2013 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET light

194 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and
protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furth erm ore, goo d car e m ay be a c onditi on
for substantiat ing a warrant y claim shou ld
c orrosion dam age or paint d efe ct s occ ur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
d ed ica ted vehicl e-ca re product s and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may
c u t yourself on sharp-edged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 181. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental in ­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destr uctive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
pos ure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a professional car wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint
c::> poge 197.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 194.

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sig n of the fac ility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
The power top does not require special pre­
cautions be fore passing through a car wash.
Howe ver, the c ar mu st not be tre ated with
hot w ax after th e was h cy cle !
The wax could
adversely affect the power top and
even dam­
age the fabric
over a period of time.
The power top does not have to be washed
ev ­
ery time you use a car wash. The power top
can be spared if the car wash facility is equip­
ped with manually adjustable roof brushes or
rollers .
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precaut ions such as clos ing the
windows . Remove antenna if applicable .
If yo u have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, etc. -it is best to
ask the car wash operator if these should be
removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 194.
(D Note
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto­
matic car wash, please make sure to re­
tract t he exterior m irrors to prevent
them from being damaged.
- Compare the width of your vehicle with
the width of the tunnel at the fac ility.
Cleaning and protec tion 195
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
Q & ,
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle , start w it h the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use specia l car shampoo only for
very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly w ith water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the ca r.
A WARNING ~ -
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to red uce the risk of a
crash.
-A lways read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 194.
{(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
cou ld scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight .
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse yo ur vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut . •
•

196 Cleaning and protection
-Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or
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 headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches.
It is best to use soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehicles outside of
these facilities is prohibited.
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 power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 194 .
• Always follow 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 materials.
Never use a power washer to clean the power
top itself.
Keep a distance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulating material as well as
sensors and camera lenses. When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance. Do not point
the spr ay directly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doors, on the rear lid or on the power top . Likewise, do not point it di­
rectly at tires, rubber hoses, insulation mate­
rial or sensors
¢page 198. Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0 .4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do not use a high-pressure power washer to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct
stream or one that has a rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING "'--
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa -
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never use a power washer to clean the
power top itself.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials as well
as sensors and camera lenses. Never aim
the spray head at the same point for a
long time . This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re­
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material , the greater the
stress on the material.

Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing b y hand
To avo id damag ing the pa int when wash ing ,
first remove dust and large particles from
your veh icle. Insects , g rease spots and finge r­
p rints a re best removed with a
s pecial cleaner
for matt e fini sh paint .
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint su rface, do not use
too muc h press ure.
R inse the vehicle thoroughly w ith water . Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to­
ward the bottom using a
neu tral shampoo
and a soft mi cro fiber cloth . Stop freque ntly to
rinse the clot h thorough ly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last . Use a
clea n
sp o nge on these areas.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly aga in and let it
air dry . If there are any water spots, they can
be removed us ing a
l e ath er cloth .
Clean again with the special cleaner for matte
finish paint
i f nece ssary.
Rem oving stubb orn dirt
B ird d ropping s or tree sap
are best removed
with p lenty of water and a m icrof ib er cloth.
You sho uld r inse off
ga soline r esidue immedi­
ately with plenty of water.
A WARNING
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢page 194.
(D Note
-Do no t treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte finish paint using polish ing mate -
Cleaning and protec tion 197
ria ls or hard wax. These p rod ucts could
cause damage to the appearance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired .
- Never use protective wax . It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any s tickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle pa rts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle i n direct sunlight .
- To prevent damage to the paint surface,
do not use insect remova l sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ilar items.
- Yo u should
remove debris (such as in­
sects) from t he headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when refuel­
ing your veh icle. Only clea n the head ­
lights us ing a wet cloth or sponge,
neve r
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy wate r is
recommended.
(D Tips
Fo r more informat ion on special clean ing
products desig ned fo r matte f inish paint ,
see your Aud i dea le r.
Power top care
The power top requires special care .
Keep ing your top looking great and mak ing
certain that it lasts a long time depend to a
great extent on prope r use a nd care. Remove
bird dropp ings as soon as poss ible , since the
cor ros ive chemicals in them wi ll cause the
rubber imp regna tion in you r top to swell and
poss ibly allow the fabr ic to leak.
With normal soiling, all you need to do is
cl ea r th e top wi th a soft br ush and clea r wa­
te r. A lways b ru sh in the di rection of the fabric
from front to rear.
If the top is very dirty and has spotted areas
cl ean it with a brush using a conve rtible top
cl eaner . Always brush in the d irect ion of t he
f abric from front to rea r. R inse wi th p lenty of
clear water, and allow the top to air-dry .
IJI,-
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198 Cleaning and protection
Chamois are not suitable for drying the top .
Neve r use gasoline, spot remover, benzene,
pa int thinner o r so lvents to remove spots. We
recommend that you only use cleaners espe­
cially formu lated for use on convertible tops,
and that you follow the produce use directions
caref ully. Authorized Audi deals can provide
deta iled information.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information on
¢ page 194.
@ Note
Never use a high-pressure power washer to
clean the power top.
Wind deflector
App lies to vehicles: with wind def lector
Clear the wind deflector with water or, if it is
heav ily soiled, a chemically neutral cleaning
solut ion .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
the information on¢
page 194.
Sensors and camera lenses
-Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents .
- Clean the sensors (adapt ive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not conta in solvents and a soft
cloth .
@ Note
- If you wash you r vehicle with a pressu re
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer . - Never use warm or hot wate
r 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
W axin g
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under¢
page 194, Washing and
even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w axin g process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
paint extra protection, part icularly 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 pa int that is waxed
often.
Polishing
Polish yo ur vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the polish used does not conta in preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 194.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber-like t rim .

Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmenta l reasons, Audi fabricates
the br ight trim 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). Authorized
Aud i dealers carry clean ing products w hich
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 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 194.
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
m ild 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 des igned especially
to clean viny l.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather preservat ive to reta in the material's luste r
and pliability.
A WARNING
Alw ays read a nd heed all WARNINGS an d
other information
¢page 194.
Aluminum trim
.
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from alumin um s urfaces.
Cleaning and protec tion 199
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
¢page 194.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks .
You r authorized Audi dea ler has touch -up
paint for minor scratches and stone chips.
Scratches sho uld be touched up soon after
they occur 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 primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
T he number for the origina l veh icle paint can
be fo und o n the vehicle identification label
¢ page 265.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 194.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean a ll w indows regularly to remove road
f ilm and car wash wax buildup.
.. Remove snow from w indows using a brush.
.. Use a plastic ice s craper to remove ice from
w indows and mi rrors .
.. Remove other 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.
•
•

200 Cleaning and protec tio n
The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush. Use a non-abra­
sive
plas tic ice scraper -better still, a spray
de icer -to remove
ic e from windows and mir­
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax s ince these can interfere with
the function of the windshield wiper blades (chatter).
Oi l, grease, or silicone residue can be removed
with
gl ass clea ner or silic on e remo ver. How­
ever, wax residue requires the use of a special­ ly formulated solvent. Please contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer for adv ice on safe prod­
ucts for wax removal.
W indows shou ld 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 w indows.
.&_ WARNING
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ~
page 194.
-The windshie ld must not be treated with
water-repellent materials . They can in­
crease glare under poor visib ility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hori zon. In addi­
t ion, they can cause the win dshield wip­
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This cou ld cause the g lass to cra ck.
- To preven t damage to the wi res of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhe sive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
ove r the wires .
- To he lp prevent d irt from sc ratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward di ­
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and fo rth. -
Water leaking from the ins ide 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 th is by us ing waterproof pro­
tection over the vehicle's electrical com­
ponents (e.g. when install ing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malfunction of elect rical
c ompone nts due to water damage or any
other o uts ide infl uence is not covered by
the A udi New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
See your Warranty
& Ma intenance book­
let for additional detai ls about your war­
ranty.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
.,. Wash the w heels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week .
.,. For deep clean ing afterwards, use only a
dedicated
a ci d-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
.,. Rub a coat of
liqu id w ax 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 .
U se only spec ial
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy r ims. Safe products are availab le at
your authorized Aud i dealer . Never leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than spec ified on
the label. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleane rs can attac k 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 h ipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touc h it
u p as soon as possible . .,..

A WARNING 1=
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
Q page 181 . Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information Qpage 194.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does no t need to be
checked.
All body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoro ughly protec ted at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit iona l 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 suitab le solvent.
A WARNING
So lvents can be dangerous .
- Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
spar ks , flame and light ed c igaret tes
away. Never dump ben zine on t he
ground, in to open s tre ams or dow n sew­
age dra ins.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iro n­
me ntal regu lations. Follow all ins truc­
t ions on the con tainer .
- Always re ad and hee d all WARN INGS and
ot her informa tion
Q page 194 .
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is a lso thor­
ough ly protected against corrosion .
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards shou ld be repa ired promptly .
Cleaning and protec tion 20 1
A WARNING
Too much undercoating i n the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire .
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
ru stp roof ing o n or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . While d riving, the
substance used fo r under coating could
over hea t an d cause a fire.
- Always read an d heed a ll WAR NIN GS and
o ther info rmation
c:? page 19 4.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other co rrosive mater ials w ill
d amage the mate rial in the exhaus t tail pipes
i f they are not cleaned regular ly . Do not clea n
the tail pipes with whee l cleaner, paint polish,
c hr ome polish or other abras ive cleaners .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless s teel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can provi de clean ­
ing products that have been tested and ap ­
proved for yo ur vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Rad io/MM !* disp lay m ay be cleaned with
a soft cloth and commercially-available "LC D
cleaner". The cloth should be coated lightly
whe n the cleaning sol ution when cleaning the
display.
T he M MI* con trols m ust be cleaned first with
a b rush so that dirt does not enter the unit or
enter between the buttons and the housing.
Then wiping the cont rols with a cloth damp­
ened with dish de tergent and water is recom­
mended .
(D Note
-To avoid scratching the display, you
should never clean it dry .
- To prevent damage, make sure fluids do
not enter the cont ro ls .
•
•