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,-
•
•
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 . .,..
206 Cleaning and protec tio n
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
cou ld unintentionally be switched on,
poss ibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage .
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ignit ion is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine w ith
the engine running . Moving or hot parts
cou ld inju re you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel cove rs, or other hard
to reach parts w ithout protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other informa tion ~
page 194.
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 22 7
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 254.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be b roken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision and serious
pe rsonal injuries, drive w it h special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•
228 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and winter tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Audi recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicl e w ith
standard equipment including the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 229
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in wh ich the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see¢ page 228, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
re sp onding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
•
•
230 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s of t ime. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h) ¢ page 239 . You may
not find this in format ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here a pplica
b le, is molded on the tire s idewa ll and indi
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 243.
Tire pressure monitoring sy stem*
means a system tha t d etects when one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires are under inflated and
i llum ina tes a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he projections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves designed to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wea r of the tre ad . See
¢ pag e 23 7, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs make re lative compa risons among
tires. The UT QG i s no t a safety r ating and no t a
g uar antee that a t ire will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles (kilome ters) or pe rform in a
certain way. It s imply gives ti re bu ye rs addi
tional information to combine with other con -s
iderations, such as p rice , brand loya lty and
dealer recommendations. Un der UTQ G, tires
are grade d by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwea r, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion on the tires,
molded into the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "se ria l numbe r" . It be gins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ire meets all federa l standards . The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbe rs
r eprese nt the week and year of ma nufact ure.
Fo r exampl e,
DOT ... 2212 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2012. The ot her numbers are market
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers i f a tire defect requires a
r ecall .
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo
cated on the driver's side B-pilla r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h axle its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distributing to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accorda nce wit h tab le below¢ page 231)
and divid ing by two .
Tires and wheels 231
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants
_____ mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 182 Tir e pressure labe l: located on driver 's s ide B·
p ill ar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the interna
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
squa re inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use . The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ."
It is the
in flat ion pressure i n a "cold " tire that counts.
Therefore, you shou ld neve r let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflat ion pres
sure" recommendations. The tires would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
Maintaining proper tir e pressure is one of the
most impor tant things you can do to help
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated tires
are a ma jor cause of s udden tire failure . Keep
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-tD
-
---------------------.. ,;
•(==.: I :::; I :,,. I)@ gi n. ............ .,_____, .... -.ito._.. ____ .... _ ...
&..p0idit,101111-~--.,...,....-- ..... ~ .... ..
-··-.....
-
-Dlst<:OURS
- KPA.. a PSI
- KPA.. a PSI
- KPA.. a PSI
Fig. 183 Tire pressure labe l
traction, braking and load carrying. Tire pres
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and the number of passengers and/o r amount
of luggage you w ill be transporti ng.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv
er's side B -pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold tire inflat io n pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
t he time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2 occu
pants), you can adjust tire pressures to those
specified for normal vehicle load. Before op
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
¢ &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system * can only monitor the tire pressures
II>