2013 AUDI A5 COUPE light

200 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
p ur chase . Reg ular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and valu e of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your auth orized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad ­
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the ext eri­
or a nd inte rior o f you r vehi cle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agen ts, pleas e make sure you apply t hem cor­
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleani ng agen ts m ay be poi sonous. Kee p
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- H eed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny produc t. Follow the di­
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing flui ds only i n well
ventila ted areas.
- Do not use gasoline, ke rosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remov er or ot her volati le
fluid s. T hey may be to xic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. D o not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ean t he under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro­
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 188. Test t he
brakes carefully each time you was h the
ve hicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Selec t on ly environ mentally frien dly clean ­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning pr oducts
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protec ts the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n­
fluences is
frequent wash ing and waxing . H ow
often t his is requ ire d d epends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- W he re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc .)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, t ar, soo t, ro ad salt
and other mater ials remain on the veh icle
body, the more lasting their destr uctive ef­
f ects w ill be . Hig h temperatures ca used by ex ­
pos ure to intense su nlight i ntens ify the c orro­
s ive effect, particular ly when hum id ity is high
as wel l.
U nder certa in circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional ca r wash.
A WARNING
-A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rma tion
c::> page 20 0.

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 filte ring 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.
Before going through a ca r wash, be s ure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the roof . Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car was h operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
(D Note
Before washing the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, p lease make sure to retract the
exterior m irrors to prevent them from be­
ing damaged.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
~ Before you start washing, make sure yo u
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ A in General information on page 200 .
~ First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then
rinse it off .
~ As you clean your veh icle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
us ing a sponge , a sponge glove o r a clean
brush.
Cleaning and protec tion 20 1
~ Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean eac h time .
~ Use spec ia l car shampoo only for very per­
sistent d irt .
~ Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
~ Use a chamois leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry .
U se a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you w ill not scratch
the pa int wit h coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
&_ WARNING
- Do not clean the underside of the chas ­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or o ther ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing you r
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
-Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
(D Note
- N ever try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the s urface o f the veh icle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win ­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight .
Drops of wate r act as magnifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash yo ur 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 .
- Never use sponges designed to
remove
insects, or any k itche n scou ring sponges
or s imilar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for exampl e w hen refuel­
ing your veh icle . Never use a dry cloth o r
sponge to clean t he headlights. On ly use
wet cloths o r sponges to prevent
scratches. It is best to use soapy water.
-
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202 Cleaning and protec tio n
@ For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should on ly be washed in special
wash bays.
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
c::> A in General information on
page 200 .
~ 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 ho ld the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials.
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the
o per atin g
p re ss u re
and the s p rayin g distance . Maintain
a sufficient d istance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibrat ion deadening
materials (part icularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet wh ich sprays
water in a
dire ct st ream or one that has a ro ­
ta ting
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °() .
A WARNING
Never wash tires w ith a je t that sprays wa­
ter in a direc t stream. This cou ld cause in­
visib le damage to the tires and weake n
t hem, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time . Dam­
aged and weakened t ires can fai l and cause
accidents and persona l injury.
([) Note
To avoid damag ing your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient distance between the spray head and soft materia
ls
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound­
deaden ing mater ials. Never aim the spray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
mater ial, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de -icing spray that does not con­
tain so lvents.
- Clean the sensors (adaptive c ruise control*,
parking system *) with a cleaning so lution
that does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper.
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the p ressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove snow o r ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive products .
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating prot ects the vehicle paint
to a la rge extent against the envi ronmental
factors lis ted under
c::> page 200, Washing and
even against s light scra tches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect you r
paint as soon as one wee k afte r you r vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
wa xing process in
automat ic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to g ive the
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paint extra protection, particularly if water no
l onger beads on the clean paint .
P rotec t plastic body pa rts with ca r 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 a re much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
Poli shing
Polish your vehicle only if the pa int has lost its
shine and the g loss 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
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anod ized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like tr im .
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special core.
For env ironmenta l reasons , Aud i fabricates
the bright tr im strips and trim pieces from
pure chromium-free a lum inum.
Dir t and mar ks on the trim str ips should be
removed with a
pH-balan ced cl eaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner) . Authorized
Audi dealers ca rry clea ning products w hich
have been tested for use on your vehicle and
are not harmful to the env ironment.
To avoid cor ros ion on the exterior trim str ips,
only a pH-balanced sol ution should be used
for the windshield washer.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
Cleaning and protec tion 203
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special core .
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For o ther soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning so lu tion or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clea n, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed w ith a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a so lvent designed espec ially
to clean v inyl.
Occas ionally app ly a colorless v inyl or leather
preservative to retain the material's luster
and pliability .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other information
¢ page 200 .
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum surfaces .
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 200 .
Touch-up paint
Minor point damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to cover m inor scratches and nicks.
Your a uthorized 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 .
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•

Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
~ Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
~ For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner.
~ Rub a coat of liqui d wax onto the r ims every
t hr ee month. Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the r im.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some special care is neces­
sary. I n add it ion to road d ir t and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dus t ca n cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
fo r alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longer than specif ied on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents.
If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possib le.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
q page 188. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoro ughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera-
Cleaning and protec tion 205
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine fo r removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, i nto open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulations. Follow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body she ll of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the unde rcoat ing caused by
road hazards sho uld be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating i n the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additiona l undercoating or
r u stproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other co rrosive materials w ill
damage the mate rial in the exhaust tail pipes
i f th ey a re not clea ned regularly. Do not clea n
the tail pipes with wheel cleane r, pa int polish,
c h rome pol ish or o ther ab ras ive cleane rs .
Clean the tail pipes with ca r care products
that are suitable fo r stainless steel. •
•

206 Cleaning and protection
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­
ing prod ucts that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Radio/MM !* display may be cleaned with
a soft cloth and commerc ially-avai lable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the cleaning solution when cleaning the
display.
The
MM I* controls must be cleaned first with
a brush so that dirt does not enter the unit or
enter between the buttons and the housing.
Then wiping the controls with a cloth damp­
ened with dish detergent and water is recom­mended.
(D Note
- To avoid scratching the disp lay, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To prevent damage, make sure fluids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral -pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
..&, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fab rics and fabric coverings (e.g. seats, doo r
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular
interva ls with a vacuum cleaner. This removes
surface dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabr ic and lock it there.
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal surface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially availab le 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. m icrofiber 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 solution. Apply the detergent solution
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 doth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth .
Stains from chocolate 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, o il, 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 upho ls­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specia list that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
..&, WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
i:> page 200.

208 Cleaning and protection
-To keep your leather from bleaching 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 direct exposure to sun­
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­ pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
l eave pe rmanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
@ Tips
-After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leather preser­
vat ive cream that contains UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
cream will nourish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping it to breathe and stay
supple. It also helps to build up a protec­
tive coating on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint
pens, ink, lipst ick, shoe polish, etc . as
soon as possible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles: with nat ura l leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention.
Normal cleaning
.. Clean soi led areas wit h a slightly moistened
cotton or woo len cloth.
More stubborn dirt
.. 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 so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cleaning spots
.. Remove fresh water-based spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil-based spots
(such as butter, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or pape r towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care k it if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface
of the leathe r.
.. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil/
grease spots have dried on.
.. Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt marker, fingernai l polish, water­
based paint, shoe polish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formulated for leather.
Leather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Audi dea ler) to care for the leather .
.. App ly the product very spar ingly.
.. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as :
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc .
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcom ing products.
,&. WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~page 200.

CD Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
in your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cialist .
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
App lies to vehicles: with Alcantara® upholstery
Rem oving dus t and dirt
.,. Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces .
Rem ov ing sta in s
.,. Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water or
with diluted
e th yl (rubb ing ) a lcohol.
.,. Dab at the stain. Start at the outside and
work inwards .
.,. Once the stain is no longer visible, use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois­
tu re.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al ­
cantara ®.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt. 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 periods, the
Alcantara ® should be protected against direct
sunlight to prevent it from fad ing . Slight color
variations will develop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration.
CD 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 commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list .
- Do not use brushes, st iff sponges or s im­
i larly abrasive cleaning aids .
Cleaning and protec tion
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed .
.,. Keep belts clean.
.,. For cleaning, use a mild soap and water so l­
ution . Let belts dry thoroughly and away
from d irect sunlight .
.,. Do not allow inertia ree l safety belts to re­
tract befo re they are completely dry.
.,. Check the condition of your safety bel ts
reg­
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled safety be lts may not ret ra ct
properly.
A WARNING
-Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing that might damage yo ur safety
be lts could mea n that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequate ly pro­
tected in an accident .
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which wea ken the webbing.
- When clean ing you r safety be lts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see yo ur authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Alway s swit ch off th e ign ition befor e clean­
ing the engine
¢ ,&. .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the eng ine hood . This
prevents t he wate r drain holes from becomi ng
blocked, and it p revents deb ris from enter ing
the ve hicl e interio r th ro ugh the heating and
ventilat ion duc ts . .,..
209
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