld w ip
ers to chatter.
0 Note
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirro rs.
Th is could cause the glass to crack.
- To p revent damage to the w ires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ic kers on the ins ide of the rear w indow
over the wires.
- T o help p revent dirt from scratching the
w indow, always sc rape in a forward di
rection -pushing the sc raper away from
you - never back and forth .
- Wate r lea king from the ins ide of the rear
w indows may damage sensitive electrica l
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 th is by using waterproof pro
tection over the vehicle's elect rical com
ponents (e .g. when instal ling window
tinting).
•
•
210 Cleaning and protec tio n
grease or dye must be patted off using ab
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
te r.
I n the case of general soi ling of the uphols
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat cove rs and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray ex traction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 202.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
s ol ve nt-fr ee plastic
cleane r/protectant.
A WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents wi ll make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information ~
page 202.
0 Note
Cleaning agents con taining solvents will
at tac k the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves .
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the co lo r determines the visu
al characterist ics and appearance . If the sur
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ive ly natura l condit ion. This
leather offe rs particularly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bites, skin fo lds, and s ubt le va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l na ppa le ather is not covered by a co l
o r finish. It is therefore mo re sensit ive to soil
ing and wea r, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red 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 infe rior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sens it 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. For example, dark clo thing
ma ter ials can disco lor le athe 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 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.
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well 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
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only
be used in veh icles with flex ible fuel en
gines. Using high ethano l fuel in vehicles
not equipped with flexib le fue l engines
can cause severe engine damage .
- 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 fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- 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 respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Veh icle 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.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 215
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to veh icles: w it h flex ible fue l en gin e
You can recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap .
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be op
erated with bio -ethanol fuels such as E85
(85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or with un
leaded gasoline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . T he vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption will increase when us
ing bio-ethanol fue ls due to the lower amount
of energy contained per unit volume in etha
nol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in
low temperatures
Due to the chemical composition of b io-etha
nol, a certain amount of fuel ends up in the
engine oil when driving short distances in ve ry
low temperatures. This fuel evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
II Ple ase warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru
ment cluster disp lay, drive with a warm en
gine to reduce the oil level.
(D Note
- Never fill with methanol or with a higher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A h igher percentage of bio-etha
nol in the fuel can cause damage to the
engine or to the fue l system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended
to fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith un
leaded premium grade gaso line every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fuel tank comp letely with unleaded pre
mium grade gasoline and dr ive it nor
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
pers ists.
•
•
220 Checking and filling
-To reduce the risk of 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 fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal 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 repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to
"P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
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 wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
~ /1. .
A WARNING
=
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories contain 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 fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer.