stop start AUDI A7 2014 Owner's Manual

At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deact i­
vated in the N position .
A time de lay element prevents the se lector
l ever from locking when it is moved through
the N position (go ing from R to D/S). The lock­
ing e lement will lock the selecto r lever if the
l ever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap ­
proximately 2 second, without the brake ped­
al being pressed .
Relea se butt on
The release button on the selector lever pre ­
vents the lever from being accidentally shifted
into certain positions . Depending on the direc­
tion of the shift, the se lector lever locks at d if­
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
i n the illustration
c:> fig . 117 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
Fig . 1 18 Sh ift gate on the center conso le: se lector lev ­
er w it h relea se button
Startin g the engin e
• The selector leve r must be in P or N .
Starting off
• Press and hold the brake pedal.
• Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle, select the desired se lec­
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the button .
• Wait br iefly until the transmission has shift­
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
• Remove your foot from the b rake pedal and
acce le rate .
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 11 1
Stopping t emporaril y
• Keep the veh icle stationary using the brak ­
ing pedal , for example at traffic lights .
• Do not press the accelerator peda l when do­
ing this .
• To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when you
start driv ing, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c:> .&_ .
• The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
press the acce lerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the veh icle
could roll. The message
Tran smi ssion: Car
ma y roll! Shift to park!
appears .
• Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hicle has come to a comp lete stop .
• Apply the parking brake
c:> page 80, Parking .
• Select the P selector lever posit ion c:> .&_ .
Stopping on an incline
• Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve­
hicle in place and preven t it from "rolling
back"
c:> .&_ . Do not try to prevent the vehi ­
cle from "rolling back " when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the engine speed
c:> 0.
Starting on an incline
• Activate the parking brake.
• With the driving gear selected, press the ac­
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened.
Under certa in circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be usefu l to sw itch
temporar ily to the manual sh ift p rogram in or­
der to adj ust the gears to the driving cond i­
ti ons by hand
<:? _&. .
On slopes, activate the parki ng b rake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
T his prevents too much st ress from being
placed on the locking mechanism.

114 Automatic Transmission
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic
The Launch Control Program provides the
best acceleration possible when starting from
a stop .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.. Press the
I~ O FFI button 9 page 198 while
the engine is running. The
II indicator light
illuminates in the instrument cluster and
Stabilization control (ESC): Off Warning!
Reduced stability
appears in the driver in­
formation system display.
.. Move the selector lever to position D/S to
select sport mode (5) or select
Dynamic
mode in Audi drive select ¢page 103.
.. Press the brake peda l strongly with your left
foot and hold it down for at least
1 second.
.. At the same t ime, press the accelera tor ped­
al down completely w ith your r ight foot un­
t il the engine reaches and maintains a high
RPM.
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal
within S seconds ¢
Li)..
.&_ WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow .
- Only use the Launch Control Program
when road and traffic conditions allow it
and other drivers will not be endangered
or annoyed by yo ur driving and the vehi­
cle's acce lerat ion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when sport mode is sw itched on, espe­
c ially when the road is slippery .
- Once yo u have accelerated, you should
switch sport mode off by pressing the
j .i, OFF I button.
- The transmission temperat ure may in­
crease significantly after using the
Launch Control Program . If that hap- pens,
the program may not be available
for a few minutes . It will be available
again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Contro l Program, a ll vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
increased wear.
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic/tiptro nic
[O] Transmission: Press brake pedal and se­
lect gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
selector lever position again. You can then continue driving .
[O] Transmission overheating: Please drive
conservatively
The transmission temperature has increased
s ignificantly due to the sporty driving manner .
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con­
tinue driving
T he re is a system mal function in the transmis­
sion . You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dea ler or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] [O] Transmission malfunction: You can
continue driving with limited functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s ion. The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. This mode on ly shifts into cer­
tain gears or will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Iii Transmission malfunction: No reverse
gear. You can continue driving
S tronic transmission: There is a system mal­
fu nct ion in the transm ission. The transmis­
sion is switching to emergency mode . This
mode only shifts into certain gears or will no
l onger shift at a ll. The engine may stall. You .,..

r::> & in General information on page 118,
r::> (Din General information on page 119 .
The blue area represents an extens ion of the
vehicle's outline by approximately 16 ft
(5 m) to the rear . The long side of the blue
area should be on the curb . The entire blue
area must fit into the pa rking space.
• With the veh icle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the right as far as it w ill go.
• Back in to the park ing space u ntil the b lue
curve
r::> fig . 132 touches the curb r::> & in
General information on page 118,
r::> (D in
General information on page 119 .
Stop the
vehicle.
• With the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
whee l to the left as far as it will go .
• Continue to back into the parking space un ­
t il the vehicle is parked pa rallel to the cu rb
r::> & in General information on page 118,
r::> (D in General information on page 119.
@ marks the rear bumper . Stop the veh icle,
at the latest, when the red orientation line
@ borders an object. Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle whi le doing this .
Parking next to obstacles
If there is an obstacle (s uc h a s a wall) next to
the par king space, position the veh icle so
there is more space o n that s ide. Position the
l ong side of the blue s urface so that there is
sufficient space from the obstacle . The sur­
face must not be to uch ing . You will also need
to start turn ing the steer ing wheel much ear­
lier . The blue curve
r::> fig . 132 must not touch
the obstacle and should have sufficient room.
(D Note
Remember to maintain sufficient clear­
ance from the curb to avoid damag ing the
wheel rims .
(D Tips
The left or right orientation lines and sur­
faces will be displayed, depend ing on the
turn sig na l being used.
P arking systems 121
Peripheral cameras
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with periph­
eral cameras
In add ition to parking system plus
c:> page 117, this parking system conta ins pe ­
ripheral cameras . Depending on the vehicle
equipment, you are ass isted by vario us views
su ch a s p eriphera l view, corne r views a t the
fron t and rear of the veh icle, and views di re ct­
ly in front of or behind t he vehicle .
General information
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with periph­
eral cameras
Fi g. 1 33 Locat io n of per ip hera l came ras
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the pe­
ripheral cameras are found in the radiator
grille, in the luggage compartment lid and on
both exterior m irrors*
c:> fig. 133 . Make su re
that the lenses a re not covered by depos its o r
any other obstr uctions as it may impa ir t he
system. For info rmat io n on clean ing, refe r to
¢ page 213.
In the peripheral mode, b lack corners are
shown in the ve hicle silhouette . Objects in
these a reas a re outside of the came ra's field
of view and are not detec ted .
The accuracy of the orientation lines and the bl ue surfaces is reduced if the adaptive a ir
suspension* is faulty, if the vehicle is l ifted or
if the
D ynamic mode is activa ted ¢ page 102 . ...,

Parallel parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus and rear
mode
This view may be used when parallel parking
along the side of a street.
Fig. 1 43 Infotainment: blue su rfaces aligned in the
parking space
F ig . 144 Infota inmen t: contact of the blue curved line
with th e curb
Park ing on the right is described he re. It is
ident ical when parking on the left .
I f there is an obstacle next to the park ing
space (such as a wall), refer to information for
"Parking next to obstacles"
c::> page 125.
~ Activate the turn s ignal.
~ Position your vehicle next to a parked vehi­
cle in front of the desired parking space . T he
distance to th is vehicle should be approxi­
mately 3 ft (1 m).
~ Turn the Infotainment on and shift into re­
verse gear. The parking system is turned on
and the
parallel parking indicator is dis­
played .
~ Press the@¢ page 120 , fig. 131 control
button on the Infotainment un it repeatedly
unt il the
cross parking view is displayed.
~ Backup and align yo ur vehicle so the blue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi-
Parking systems 125
cle or on the parking space line c::> A in Gen ­
eral information on page 122,
c::>(D in Gen­
eral information on page 122.
The blue area
represents an extension of the vehicle 's out­
line by approximately 16 ft (5 m) to the rear.
The long side of the blue area should be on
the curb . The entire blue area must fit into
th e parking space .
~ With the vehicle stopped, turn the stee ring
wheel to t he righ t as fa r as it will go.
~ Back into the parking space unt il the blue
curve
c::> page 120, fig. 132 to uches the curb
c::> A in General information on page 122,
c::> (D in General information on page 122.
Stop the vehicle.
~ With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it w ill go.
~ Continue to back into the parking space un­
til the vehicle is parked parallel to the curb
c::> ..&. in General information on page 122,
c::> (D in General information on page 122.
@ marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle,
at the latest, when the red orientation line
@ borders an object . Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle while do ing this .
Parking next to obstacles
When there is an obstacle (such as a wa ll)
next to the parking space, choose a space with
more space on the sides . Position the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficient
space from the curb. The area must not be on
the curb. You will also need to start turning
the steering wheel much earlier . T here should
be a sufficient amount of space between the
c ur b and the blue curve, and the b lue curve
c::> page 120, fig . 132 m ust no t touch the curb .
@ Tips
The left or right orientation lines and sur­
faces w ill be disp layed, depending on the
turn s ignal being used .

128 Homelink
Homelink
Universal remote
control
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Homelink u nive rsal remote con­
tro l
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with hand-held transmitters
from existing equipment.
With Homelink, you can control devices such
as the garage door, security systems, house
lights, etc. comfortably from the inside of you
vehicle.
Homelink makes it possible for you to replace
three different remote controls from devices in your home with one universal remote . Th is
feature works for most garage door and exte­
rior door motor signals. Programming the in­
d iv idual remo te control fo r your remote con ­
trol takes p lace near the center of the radiator
grille. There is a control module attached at
this location .
A one-t ime programm ing of the sensor mus t
be performed before you are able to use sys­
tems w ith Homelink.
A WARNING
- Never use the Homelink transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea­
ture as requ ired by federal safety stand­
ards. Th is includes any garage door open­
er model manufactured before April 1, 1982.
- A garage door opener which cannot de­
tect an object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder­
al safety standards . Us ing a garage doo r
opener witho ut these fea tures increases
risk of serious injury or death.
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is standing in front of the vehicle .
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the Homelink remote control is being pro­
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac­
tivated, this can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components -an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avo id possible injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certa in that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equ ipment being operated.
(0 Tips
- If you would like additional information
on the Homelink Un iversal Transceiver,
Homelink compatible products, or to
purchase other accessories su ch as the
Homelink Lighting Package, please con­
tact Homelink at 1 -800-355-3515 or on
the Internet at www.homelink.com.
- For Declara tion of Comp liance to United
States FCC and Ind ustry Canada reg ula ­
tions¢
page 288 .
-For security reasons, we recommend that
you clear the programmed b uttons be­
fore selling the ve hicle .
Operation
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h Ho melink
Fig . 14 6 Headliner: controls
M 0
9 (!)
~
Requirement: The buttons must be program­
med ¢
page 129 .
"'To open the garage door , press the program­
med b utton . The LED @ will light up o r
flash.
"' To close the garage door, press the button
again .
Ill>

Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline c::> page 218,
Fuel supply .
... Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c::> page 232, Adding engine oil .,. Never try to push-or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING ,~
T he temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will already seriously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 205
-Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c::>page 232.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty. The engine cou ld mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is mov ing .
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result i n overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle main tained properly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of t he vehicle wi ll impair
the function of the emission cont ro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
ope rat ing properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free s uper
g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to vehicles: wit h diese l eng ine
The diesel part iculate filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil­
te r clea ns itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l
driv ing cond itions. If the filter cannot clean it ­
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
sho rt distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
Ill symbo l for the diesel
particulate filter i lluminates
c::> page 22. ..,_
•
•

206 Driving and en vir onm ent
8_ WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
8_ WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes f irst by brak ing carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~
page 81.
-
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it .
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e .g. corro ­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage .
Pay attention to additional information con­
cern ing the battery. Refer to
~ page 238.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and
wear on your eng ine , brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook.

@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, wh ic h will vary depend ing upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
~ Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating . If you anticipate what is go ing to
h appen next, you will need to b rake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
wheneve r poss ible -fo r example when you see
that the nex t tr affic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
~ T ry and keep well below your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gent ly reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not dist urb the
environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
g ine no ise increase d ispropo rtionately at high
speeds. If you dr ive at approxima tely three
q uarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be red uced by one ha lf. Never dr ive faste r
than the posted speed limit and wea ther con­
d itions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
~ S hu t the engine off when you a re not dr iv ing
t h e vehi cle.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the
engine run at id le .
T he id ling phase is au toma tic ally red uced for
vehicles with the Start/S top system . It is eff i­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at
railroad crossings and long red lights. Turning
the engine off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is burned by start ing the en-
. . gme again .
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is run ning at id le. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especia lly high
when the eng ine is warm ing up. So you should
dr ive away as soon as you start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms whi le the engine is
sti ll warming up.
(L} Note
Do not leave eng ine idling unattended af­
ter start ing.
If wa rni ng lights sho uld come
o n t o indi cate improper ope rat ion, t hey
wo uld go unheeded. Extended idlin g also
produces heat, wh ich could res ult in ove r­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other p roperty .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
~ Have your ve hicle servi ced at reg ular i nter-
vals .
By havi ng your ve hicle regu la rly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensu re tha t it ru ns prop­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it a lso affects
fuel consump­
tion .
Check your oil each t ime y ou fill your tank.
The amou nt of o il used is re lated to engine
l oad and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven. .,..
•
•

Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
c> page 17 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wearing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic . Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
Trailer towing 211
trailer, you wi ll need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(0 Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load¢
page 285.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
"' App ly the foot brake .
.,. Have someone place chocks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels.
"' With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb.
.,. Apply the parking brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When restarting after parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Start the engine.
.,. Select the D/S selector lever position .
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
111>
•
•

Vehicle care and clean ing
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
vehicle 's value. It can also be a requirement
when submitting warranty claims for corro ­
sion damage and paint defects on the body .
The required cleaning and care products can
be obtained from your authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop . Read and follow the
instructions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Us ing clean ing and care products incor­
rectly can be dangerous to your hea lth.
- Always store cleaning and care products
out of reach of children to reduce the risk
of poisoning.
@) For the sake of the environment
-Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not d ispose of leftover 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 dam­ aged. High temperatures such as those
caused by sunlight increase the corrosive ef­
fect.
Before washing, wet heavy deposits w ith plen­
ty of water.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once road salt stops be ing used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your vehicles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc­
tions provided w ith the pressure washer . Th is
is especially important in regard to the pres ­
sure and spraying distance. Do not aim the
spray directly at seals on side w indows, doors,
Vehicle care and cleaning 213
the hood, the rear lid or the sunroof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sen­ sors* or camera lenses* . Keep a distance of at
least 16 inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles.
The water temperature must not be above
140 °F (60 °C) .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are
closed and the windshield wipers are
off. Fol­
low 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 down using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush. Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and finger­ prints are best removed with a special cleaner
for matte finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid 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 mi­
crof iber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy.
Stubborn deposits such as bi rd droppings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa-
ter and a microfiber cloth.
Ill-
•
•