
Tire pressure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (vis ible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac
turers' specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be su re tra iler sa fety chains are properly con
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separatio n from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer whe n your car it
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes ea rly .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight di stribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avo ided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steer ing control.
Trailer towing 197
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi
ble, while keep ing the trailer as light as possi
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rticularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ilers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downh ill, shift into a lower gear to use the en
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 10
must be observed carefully . If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light •
in the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi.
-
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Audi or other commercially available cleaning
agents, please make sure you apply them cor
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di
rect ions carefully.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignition
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. without pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
Cleaning and protection 199
-Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 187. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often th is is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental influences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus trial gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef
fects will be . High temperatures caused by ex
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro
sive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 199 .
•
•

200 Cleaning and protec tio n
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
sign of the facility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
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 car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the roof . Factory installed an
tennas must not be removed.
I f you have installed additional accessor ies on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c;, page 199.
Before washing the vehic le 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 you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
r:::;, A in General information on page 199 .
• First soak all dried di rt until it is soft, then
rinse it off .
• As you clean your vehicle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
us ing a sponge, a sponge glove o r a clean
brush. •
Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time .
• Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per
sistent d irt .
• Rinse the car thoroughly with wa ter .
• Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior dry .
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next t ime you wash the car.
&_ WARNING
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or o ther ha rd
to reach parts withou t protecting you r
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
-A lways read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other info rmation
c;, page 199.
{D Note
- N ever try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
t he su rface of the veh icle is dry . Neve r
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
cou ld scratch your vehicle's paint or win
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright s unli ght .
Drops of wate r act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage your 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 .
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any k itchen scouring sponges
o r simi lar p roducts . They can damage
your pai nt finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar basis, for example when refuel
ing your vehicle . Never use a d ry cloth o r
sponge to clean the headlights. On ly use
wet cloths o r sponges to prevent
scratches. It is best to use soapy water.
-

@ For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the ex terior of your car wi th a high
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules .
11-Before using the power washer, make su re
you have read and understood the WARN
INGS
c:::> A in General information on
page 199 .
11-Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
11-Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray".
11-Do not ho ld the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls.
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash
er
always fo llow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the
operati ng
p re ssu re
and the s p ra yin g distance . Maintain
a sufficient d istance to soft mater ials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibra tion deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the
engine hood) . Do not use a jet wh ich sprays
water in a
direct stream or one that has a ro·
tat in g
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °() .
A WARNING
Never wash tires w it h a jet that sprays wa
t er in a direc t stream. This cou ld cause in
visib le damage to t he tires and weake n
them, 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.
(D Note
To avo id damag ing your vehicle, always
make sure t hat there is sufficient distance
Cleaning and protec tion 20 1
between the spray head and soft materia ls
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound
deaden ing mater ia ls. 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 ia l, the greater the st ress on the ma
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow w ith a hand br ush and remove
ice with a de -icing sp ray that does not con
tain so lvents.
- Clean the senso rs (adap tive c ruise co ntrol *,
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 i n the rear bumper.
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area a ro und them with the press ure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow o r ice from the camera lens . This
cou ld caus e the lens to crack .
- Never clean the camera lens with abra
sive products .
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
t o a la rge extent agains t the envi ronmental
f actors lis ted under
c:::> page 199, Washing and
even against s light scra tches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect yo ur
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 .,.
•
•

202 Cleaning and protec tio n
paint extra p rotection, particularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint.
P rotec t plastic body parts 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 are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
Poli shing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the polish used does not contain preserva
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af
terwards.
.8, WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
(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 care.
F or environmenta l reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim pieces from pure chromium-free a luminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim str ips should be
removed with a
pH-bal anc ed cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner) . Authorized
Audi dealers carry cleaning products which have been tested for use on your vehicle and
are not harmful to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exterior trim strips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the windshield washer.
.8, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 199.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp
cloth o r sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a solvent designed espec ially
to clean v inyl.
Occas ionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material's luster
and pliability .
.8, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 199.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum surfaces .
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack a luminum surfaces and can dam
age them over time.
.8, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 199.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.,. Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks.
Your authorized Audi dea ler has touch-up
paint for minor scratches and stone chips.
Scratches should be touched up soon after
they occur to prevent corrosion .

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
• Wash the whee ls 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
liq uid wax onto the r ims every
t h ree month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces
sa ry. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
d ust is a lso corros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe p roducts are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longe r than specified 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 ab rasive or metal polishing clean
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency ¢
page 187. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
-
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does no t need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity 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.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc
tions on the container .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
, Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional 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 for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
'
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other ab rasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for stainless steel.

Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean
ing products that have been tested and ap
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Radio/MM!* display may be clea ned with
a soft cloth and commercially-availab le "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the cleaning solution when cleaning the
display .
The
MMI* controls must be cleaned first with
a brush so that dirt does not enter the un it or
enter between the buttons and the housing.
Then wiping the controls with a cloth damp
ened with dish detergent and water is recom
mended.
(D Note
- To avoid scratch ing the display, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To prevent damage, make s ure fl uids 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 ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r::> page 199.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fa brics and fabric coverings (e.g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular
intervals with a vacuum cleaner. This removes
surface dirt particles which could become em bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Cleaning and protection 205
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 sur face stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface 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, fr uit
jui ce, 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 deterge nt. Apply the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed into them. After
wards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge).
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from
grease, oil , lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab
sorbent materia l.
It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
ter.
In the case of genera l soiling of the upho ls
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specia list t hat has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
r::> page 199.
•
•

(D Note
-To keep your leathe r 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 sun
l ight .
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip pers, rivets or sha rp pieces on belts can
l eave pe rmanent scratches o r scrape
mar ks on the surface of the leather.
@ Tips
- After each time you clean the leathe r and
at reg ular i nte rva ls, use a leather prese r
vat ive cream th at co ntains UV-blo ckers
and th at wor ks into the leather. This
cream will no urish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping it to breathe and stay
supple . It also helps to b uild up a protec
tive coat ing on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 - 3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ba llpoint
pens, in k, lipst ick, shoe polish, etc . as
soon as possib le.
- 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
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at
tention .
Normal cleaning
.,. Clean soiled areas w it h a slightly mo istened
cotton or woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
.,. More stubbo rn dirt can be removed using a
cl oth saturated with a m ild soap so lution ( 2
tablespoons mi ld liquid soap) .
Cleaning and protec tion 207
.,. Never allow the soap sol ution to sa turate
the leather, and make certain that no water
soaks into the seams .
.,. Wipe
off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Clean ing spots
.,. Remove fresh wate r-ba sed 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 clot h 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 t he leathe r.
.,. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil /
grease spot s have dried on.
.,. Remove s pecific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt mar ker, fingernai l polish, water
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formulated for leather.
Leather care
.,. Every ha lf 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 q uestions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your a uth orized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to ca re fo r colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc .
- Oil/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products .
_&. WARNING
Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other information
q page 199.
•
•