2013 AUDI TT warning light

164 Cleaning and protection
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.
Furth erm ore, goo d car e m ay be a c onditi on
for substantiat ing a warrant y claim shou ld
c orrosion dam age or paint d efe ct s occ ur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
d ed ica ted vehicl e-ca re product s and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- 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 pol ish remover or other volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may
c u t yourself on sharp-edged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 153 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental in ­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this 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 seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle paint, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be .
High tempera tures, as from expos ure to in­
tense sunlight, intensify the corrosive e ffect
particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certa in ci rc u mstances,
we ekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r othe r cond it ions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade ­
quate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoro ughly washed p re ferab ly in a
pro fessional ca r wash.
A WARNING ~
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c::> page 164.

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. Remove antenna if applicable .
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, e tc. -it is best to
ask the car wash operator i f these should be
removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information ¢
page 164.
(D Note
- Fold the exterior mirrors -flat the re is a
risk of damaging the exterio r mirrors .
Power folding exterior mi rrors must not
be fo lded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Compare the track of your vehicle w ith
the d istance between the guide ra ils of
the facility- there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and tires .
- Compare the width of your vehicle wit h
the width of the tu nnel at the fac ility.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
~ Befo re you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ A in General informa tion on page 164 .
Cleaning and protec tion 165
~ First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
rinse it off.
~ As you clean yo ur vehicle, start w it h the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush .
~ Rinse the sponge o r the sponge glove often,
flushi ng it clean each time.
~ Use spec ia l car shampoo only fo r very per­
sisten t dirt.
~ Rinse the car thoroughly wit h water.
~ Use a chamois leather to gent ly wipe the ex -
terior dry .
U se a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, yo u wi ll not scratch
the paint wit h coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
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 164.
(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
cou ld scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sun light.
Drops of wate r act as mag nifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- Whe n you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse yo ur vehicle with a hose, be
c ar efu l not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at doo r or hatch
openi ngs -they can free ze sh ut.
- Never use sponges designed to
remove
insec ts, or any k itche n sco uring sponges
or s imil ar p rod ucts. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths o r
•
•

166 Cleaning and protection
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
li ng your vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. This w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehicles outs ide of
these facilities is prohib ited.
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 washe r, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
I N GS 9 .&. in General information on
page 1 64.
• Always fo llow the opera ting ins truc tions for
the power washer.
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
• Do
no t ho ld the spray no zzle too close to
soft materia ls.
Keep a distance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulat ing mater ial as we ll as
sensors and camera lenses.
When clea ning the vehicle wit h a power wash ­
er
always f o llow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance. Do not po int
the spray directly at the sea ls around the s ide
windows, a round t he doors, on the rear lid or
on the su nroof* . Likew ise, do not point it di­
r e ctly at t ires, r ubber hoses, insul ation mate ­
rial or sensors. Hold t he sp ray noz zle at least
1.3 ft ( 0.4 m) away from the vehicle.
D o not use a h igh-pressure powe r washer to
r emove snow and i ce. D
o not use a jet which sprays water in a d irect
stream o r one that has a rotating jet .
Water temper ature sho uld n ot ex ceed 140 °F
(6 0 °C).
A WARNING ~ -
N eve r wash t ires wi th a jet that sprays wa­
ter i n a direct stream. This could cause in ­
v is ib le damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail a nd cause
a ccidents and pe rsonal i njury.
([) Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, a lways
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
like rubber hoses, plast ic pa rts and sound­
deade ning ma ter ia ls as w ell as s ensors
and camera lenses. Neve r aim t he sp ray
head a t the same point fo r a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headligh ts
and painted bumpers. Remembe r: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
materia l, the greater the stress on the ma ­
terial.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with ma tte finish paint require spe­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Wa shing by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large par ticles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and fi nger­
pri nts are best removed w ith a
special cleaner
for matte finish paint .
Apply the product us ing a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damag ing the pa int surface , do not use
too much pressure . ..,.

Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to ­
ward the bottom using a
ne utral shampoo
and a soft m ic ro fi ber cloth . Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thoroughly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
s p on ge on these areas .
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly aga in and let it
air dry . If there are any water spots, they can
be removed using a
le athe r cloth.
Clean aga in with the s peci al cl ean er for matt e
fini sh p aint
if necessary.
R emoving stubborn dirt
B ird d ropping s or tree sap
are best removed
with p lenty of water and a m icrofiber cloth .
You should r inse
off ga soline residue immedi­
ately with plenty of water .
A WARNING
-Wash your veh icle only when the ignition
is switched
off to reduce the risk of a
c rash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
othe r information
r=;> page 164.
(D Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte finish paint using polish ing mate ­
r ials or hard wax. These products could
cause damage to the appea rance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte fin is h effect.
- Do not p lace any st ickers or magnetic
s igns on vehicle parts painted w ith
ma tte finish paint. The pa int co uld be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed .
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sunl igh t.
- To prevent damage to the paint su rface,
do no t use insect removal sponges,
r o ugh kitchen sponges or similar items.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headl igh t lenses on a
Cleaning and protec tion 167
regu lar bas is, for example when re fuel­
ing your vehicle . Only clean the head­
lights using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy water is
recommended.
(D Tips
For more information on special clean ing
products designed for matte f inish paint,
see your Aud i dea ler.
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating pro tects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under
r=;> page 164, Washing and
even against s light scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
wa xing process in
automa tic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to g ive the
paint extra protection, part icularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint .
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the veh icle body .
D uring 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 pa int that is waxed
often .
Polishing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the polis h used does not contain p reserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 164 .
•
•

168 Cleaning and protection
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons , Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim pieces from pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim st rips should be
removed with a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Audi dealers
carry cleaning products which have been test­
ed 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 .
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 164.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastics 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 vinyl trim. Remove water
spots and soap traces with a clean, damp
cloth or 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 especially
to clean vinyl.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material 's luster
and pliability.
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 164.
Aluminum trim '
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam­
age them
over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 164.
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 Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor scratches and stone chips . Scratches should
be touched up soon after they occur to pre­
vent corrosion.
The number for the original vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification label
.:>page 238.
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 164.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides .
Clean all windows regularly to remove road
film and carwash wax buildup.
.. Remove snow from windows using a brush .
.. Use a plas tic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray-on glass cleaner.

~ Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece 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
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect
remover or wax since these can interfere with
the function of the windshield wiper blades
(chatter).
Oil, grease or silicone residue can be removed
with
glass cleaner or silicone remover. How­
ever, wax residue requires the use of a special­
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your
Audi dealer for advice on safe products for
wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regular intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair vision through
the windows.
A WARNING
-The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 164.
(D Note
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di-
Cleaning and protection 169
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
· Steel wheels
Applies to vehicles : with steel wheels
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
~ Always include the hub caps and wheel rims
when washing your vehicle to remove road
dirt, salt sprays and brake dust.
If necessary, use a commercial wheel cleaner
to remove accumulated brake dust.
The wheel rims are easier to keep clean if they
are regu larly coated with liquid wax.
Paint scratches should be touched up as soon
as possible to prevent corrosion
¢ page 168,
Touch-up paint.
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency -
¢ page 153, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully af­
ter each vehicle wash.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 164.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Applies to vehicles: with Cast 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
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner .
~ Rub a coat of liquid wax onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­ sary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake
dust is also corrosiv e. If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Audi dealer. Never leave the cleaner on .,..
•
•

170 Cleaning and protection
the rims longer than specified on the label. If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid contained in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive 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 possible.
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 153, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
qpage 164.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
-
All body cavities which could be affected by
corrosion have been given thorough protec­
tion at the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a plastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
, -
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammable and toxic. If you use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benzine on the
ground, into 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 and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 164.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by
road hazards should be repaired promptly.
A WARNING
-Too much undercoating in the wrong pla-
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing 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 164.
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, paint polish, chrome polish or other abrasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
t h at are suitable for stainle ss steel.
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­ ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Radio-/Navigation* display
.. Clean the display with a soft clean cloth and
an LCD cleaner.
The display can be cleaned with a professio­
nally available "LCD cleaner ". The cloth should
be slightly dampened with the cleaning fluid
to clean the display. .,.

172 Cleaning and protection
-Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loos e when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the informat ion
¢ page 164.
(D Note
Clean ing agents containing solvents will
attac k the material and can change the
way it behaves .
Instrument cluster glass
~ Clean the glass with a soft, damp cloth .
I n order to preserve the anti-glare properties
of the inst rument cl uste r glass, it should on ly
be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth.
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties , natural look and feel of interior
leather.
G ener al
We offe r many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
l eather, which has a smooth su rface and
comes in var ious co lo rs .
The in tensi ty of the color de termines the v is u ­
a l characterist ics and appearance . If the sur ­
face of the leathe r has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural cond ition. This
leather offers par ticularly good com fort and
breathes well . F ine veins, closed grains , in sect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in color
remain visib le. These characte ristics demon­
strate that the mater ia l is na tural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col ­
or finish .
It is therefore more sens itive to soil­
ing a nd wear, which is something you need to
consider if ch ild ren, an ima ls o r othe r factors
migh t prove to be particularly hard on the
l eathe r.
B y contrast, leather types that are cove red by
a co lored f inish laye r are more durable. This has a positive effect on the leather's resis
t­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typ ica l character istics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev­
er, th is does not mean that the leather itse lf
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
l eather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil­
ing, etc.) , you will need to be somewhat care­
ful with these leathers, and a certain type of ca re is req uired. Fo r example, dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor leather seats (especia l­
l y if such clo thing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly) . D ust and dirt pa rticl es i n pores,
f olds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
T he lea ther should be clea ned regularly as
neede d. After hav ing been used for a relat ive ly
long time, your leather seats will acq uire a
rich aged finish . This is a characteristic of nat­
u ral leather and a sign of true quality .
In order to maintain the val ue of this nat ural
product
over the life of your ve hicle, you
sho uld follow t he recommendations be low:
(D Note
- T o keep your lea ther from b leaching o ut,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time . If yo u
have to leave the veh icle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun­
light .
- Sharp objects on cloth ing, such as zip­
pers, rivets o r sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent sc ratches or scrape
ma rks on the su rface of the leath er.
(l) Tips
- After each time you clean the leather and
a t regular intervals , use a leathe r preser­
vative c reme that con tains UV-b locke rs
and tha t wo rks into the leathe r. T his