2013 AUDI Q5 light

216 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 200 , Broke sys­
tem .
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you was h the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select 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
frequ ent 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 mo re 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 waxi ng 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.
Vehicles with matte finish paint*
¢ page 219.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other in fo rmation¢
page 216.

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sig n of the fac ility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
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 m ust not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessor ies 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
Please take note of the follow ing po ints
before going through an automatic car
wash with your vehicle, so that you can
avoid damage to your vehicle.
- Compare the track of your vehicle with
the distance between the gu ide rails of
the fac ility- there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and t ires.
- Compare the height and w idth of your
vehicle with the he ight and width of the
tunnel at the fac ility.
- Fold the exte rior mi rrors flat -there is a
r isk of damag ing the exte rior m irrors.
Power folding ex terior m irrors* must not
be folded in o r out by hand . Use the pow ­
er function !
- Do not a llow the wipe r blade to fall o nto
t he windsh ield after the vehicle is dried -
there is a r isk o f damag ing the pa int on
the hood .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information ¢
page 216.
-
Cleaning and protec tion 217
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and u nderstood the WARNINGS
Q .&. in General information on page 216 .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle , start w it h the
roof and wor k your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge o r the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use specia l car shampoo only for
very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly with water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gent ly w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door sills and othe r regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you w ill not scratch
the pa int w it h coarse par ticl es imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the ca r.
& WARNING ~ -
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to red uce the risk of a
crash.
-A lways read and heed a ll WARNI NGS and
other information
~ page 216.
{(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mu d or dus t if
t he su rface o f the ve hicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight .
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse yo ur vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze shut . •
•

218 Clea ning and protec tio n
- Never use sp onges designed to remove
insects, or a ny kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products . They can dama ge
you r paint f inish.
- Never use a dry cloth or s ponge to clean
the headligh ts. On ly use wet clot hs or
sponges to prevent scratches.
It i s best
to use soapy water.
- You should rem ove debris (suc h as in ­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, fo r example when refuel­
i ng your vehicle. Never clean the head­
li ghts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge.
It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that pu rpose. This w ill reduce
t he risk of d irty water contami nated with
oil from en tering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehicles outside of
these facilities is prohibited .
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
.. Before us ing the power washe r, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 216 .
• Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
• Make sure that the jet o n the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped sp ray ".
• Do
not ho ld the spray nozzle too close t o
soft materia ls.
Keep a d istance from soft mate rials such as
rubber hoses or insulat ing mater ial as well as
sensors and camera lenses .
When clea ning the veh icle w it h a power wash­
e r
always fo llow the operating instructions.
This applies particul arly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance. Do not po int the spray di
rectly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doors, on the rear lid or
on the Panoram ic sliding sunroof* . Likewise,
do not po int it direct ly at tires, rubber hoses,
insulat ion material or sensors
¢ page 219.
Hold the spray nozz le at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m)
away from the vehicle.
Do not use a high-pressure power washer to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct
stream or one that has a rotating jet .
Water tempera ture sho uld no t exceed 140 ° F
(60 °().
_& WARNING
Neve r wash tires with a jet t hat sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . Th is could cause in­
v is ible damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative ly
l ong distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal in ju ry .
(D Note
To avoid damaging you r vehicle, always
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
l ike rubber hoses, plast ic pa rts and sound­
deade ning mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never a im the sp ray
head at the same point fo r a long time .
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remembe r: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
mater ia l, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.

Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Appl ies to vehicles: with matte finish pa in t
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 necessary.
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 iber 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 216.
(D Note
-Do no t treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte finish paint using polish ing mate -
Cleaning and protec tion 219
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.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow w ith a hand br ush an d remove
ice with a de -icing spray that does not con­
tain so lvents.
- Clean the senso rs (adap tive c ruise control *,
parking system *) with a cleaning so lution
that does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth.
- Dampen the camera lens with a household
alcoho l-based g lass cleaner, and then wipe
the lens clean w ith a dry cloth.
Q) Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a press ure
washer,
- make sure there is eno ugh distance to
sensors in th e re ar bumper.
•
•

220 Cleaning and protec tio n
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. T his
could cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive prod ucts .
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under
qpage 216, Washing and
even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your pa int as soon as one week after your veh icle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w axi ng process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint .
Protect p lastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During wa rm 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 paint that is waxed
often.
P oli shing
Polish your vehicle on ly if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax .
I f the polish used does not contain preserva ­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards .
_&. WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
9 page 216.
@ Note
Donotusecarwaxon -
matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber- like t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH-b alan ced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner) . Authorized
Audi dealers carry cleaning products which have been tested for use on you r vehicle and
are not ha rmfu l to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim strips ,
only a pH-ba lanced solution shou ld be used
for the windsh ield washer.
_&. WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 216.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt . For othe r soil, use
a lukewa rm all-pu rpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove wate r
spots and traces of soap wi th a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
G rease , tar or oil sta ins can be removed with a
cle an cloth or sponge soaked wi th a ll-purpose
cleaner or with a solvent designed especia lly
to clean vinyl.
O ccas ional ly app ly a colorless v inyl or leather
preservative to re tain the materia l's luster
and pliability.
_&. WARNING
A lways read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other information
q page 216.

222 Cleaning and protec tio n
-To h elp prevent dirt fr om scratch ing the
win dow, always scrape in a f orward di­
rection -pu shing the scraper away from
you -never back and fo rth.
- Water leaking from the inside 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 sect ion of the vehicle.
You can do this by using waterp roof pro­
tection
over the vehi cle's electr ical com­
ponen ts (e.g., when ins tall ing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malf unct ion of electrical
componen ts due to wa ter damage or any
other outside influence is not covered by
the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
See your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
l et for add itiona l details about your war­
ranty.
Cast (light ) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
... Wash the whee ls w ith a sponge or hose
brush
every other week .
... For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
., Rub a coat of
liquid wa x onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast a lloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces­
sary. In add it io n to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive . If left o n for too long,
b rake dust ca n cause pitting.
Use on ly special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the r ims longe r than spec ified o n
the label.
If no t rinsed off p romp tly, the a cid
con tained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use ab ras ive or metal polishing clean­
i ng agen ts.
If the pro te ct ive coa ting has been chipped, e.g
. by kicked up road dirt, to uch it
u p as soon as possible.
A WARNING
--
- Moisture and ice on b rakes may affect
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 200, Brake sys­
tem.
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you wash the vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 216.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavit ies which could be affected by
corros ion have been thorough ly protected at
the factory.
T his sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax shou ld seep
o ut of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be
removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent .
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benz ine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benz ine for removing the wax, keep
sparks , flame and lighted cigarettes
away . Never dump benz ine on the
g round, into open streams or down sew­
age d rains.
- Be s ure to
observe all safety and environ­
men tal regulat ions. Follow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other info rmation
c::> page 216.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time .
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corros io n.
Any damage to the undercoat ing ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly.

& WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong pla­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exha ust
manifold, exhaust pipes, cata lytic con­
verter or heat shie lds . Wh ile driving, the
substance used for undercoating could overheat and cause a f ire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
c:> page 216.
Exhaust tail pipes
-
Road sa lt and other corros ive materia ls will
damage the mater ial in the exhaust tail p ipes
if they are not cleaned regula rly . Do not clean
the ta il p ipes with whee l cleaner, paint polis h,
chrome polish or othe r abrasive cleane rs.
C lean the tail p ipes wi th car care prod ucts
that are s uitab le for stain less stee l.
Your authori zed Audi dealer can provide clean­
in g p roducts t hat have been tested and ap­
p roved for you r vehi cle.
Care of interior
Radio and MMI* display
.,. Clean the d isp lay w ith a soft clea n cloth and
an LCD cleane r.
The display can be cleaned w ith a professio­
na lly available "LCD cleaner". The cloth shou ld
be slightly dampened with the clean ing flu id
to clean the display .
(D Note
To avoid scratching the display, you should
never clean it dry .
MMI control console
Applies to vehicles: with MMI
.. First clean the MMI control console with a
brus h to remove dust from the hous ing .
.,. The n w ipe the MMI con tro l c onso le w ith a
cl ean, soft, s ligh tly damp cloth .
Cleaning and protec tion 223
The M MI contro l console sho uld be cleaned
with a brush first so that no dirt is t rapped be­
tween the buttons and the housing . We rec­
ommend giving the MMI control conso le a fi ­
nal wipe with a cloth moistened with water
and dish washing detergent .
(D Note
To prevent damage, make s ure that no flu­
i d ever gets into t he MMI contro l conso le.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces .
Chrome care products a nd a lkaline cleaners
will attack a luminum surfa ces and ca n dam­
age them over t ime .
& WARNING ~
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other info rmation
c:> page 216.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fab ric coverings (e.g . seats, door
trim pane ls, etc .) sho uld be cleaned at regular
intervals w ith a vacuum cle aner. This removes
su rface dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabric through use . Steam
cleaners sho uld not be used , because the
steam te nds to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lo ck it the re.
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend us ing a soft sponge
o r a lint -free microfibe r clo th to t he clean fab ­
r ic. B rushes s hou ld only be used for carpets
and floo r mats, since othe r fabr ic surfa ces
cou ld be harmed by br ushes.
Normal su rface stains can be cleaned using a
comme rc ially availab le foam cleaner . Spread
the foam o n the su rface of t he fabric with a
soft sponge and wo rk it in gently . D o no t satu ­
ra te the f abric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e .g . m icrofi ber cloth)
and vac uum it after it has dried compl etely .
Ill>
•
•

By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a co lored finish layer are more durable. This
has a posit ive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characterist ics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
i s of infer ior quality.
C ar e and h and ling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and the ir unique prop­
erties (such as sensitivity to o ils, grease, so il­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, da rk clot hing
materia ls can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
l y i f such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correctly) . Dust and dirt particles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
The leather sho uld be cleaned regularly as
needed. After having been used for a re lative ly
long time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the va lue of this natura l
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below:
(D Note
- 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 d irect exposure to su n­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
l eave pe rmanent scratches o r sc rape
mar ks on the surface of the lea ther.
{O) Tips
-After each time you clean the leathe r and
at regu la r i nte rva ls, use a leather prese r-
Cleaning and protec tion 225
vative c ream that contains UV -b locke rs
and that works into the leather. This
cream wi ll nour ish and mo isturize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay
supple. It also helps to build up a protec­
t ive coating on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 - 3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ballpo int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as poss ible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by us ing a specia l co lored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneve n color .
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: wi th natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
.. More st ubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion
(2
tablespoons mild 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 spo ts
.. Remove fresh water-based spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or pape r towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil -based spots
(suc h as bu tte r, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorben t cloth or paper towel, o r use
t he cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into t he surface
of the leathe r.
.. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil /
grease spots ha ve dried on.
•
•