Page 169 of 262

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 .
•
•
Page 170 of 262

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.
Page 171 of 262

~ 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 .,..
•
•
Page 172 of 262

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. .,.
Page 173 of 262

(D Note
To avoid scratching the display, you should never clean it dry.
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 su rfaces and can dam
age them ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
t he information<=>
page 164.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular
interva ls with a vacuum cleaner. T his 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.
Norm al cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab
ric. Brushes should only be used for carpets
and floor mats, s ince other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by b rushes .
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercially available 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 d ry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. microfibe r clo th)
and vacuum it afte r it has dr ied comp lete ly.
Cl eaning stains
Stains caused by beve rages (e .g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be t reated with a mild deter
gent solution. App ly the dete rgent so lution
wi th a sponge. In the case of s tubbor n stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
Cleaning and protec tion 17 1
the stain and worked into the fabric. After
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the rema in ing detergent. 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 (e.g . ox-gall soap) rubbed in
to them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge).
A lcohol 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 mater ial. It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
te r.
In the case of genera l soiling of the uphols
tery and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a specia list that has the equipment to clean
t h e seat covers and othe r fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the info rmation
<=> page 164.
@ Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Ve lcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
A lways use a clean clo th moistened in clea r
water to clean these areas . For pe rsistent d irt
u se an Aud i approved
solvent-free p lastic
clea ner/protectant.
A WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of
some p lastics and make it harder for the
a irbag to deploy.
-
- Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of Airbag modu les with cleaning
products that co nta in solvents .
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part porous. •
•
Page 174 of 262

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
Page 175 of 262

creme will nourish and moisturize the
l eather, helping it to b reathe 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, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc . as
soon as possib le.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at
tention .
Normal cleaning
~ Clean soiled areas wit h a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth.
Mor e stubborn dirt
~ More stubbo rn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mi ld soap so lution (2
tablespoons mi ld liquid soap) .
~ Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
~ Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleaning sp ots
~ Remove fresh w ater -b ased spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
~ Remove fresh gr ea se or oil -ba sed spot s
(such as butter, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleane r from the leathe r care kit if the
spot has not yet pene trated in to the surface
of the leather .
~ Use an oil/grease dissolving spray , if oil /
grea se spots h ave d ried on.
~ Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernail polish, water-
Cleaning and protec tion 173
based paint, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for leather .
Le ather car e
~ Every half yea r use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dea ler) to
care for the leathe r.
~ App ly the product very sparingly .
~ Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions abou t cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Cremes to care fo r colored lea ther
- Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information r=) page 164.
Q) Note
- Never use chemical so lve nts (e.g. lighter
fluid, tu rpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
simi lar products on the leather surfaces
in yo ur Audi .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a comme rcial clean ing spe
cialist.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
~ Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces.
Removing stains
~ Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water or
w ith diluted
ethyl (rubbing ) alcohol.
~ Dab at the stain . Start at the outs ide and
work inwards . •
•
Page 176 of 262

174 Cleaning and protection
• Once the stain is no longer visib le, use a
soft dry cloth or tissue to soak up the mois
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al
cantara .
You may use a suitable shampoo fo r remov ing
d ust and dirt.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the ca r is
l eft standing i n the sun fo r long periods, the
A lcantara should be protected against direc t
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight co lor
variations will deve lop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration.
{[) Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fl uid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polis h or
similar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commercial cleaning spe
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well -maintained safety belts work relia
bly when needed .
Heavily soiled safety belts may no t retr act
p roperly.
• Keep be lts clean.
• Fo r cl eaning, use a m ild soap and wate r sol
u tion. Let be lts dry thoro ughly and away
from direct sunlight .
• Do not a llow inertia reel safety be lts to re
tract before they are completely dry .
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg
ularly.
.&_ WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
1l Use o nly the co rrect cleaning so lu tions. Never use gas
o line or d iese l fue l.
-Anyth ing that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas
sengers would not be adequate ly pro
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
b leach or dyes. They have co rrosive prop
erties which wea ken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety be lts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam
age, see your Audi dealer.
'
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
the information
<=;> page 164.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine comportment.
Alway s swit ch off the ign ition before clean
ing the engine <=;>.&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the w indshield under the eng ine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior t hro ugh the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Corrosion protection
T he engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatmen t is very impor
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1>, or if ..,.