Get Care and cleaning Guide for Audi Q8 SUV First Generation (2018-2026)

Care and cleaning

Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure

washer.

Care and cleaning

General information

Never use cone nozzles or high pressure nozzles.

Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi-

cle's value. It can also be a requirement when

submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage

and paint defects on the body.

The water temperature must not be above 140 °F

(60 °C).

Automatic car wash

Spray off the vehicle before washing.

The required cleaning and care products can be

obtained from an authorized Audi dealer or au-

thorized Service Facility. Read and follow the in-

structions for use on the packaging.

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 ac-

cessories attached to your vehicle.

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 poi-

soning.

If possible, use car washes that do not have

brushes.

Washing by hand

Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work-

ing downward using a soft sponge or cleaning

brush. Use solvent-free cleaning products.

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 sun-

light increase the damaging effect.

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 fin-

gerprints are best removed with a special cleaner

for matte finish paint.

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.

Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To re-

duce the risk of damaging the paint surface, do

not use too much pressure.

Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once use

of road salt ends for the season.

Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then

clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro-

fiber cloth.

Pressure washers

When washing your vehicle with a pressure wash-

er, always follow the operating instructions pro-

vided 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 dis-

tance of at least 16 inches (40 cm).

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 fol-

low the instructions from the car wash oper-

ator.

– To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself

from sharp metal components when

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296

Care and cleaning

ter directly onto electrical/electronic com-

ponents when cleaning the engine compart-

ment. Such components can be seriously

damaged by the entry of fluids and by pres-

sure, and this can result in component fail-

ure.

washing the underbody or the inside of the

wheel housings.

– After washing the vehicle, the effectiveness

of the brakes may be delayed due to mois-

ture 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.

– 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.

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.

– When washing matte finish painted vehicle

components:

– Do not use polishing agents or hard wax

to reduce the risk of damage to the sur-

face.

– To reduce the risk of damage to the rims

and tires, compare the width between the

wheels on your vehicle with the distance be-

tween 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.

– 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.

– Make sure there is sufficient ground clear-

ance when driving into a car wash with a

conveyor belt ðpage 117. There is risk of

damage because the vehicle could come in

contact with the guide rails.

For the sake of the environment

Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially de-

signed for that purpose. This will reduce the

risk of dirty water contaminated with oil en-

tering the sewer system.

– Using a pressure washer incorrectly can

cause damage. Never direct a stream of wa-

Cleaning and care information

When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle

components, refer to the following tables. The

information contained here is simply recommen-

dations. 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 ð

Exterior cleaning

Component

Situation

Solution

Windshield wiper Deposits

Soft cloth with glass cleaner, ðpage 63

blades

Headlights/

tail lights

Deposits

Soft sponge with a mild soap solution

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297

Care and cleaning

Component

Situation

Deposits

Solution

Sensors/

camera lenses

Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product

Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning sol-

ution

Snow/ice

Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray

Laser scanner

Wheels

Deposits

Road salt

Brake dust

Road salt

Soft sponge with a mild soap solution

Water

Acid-free special cleaning solution

Exhaust tail

pipes

Water, cleaning solution suitable for stainless steel, if nec-

essary

Decorative parts Deposits

Mild soap solution , cleaning solution suitable for stain-

and

less steel, if necessary

trim

Rubber seals

Paint

Deposits

Frost

Microfiber cloth with a mild soap solution

Protect the seals on doors, covers, and lids from freezing

using a suitable care product

Spilled fuel

Surface rust

Rinse with water immediately

Rust remover, then treat with hard wax; for questions, con-

sult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service

Facility.

Corrosion

Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or author-

ized 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 Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if

paint has been pro-

tected/paint looks

poor

the polish that was used does not contain any protectant

Deposits such as in-

Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-

sects, bird droppings, fiber cloth

tree sap, and road

salt

Grease-based con-

taminants such as

cosmetics or sunblock

Remove immediately with a mild soap solution and a

soft cloth

Carbon compo-

nents

Deposits

Clean the same way as painted parts ðpage 296

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298

Care and cleaning

Component

Decorative decals Deposits

Deposits such as in-

Situation

Solution

Soft sponge with a mild soap solution

Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-

sects, bird droppings, fiber cloth

tree sap, and road

salt

Grease-based con-

taminants such as

cosmetics or sunblock

Remove immediately with a mild soap solution and a

soft cloth

Spilled fuel

Blot immediately with a soft cloth and then remove with a

mild soap solution and a soft cloth

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

Interior cleaning

Component

Situation

Deposits

Solution

Glass cleaner, then wipe dry

Window glass

Decorative parts Deposits

Mild soap solution

and

trim

Plastic parts

Deposits

Damp cloth

Heavier deposits

Mild soap solution , detergent-free plastic cleaning solu-

tion, if necessary

Displays/instru- Deposits

ment cluster

Soft cloth with LCD cleaner; dust in the lower area of the

instrument cluster can be removed using a soft brush.

Controls

Deposits

Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solution

Safety belts

Mild soap solution , allow to dry before letting them re-

tract

Textiles,

Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner

artificial leather, the surface

microfiber

Water-based deposits Absorbent cloth and mild soap solution

such as coffee, tea,

blood, etc.

Oil-based deposits

Apply a mild soap solution , blot away the dissolved oil or

such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary

etc.

Special types of de-

posits 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

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299

Care and cleaning

Component

Situation

Fresh stains

Solution

Natural leather

Cotton cloth with a mild soap solution

Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth

such as coffee, tea,

blood, etc.

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

Special types of de-

posits such as ink,

nail polish, latex

paint, shoe polish,

etc.

Spot remover suitable for leather

Care

Regularly apply conditioning cream that protects from

light and penetrates into the material. Use special colored

conditioning cream, if necessary.

Carbon compo-

nents

Deposits

Clean the same way as plastic components

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.

WARNING

The windshield must not be treated with wa-

ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un-

der unfavorable conditions, such as wetness,

darkness, and when the sun is low, these coat-

ings can cause increased glare, which increas-

es the risk of an accident. They can also cause

wiper blade chatter.

– 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.

Note

– Door windows

– Headlights and tail lights

– Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-

terior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To re-

duce the risk of scratches, move the scra-

per only in one direction and not back and

forth.

– 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 con-

tain alcohol, because they could cause

cracks to form.

– Never remove snow or ice from door win-

dows 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 stick-

ers on the heating wires on the inside of

the window.

– Wheels

– Never use any paint polish or other abra-

sive materials.

– Damage to the protective layer on the

rims, such as stone chips or scratches,

must be repaired immediately.

– Camera lenses

– Decorative parts and trim

– Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-

ucts.

– Rubber seals

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300

Care and cleaning for Your Audi Q8 SUV First Generation (2018-2026)

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