Audi A4: 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.

WARNING

• 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.

For the sake of the environment

• 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, lids or the sunroof* or at tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors* or camera lenses*. 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 ºF (60 ºC).

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.

WARNING

• 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.

Note

• 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.
• 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.

For the sake of the environment

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 .

Exterior cleaning

^a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of Interior cleaning neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water

Interior cleaning

^a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water

WARNING

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.

Note

• Headlights and tail lights
  • 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
  • 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.
• 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.
• 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 center 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 Facility.
• Textiles/artificial leather/microfiber
  • 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.
• 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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