Audi Q3: 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.

Exterior cleaning

^a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of 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.
• Rubber seals
  • 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 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, and Alcantara
  • Never treat artificial leather or Alcantara 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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