Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehicle’s value. It can also be a requirement when submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage and paint defects on the body. The required cleaning and care products can be obtained from an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Service Facility. Read and follow the instructions for use on the packaging.
= Using cleaning and care products incorrectly can be dangerous to your health.
— Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of children to reduce the risk of poisoning.
— Purchase environmentally-friendly cleaning products if possible.
— Do not dispose of cleaning and care products with household trash.
Car washes The longer that deposits such as insects, bird droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the vehicle, the more the surface can be damaged. High temperatures such as those caused by sunlight increase the damaging effect. Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with plenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree sap are best removed with plenty of water and a microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once road salt stops being used for the season. Pressure washers When washing your vehicle with a pressure washer, always follow the operating instructions provided with the pressure washer. This is especially important in regard to the pressure and spraying distance. Do not aim the spray directly at the
seals on the side windows, doors, hood, luggage compartment lid, or sunroof, or at tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors*, camera lenses*, or the laser scanner*. Maintain a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm). Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure washer. Never use cone nozzles or high pressure nozzles. The water temperature must not be above 140 °F (60°C).
Automatic car wash Spray off the vehicle before washing. Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed and the windshield wipers are off. Make sure that the vehicle is still able to roll during the washing process in the car wash. Follow instructions from the car wash operator, especially if there are accessories attached to your vehicle. If possible, use car washes that do not have brushes.
Washing by hand Clean the vehicle starting from the top and working downward using a soft sponge or cleaning brush. Use solvent-free cleaning products. Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by hand To reduce the risk of damaging the paint when washing, first remove dust and large particles from your vehicle. Insects, grease spots, and fingerprints are best removed with a special cleaner for matte finish paint. Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To reduce the risk of damaging the paint surface, do not use too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft microfiber cloth. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air dry. Remove any water residue using a chamois. >
Care and cleaning
~To reduce the risk of accidents, only wash the vehicle when the ignition is off and follow the instructions from the car wash operator.
—To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself from sharp metal components when washing the underbody or the inside of the wheel housings.
— After washing the vehicle, the braking effect may be delayed due to moisture on the brake rotors or ice in the winter. This increases the risk of an accident. The brakes must be dried with a few careful brake applications.
~ If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors. Power folding exterior mirrors* must only be folded in and out using the power folding function.
~To reduce the risk of damage to the rims and tires, compare the width between the wheels on your vehicle with the distance between the guide rails in the car wash.
—To reduce the risk of damage, compare the height and width of your vehicle with the height and width of the inside of the car wash.
—Make sure there is sufficient ground clearance when driving into a car wash with a conveyor belt * page 715. There is risk of damage because the vehicle could come in contact with the guide rails.
—Using a pressure washer incorrectly can cause damage. Never direct a stream of water directly onto electrical/electronic components when cleaning the engine compartment. Such components can be seriously damaged by the entry of fluids and by pressure, and this can lead to component failure.
~To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
~To reduce the risk of damage, do not wash decorative decals* with a pressure washer.
~To reduce the risk of damage to the surface, do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen sponges, or similar items.
When washing matte finish painted vehicle components: ~To reduce the risk of damage to the surface, do not use polishing agents or hard wax.
— Never use protective wax. It can destroy the matte finish effect.
— Do not place any stickers or magnetic signs on vehicle components painted with matte finish paint. The paint could be damaged when the stickers or magnets are removed.
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially designed for that purpose. This will reduce the risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle components, refer to the following tables. The information contained there is simply recommendations. For questions or for components
that are not listed, consult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility. Also follow the information found in > A\.
Care and cleaning
Exter cleaning
Windshield wiper | Deposits Soft cloth with glass cleaner, > page 67 blades Headlights/ Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solution®) tail lights Sensors/ Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray Laser scanner Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solution?) Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution Exhaust tail Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitable for stainless steel, if necpipes essary Decorative parts | Deposits ‘|Mild soap solution ®, cleaning solution suitable for stainand less steel, if necessary trim Rubber seals Deposits Microfiber cloth with a mild soap solution®”
Frost Protect the seals on doors, covers, and lids from freezing using a suitable care product
Paint Paint damage Repair with touch-up paint Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately Surface rust Rust remover, then treat with hard wax; for questions, consult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
Water no longer beads on the surface of clean paint
Treat with hard wax (at least twice per year)
No shine even though paint has been protected/paint looks poor
Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
Deposits such as insects, bird droppings, tree sap, and road salt
Dampen with water immediately and remove with a microfiber cloth Grease-based contaminants such as cosmetics or sunblock Remove immediately with a mild soap solution and a
soft cloth 287
Care and cleaning
Carbon compo- | Deposits Clean the same way as painted parts page 285 nents Decorative decals | Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solution?)
Interior cleaning 2) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water
Window glass _| Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry Decorative parts | Deposits Mild soap solution?) and trim Plastic parts Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild soap solution
», detergent-free plastic cleaning solution, if necessary
Displays/instru- | Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner; dust in the lower area of the ment cluster instrument cluster can be removed using a soft brush. Controls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solution® Safety belts Deposits Mild soap solution), allow to dry before letting them retract Textiles, Deposits adhering to | Vacuum cleaner
the surface Water-based deposits such as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Absorbent cloth and mild soap solution?
Oil-based deposits such as oil, make-up, etc.
Apply a mild soap solution ®), blot away the dissolved oil or dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
Certain types of deposits such as ink, nail polish, latex paint, shoe polish, etc. Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary?) 288
Care and cleaning
Natural leather —_ Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solution® Water-based deposits such as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Fresh stains: absorbent cloth dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
Oil-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable such as oil, make-up, for leather etc. dried stains: oil cleaning spray Certain types of deposits such as ink, nail polish, latex paint, shoe polish,
Spot remover suitable for leather
nents
etc. Care Regularly apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the material. Use special colored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon compo- | Deposits Clean the same way as plastic components
The windshield must not be treated with water-repelling windshield coating agents. Under unfavorable conditions, such as wetness, darkness, and when the sun is low, these coatings can cause increased glare, which increases the risk of an accident. They can also cause wiper blade chatter.
— Never clean the headlights or tail lights with a dry cloth or sponge because the lights could be damaged.
= Do not use any cleaning products that contain alcohol, because they could cause cracks to form.
—Wheels — Never use any paint polish or other abrasive materials. — Damage to the protective layer on the
rims, such as stone chips or scratches, must be repaired immediately.
Camera lenses
®) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water — Never use warm or hot water to remove snow or ice from the camera lens. This could cause the lens to crack.
—Never use abrasive cleaning materials or alcohol to clean the camera lens. This could cause scratches and cracks.
~ Laser scanner ~ Never use abrasive cleaning materials to.
clean the laser scanner. This could cause scratches and cracks.
— Door windows Remove snow and ice on windows and exterior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To reduce the risk of scratches, move the scraper only in one direction and not back and forth.
— Never remove snow or ice from door windows and mirrors using warm or hot water because this could cause cracks to form.
~To reduce the risk of damage to the rear window defogger, do not apply any stickers on the heating wires on the inside of the window.
— Decorative parts and trim —Never use chrome care or cleaning products. ~Rubber seals >
Care and cleaning
— There is a risk of damage if chemical. cleaning solutions or solvents are used.
— Paint —To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle must be free of dirt and dust before polishing or waxing.
~To prevent paint damage, do not polish or wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
—To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not polish away rust spots.
— Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immediately because they could damage the paint.
— Decorative decals —To reduce the risk of damage, do not use
any rough powder or abrasive cleaning products.
—To reduce the risk of damage, do not polish decorative decals that have a matte or printed finish.
— Due to the risk of damage, do not use an ice scraper to remove snow and ice on windows with decorative decals on them.
— Displays and instrument cluster — Make sure that the display and instrument
cluster are switched off and have cooled down before cleaning. To switch off the upper and lower display, select on the MMI home screen: SETTINGS > Display & brightness > MMI > Screen cleaning.
Displays, the instrument cluster, and the trim surrounding it must not be cleaned with dry cleaning methods because they could become scratched.
= Make sure no fluids enter the spaces between the instrument cluster and the trim, because that could cause damage.
— Controls — Make sure that no fluids enter the controls, because this could cause damage. ~ Safety belts
— Do not remove the safety belts to clean them.
— Never clean safety belts or their components with chemicals or with corrosive fluids or solvents and never allow sharp objects to come into contact with the safety
belts. This could cause damage to the belt webbing.
~ If there is damage to the webbing, the connections, the retractors, or the buckles, have them replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa— Never treat artificial leather or microfiber with leather care products, solvents, floor polish, shoe polish, spot remover, or similar products.
—Have a cleaning specialist remove stubborn stains to reduce the risk of damage.
— Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard sponges, etc. when cleaning.
= Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the seat.
~ Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause damage to the surface.
— Open hook and loop fasteners, for example on clothing, can damage seat covers. Make sure hook and loop fasteners are closed.
—Natural leather — Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or similar products.
— Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause damage to the surface.
—Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard sponges, etc. when cleaning.
—Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the seat.
~To help prevent the leather from fading, do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight for long periods of time. If leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of time, you should cover the leather to protect it from direct sunlight.
Tips — Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed.
Care and cleaning
— Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from forming.
— Decorative decals can age due to environmental conditions, which can result in damage such as brittleness. The color may fade if exposed to excessive sunlight.
Taking your vehicle out of service If you would like to take your vehicle out of service for a long period of time, contact an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility. You can obtain information about the steps to complete depending on the conditions for taking the vehicle out of service (duration, location, etc.).
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