Page 201 of 294

Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when tow ing
a trailer because o f the addit ional weight and
d iffe ren t weight distribution . Safety, perform
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
caref ully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
B efore you actua lly tow your trailer, pr actice
turning, stopp ing and bac king up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become comp lete ly fam iliar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is d ifficu lt a nd requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
M aintain a g reater distance betwee n your ve
h icle and the one in front o f you . You will need
mo re room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
W hen pass ing, remember that yo u cannot ac
celerate as fast as yo u normally wo uld be
cause of the added load. Ma ke s ure you have
e nough room to pass . After passing , allow
p lenty o f room fo r your tra iler before chang
in g la nes aga in .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in
period of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may re
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
o page 2 73.
Trailer towin g 199
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol lowing:
When parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
veh icle and the tra iler wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release t he
bra kes unt il t he whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.. Tur n the whee ls towa rds t he curb .
.,. App ly the parking brake.
.. Place an a utomat ic t ransm ission* in P, re
spectively a manual transmission in first or
reverse gear.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot br ake .
.. Sta rt t he engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to D/S, respectively
a man ual transmiss ion in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and s low ly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks.
@ Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the auto
matic transmissio n* to P before applying
the pa rking brake and before bloc king the
whee ls, you may hav e to use mor e forc e
la ter to m ove the lever out of the P p osi
tion.
•
•
Page 202 of 294

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.
Page 203 of 294

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.
-
•
•
Page 204 of 294

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
1111>
Page 205 of 294

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 .
•
•
Page 206 of 294

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job will not be enough . The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust pr imer before the pa inted
f inish can be restored.
The number for the origina l vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle ident ificat ion labe l
c::>page269.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 200.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
C lean a ll windows regularly to remove road
fi lm and car wash wax b uildup.
"' Remove snow from windows using a brush.
"' Use a plast ic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
"' Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray •on glass cl eaner .
"' Wipe the windows dry with a clean p iece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush . Use a non-abra
sive
pla stic ice sc raper -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) .
O il, grease, or silicone residue can be removed
with
g lass clea ner or silicone 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 should also be cleaned on the inside
at regular intervals .
Never dry w indows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces . Wax resi- due on the chamois can impai
r vision through
the windows.
A WARNING
-- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 200.
-The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in
crease glare under poor v is ibility condi
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi
tion, they can cause the w indshield w ip
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors .
Th is could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ickers on the ins ide of the rear window
over the wires .
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always sc rape in a forward di
rection -pushing the sc raper away from
yo u -never bac k and fort h.
- Wate r lea king from the ins ide of the rear
w indows may damage sens it ive elec trical
components located ei ther 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 this by using waterproof pro
tection over the vehicle's electrical com
ponents (e .g. when installing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malfunction of electrical
components due to water damage or any
other outside infl uence is not covered by
the Audi New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
See you r Wa rranty
& M ain tenance book
le t for addit ional deta ils abou t your war
ranty.
Page 207 of 294

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. •
•
Page 208 of 294

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.