2013 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET warning

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.
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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 .
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202 Cleaning and protection
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum s urfaces.
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
9 page 194.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e.g. seats, door
trim panels, etc .) should be cleaned at regular
intervals with a vacuum cleaner . This removes
surface dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabric through use. Steam
cleane rs shou ld not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a l int-free m icrofiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes should only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner. Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric . Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g . microfiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc .) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solut ion . App ly the detergent so lution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the remaining detergent . Apply the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth. Stains
from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed into them. After­
wards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge).
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from
grease, oil, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent material. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
ter .
In the case of general soiling of the uphols­
tery and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a specialist that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing a nd spray extraction.
A WARNING ,..__
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
9page 194.
(j) 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 persistent dirt
use an Audi approved
solvent-free plastic
clea ner/protectant.
A WARNING
-Solvents can change the properties of
some p lastics and make it harder for the
a ir bag to deploy.
-
-Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules w ith cleaning
products that conta in solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part porous.
- Serious injuries can resu lt if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
9 page 194.

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Appl ies 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.
M ore stub born d irt
"' More stubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap so lution (2
tablespoons mi ld 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 solut ion with a soft, dry
cloth .
Clean ing s pots
"' Remove fresh wa te r-b ase d spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
"' Remove fresh
grea se or oil-b ase d spot s
(such as b utter, m ayonnaise , chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, 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 /
gre ase spot s ha ve drie d on.
• Remove spec ific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernail polish, water­
based paint, shoe polish, etc.) with a spot
remove r specifically formulated for leather .
Leather care
"' Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Audi dealer) to care for the leather .
• Apply the product
very sparingly.
• Wipe it off wi th a damp cloth .
If you have any questions about cleaning and
car ing for the leathe r in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to he lp you and te ll yo u about ou r
fu ll range of leather care products, s uch as: -
Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot
removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oi l/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products .
_&. WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 194.
(D Note
- Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or sim ilar products on the leather surfaces
in your Audi .
I
-To avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a comme rcial clean ing spe­
cialist.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara® upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
• Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces.
Removing stains
"' Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water o r
w ith di luted
eth yl (rubbing ) alcohol.
"' Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
"' Once the sta in is no longe r vis ible, use a
soft dry cloth or tissue to soak up the mois­
ture .
Do no t use leather cleaning prod ucts on A l­
cantara ®.
You may use a suitab le shampoo for removing
dust and d irt.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is left standing in the sun for long per iods, the
Alcanta ra ® should be protected aga inst direct
s u nl ight to prevent it from fading. S light color
variations will develop in norma l use and are
not an indication of materia l deterioration . ..,.

(D Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercia l cleaning spe­
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed.
.. Keep belts clean .
.. For cleaning, use a mi ld 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 break in a crash.
- Anything that might damage your safety
belts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers wou ld not be adequately pro­
tected in an acc ident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect installation. Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach o r dyes. They have corros ive prop­
erties whi ch weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage.
If you discover dam­
age, see your a uthorized Audi dea ler.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information
Qpage 194.
l) Use o nly the correct cleaning sol utions. Neve r use gas­
oline or d iese l fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
A lw ays switch o ff the ign it ion before cle an ­
i ng the eng ine
c> ,& .
Plenum pan el
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
vent ilat ion ducts.
Co rro sio n protect ion
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, partic ularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1> , or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
s ion treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It i s therefo re essentia l to have a long­
lasti ng cor rosion pro tect ion reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before work ing in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
c> page 212.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
panel, a lways remove the ignit ion key.
205
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