Get Vehicle care -> Exterior care and cleaning Guide for Volkswagen Atlas SUV First Generation (2018-2023)

Fig. 211 Warning sign: Do not use pressure washers in the marked area.

Never use rotating nozzles. Observe the manufacturer's instructions.

Only use water up to maximum +140 °F (+60 °C).

Move the water jet evenly with a distance of at least 20 inches (50 cm) between the spray nozzle and all parts of the vehicle.

Do not direct the water at the same spot for a long period of time.

If possible, do not direct the water straight at sensitive vehicle components, e.g. rubber seals, side windows, glossy trims, tires, sensors, camera lenses,

decorative and protective decals.

Never clean icy or snow-covered door windows with a pressure washer.

Hand washing

Individual contaminations on the paint can be removed with a cleaning clay bar.

1. Clean dust and large dirt deposits from the vehicle with plenty of water.

2. If your vehicle has matte paint, remove insects, grease spots and ﬁngerprints with a special cleaner for matte paint. Apply the product using a microﬁber cloth

with gentle pressure.

3. Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove, or a washing brush with light pressure. Start at the roof, and continue to work from the top down. Only

use a cleansing shampoo on stubborn dirt.

If your vehicle has matte paint, clean from top to bottom with a neutral cleansing shampoo and a microﬁber cloth. Wash the microﬁber cloth thoroughly at

frequent intervals.

4. Clean the wheels and side members with a clean sponge.

5. Rinse with plenty of water.

6. Let the vehicle air dry. Remove water residue with a leather cloth.

NOTICE

Washing the vehicle incorrectly can destroy the matte paint ﬁnish.

Never use washing programs with wax treatment.

Generally, only cleaning agents free of solids and abrasives, such as cleansing shampoos or insect removers, can be used for cleaning purposes.

Do not use insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar. The surface may be damaged.

NOTICE

The plenum chamber drain can be blocked by leaves and dirt. Water that cannot drain may leak into the interior. Water introduced manually into the plenum

chamber, for example with a pressure washer, can cause considerable vehicle damage.

Remove leaves or other loose objects with a vacuum or by hand.

Have the area under the perforated cover cleaned by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Only wash the vehicle in facilities speciﬁcally designed for that purpose. This will reduce the risk of water contaminated with oil from entering the sewer system.

Exterior care and cleaning

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice ⇒

and Vehicle care information.

351

The following overview gives recommendations for cleaning and caring for individual vehicle components.

Door windows, glass surfaces

Remove wax residue, for example from care products, with a suitable glass cleaner or the Volkswagen Genuine cleaning cloth.

Remove snow with a hand brush.

Remove ice with a plastic scraper. When doing so, scrape in one direction only.

Defrost the ice with a suitable deicer or Volkswagen Genuine deicer.

Clean wiper blades or change them if necessary.

Paint

Always treat surfaces with extreme care to prevent paint damage.

Treat light contaminants, for example deposits, insects, and cosmetics, immediately with a clean soft towel and a mild soap solution of maximum

two tablespoons of neutral soap in a liter of water, or with a cleaning clay bar.

Clean spilled fuel or operating materials immediately.

Dampen rust spots with soap solution. Then remove with a cleaning clay bar.

Have corrosion removed by suitably qualiﬁed professionals. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility.

In the event of paint damage, consult suitably qualiﬁed professionals and have the paint damage repaired. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized

Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

A preservation treatment protects the vehicle paint. When water no longer clearly beads up and drips off clean vehicle paint, the vehicle should be retreated with a

wax protectant if not earlier.

For matte paint, use a soft sponge to apply a special wax for matte paint to the cleaned vehicle. Remove excess wax with a microﬁber cloth.

Even if a wax protectant is applied regularly in an automatic car wash, Volkswagen recommends protecting the vehicle paint at least twice a year with a

suitable hard wax or Volkswagen Genuine hard wax.

Polishing is only needed if the appearance of the vehicle paint is poor and a shiny ﬁnish can no longer be achieved using protectants.

Never polish matte-ﬁnish surfaces. The surface will be permanently damaged by the paint shining.

Plenum chamber, engine compartment

Fig. 212 Between the engine compartment and windshield: plenum chamber (general example).

Remove leaves or other loose objects with a vacuum or by hand ﬁg. 212 , ⇒

Always have the engine compartment cleaned by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility qualiﬁed in this respect ⇒

Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Water introduced manually into the plenum chamber, for example with a pressure washer, can cause considerable vehicle damage.

352

NOTICE

The plenum chamber drain can be blocked by leaves and dirt. Water that cannot drain may leak into the interior.

Have the area under the perforated cover regularly cleaned by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility qualiﬁed in

this respect. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Sensors, camera lenses

Fig. 213 In the rear of the vehicle: Rear View Camera system on the handle (general example).

Clean the area in front of the sensors or the camera with a soft cloth and solvent-free cleaning solution.

Clean sensitive surfaces of the rain/light sensor and the camera window on the windshield as you would windows and glass surfaces (depending on the

equipment).

Remove snow with a hand brush.

Never use warm or hot water.

Defrost the ice with a suitable deicer or Volkswagen Genuine deicer.

Decorative and protective decals

Remove contaminants as described for paint. For matte decorative decals, use a suitable plastic cleaner or a Volkswagen Genuine plastic cleaner.

Treat the vehicle every three months with liquid hard wax. The vehicle must be free of dirt and dust before treating. Apply using only clean, soft microﬁber

cloths. Do not use hot wax, even in a car wash.

Hard contaminants: remove gently with ethyl alcohol and then wash with warm water.

The durability and coloring on decorative and protective decals can be affected by environment conditions, such as sunlight, moisture, air pollution, stone chips,

etc. Decorative decals may show signs of wear and aging after approximately one to three years, and protective decals after approximately two to three years.

In very hot climates, the decorative decals may fade slightly within one year and the protective decals within two years.

Trims made out of chrome-plated plastic, aluminum or stainless steel

Clean surfaces with a suitable chrome and aluminum product or Volkswagen Genuine chrome and aluminum products.

Chrome-plated trims can be protected with a suitable hard wax or Volkswagen Genuine hard wax.

Headlights, taillights

Use a soft sponge saturated with a mild soap solution of maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in a liter of water to remove dirt. Do not use cleaning

solutions containing alcohol and/or solvents.

Remove stubborn dirt with a suitable chrome and aluminum product or Volkswagen Genuine chrome and aluminum products.

Wheels

Remove contaminants and road salt with plenty of water.

Clean dirty alloy wheels with a suitable rim cleaner or with Volkswagen Genuine rim cleaner. Volkswagen recommends applying a suitable hard wax or

Volkswagen Genuine hard wax to the rims every three months.

Repair a damaged protective paint layer immediately with a paint pen. If necessary, contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

353

Vehicle care -> Exterior care and cleaning for Your Volkswagen Atlas SUV First Generation (2018-2023)

Related Topics

Vehicle care

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals