Get Vehicle care -> Exterior care and cleaning Guide for Volkswagen Golf 4 Door Seventh Generation (2017-2020)

The vehicle must be waxed after polishing if the polish used does not contain wax compounds to seal the paint.

WARNING

After the vehicle has been washed, the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads coated with ice, react slower and need longer stopping distances.

Always dry the brakes and clean off any ice coatings with a few careful applications of the brake. Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or

disobey legal requirements.

WARNING

Improper use of power washers can cause serious invisible permanent damage leading to tire failure and loss of vehicle control. This can cause accidents and

severe personal injury.

Keep sufficient distance between water jet and tires. Never wash tires with a nozzle that sprays the water out in a direct stream regardless of the distance to

the tire and even for a very short time.

Never use dirt blasters to clean tires. Even spraying from a relatively long distance for a very short time can do visible or invisible damage to tires.

NOTE

The water temperature must not be more than +140 °F (+60 °C).

To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.

Do not use insect sponges, abrasive kitchen sponges or similar things to clean the vehicle. These can damage the paint finish.

Never clean headlights with a dry cloth or sponge. Always use a wet cloth or sponge. For best results use soapy water.

When washing or rinsing the vehicle in cold weather, do not let water get into the lock cylinders or point the hose at gaps around the doors, hood, or trunk

lid. The water could freeze on the locks and seals and make it difficult to open the vehicle!

When outside temperatures are low, wipe the rubber seals and their contact surfaces dry to help prevent freezing.

In order for any sensors located on the outside of the vehicle to work correctly, they must be kept clean and clear of snow and ice.

When using a power washer or steam cleaner, only spray the sensors directly for a short period of time and always keep the nozzle at least 4 inches

(10 cm) from the sensor.

Do not clean icy or snow-covered windows with a power washer.

NOTE

To help prevent vehicle damage in a car wash:

Compare the vehicle track width with the dimensions of the guide rails in the car wash to help prevent damage to wheel rims and tires!

Switch off the rain sensor before driving the vehicle through a car wash ⇒ Rain sensorꢀ.

Make sure there is enough clearance for the height and width of the vehicle.

To help prevent paint damage to the engine hood, place wiper blades against the windshield after they have dried. Do not let them snap back into place.

Fold the outside mirrors toward the vehicle body.

Lock the trunk lid to help prevent unintentional opening in the car wash.

NOTE

To help prevent damage, do not use hard wax or polish on matte-finished parts, plastic parts, headlights or rear lights.

Do not wax or polish your vehicle if it is dirty, or in a sandy or dusty place.

Exterior care and cleaning

Cleaning windows and outside mirrors

Spray windows and outside mirrors with a commercially available alcohol-based window cleaner.

Dry windows and mirrors with a clean chamois or a lint-free cloth. Do not use a chamois that has been used to wipe painted surfaces because it will have absorbed

an oily residue that will smear the glass surfaces.

Use window cleaner or a silicone remover to remove rubber, oil, grease and silicone deposits

⇒

ꢀ.

Removing wax residue

Automatic car washes and vehicle care products can leave a wax residue on all glass surfaces. These wax residues can only be removed with special cleaners or

cleaning cloths. Wax residue left on the windshield can cause the windshield wipers to grab and squeak instead of gliding smoothly. We recommend that after every

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car wash you remove any wax residue left on the windshield with a window cleaning cloth/chamois - G 052 522 A1 - or equivalent.

Windshield wiper squeak and grab can be reduced by ﬁlling the windshield washer ﬂuid tank with a wiper ﬂuid containing wax-removing agents. Make sure to

maintain the proper mixing ratio when reﬁlling the washer ﬂuid tank. Grease-removing cleaning agents cannot remove wax residue ⇒ ꢀ.

Windshield cleaners, special cleaners, and cleaning cloths are available from your authorized Volkswagen dealer and authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Removing snow

Remove snow from all windows and outside mirrors with an appropriate brush.

Removing ice

The best way to remove ice is with a deicer spray. When using an ice scraper always scrape in one direction, never back and forth. Dirt can scratch the glass whe

moving the scraper backward.

WARNING

Dirty or fogged up windows reduce visibility and increase the risk of accidents and severe injuries.

Don't drive until you have clear visibility through all windows.

Remove ice, snow and condensation from all inside and outside window surfaces.

NOTE

Never mix recommended cleaning agents with other cleaning agents in the windshield washer reservoir. If you do, this could cause sediments or other by-

products that can clog the windshield washer nozzles.

Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from windows and mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack!

The heating elements for the rear defroster are on the inside of the rear window. Do not put stickers over the heating elements on the inside of the rear

window and never clean the inside of the windows with corrosive or acidic cleaning agents or other chemicals that could damage the heating elements.

Antennas installed on the insides of windows can be damaged by abrasive objects or by corrosive or acidic cleaning agents or other chemicals. Do not

place any stickers on the windshield-integrated antenna and never clean the antenna with corrosive or acidic cleaning agents or other chemicals.

Caring for and cleaning chrome and aluminum parts

Clean the surface using a clean, soft, lint-free cloth dampened with water.

If the surface is especially dirty, use a special solvent-free cleaning material.

Then polish chrome and aluminum parts with a soft, dry cloth.

NOTE

To help prevent damage to chrome and aluminum parts:

Do not clean or polish in direct sunlight.

Do not clean or polish in sandy or dusty places.

Do not use abrasive cleaners or abrasive sponges.

Do not polish dirty surfaces.

Do not use cleaning materials that contain solvents.

Do not use hard wax.

NOTE

Chrome wheel covers and hubcaps can have an extra coating. Do not treat them with chrome care or polishing products. Use regular paint care and polishing

products.

Cleaning wheel rims

Cleaning steel wheels

Stubborn brake dust can be removed with an industrial cleaner. Clean steel wheels regularly with a separate sponge.

Repair any paint damage on steel wheels before rust begins to form.

Cleaning alloy wheels

Every 2 weeks: Wash road salt and brake dust off alloy wheels, and clean the wheels with an acid-free detergent. Every 3 months: Volkswagen recommends

applying a hard wax compound to the wheels.

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If road salt and brake dust are not removed regularly, they can corrode the metal.

Use an acid-free detergent speciﬁcally designed for light alloy wheels. Do not use car polish or other abrasive products.

If the protective coating is damaged, for example by stone impact, repair the damaged area right away.

Caring for rubber door and window seals

The rubber seals around the doors and windows will stay soft and ﬂexible, seal better and last longer if the seals are treated regularly with a suitable rubber care

product.

Before applying the treatment, use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the rubber seals.

Do not apply any rubber care products to the rubber seals on the body in the areas around the windows in the driver and front passenger doors. The product

could run down onto the windows and smudge them.

Deicing door lock cylinders

Volkswagen recommends using only genuine Volkswagen deicer spray with lubricating and anti-corrosive properties to deice door lock cylinders.

NOTE

Lock deicers that contain grease solvents can cause the lock cylinder to rust.

Cleaning the power sunroof

Dirt and debris can impair the function of the power sunroof.

Remove leaves and other objects from the sunroof guide rails regularly either by hand or using a vacuum cleaner.

The power sunroof only works when the ignition is on. You can still open or close the power sunroof for several minutes after you switch off the ignition, as long as

the driver or front passenger door has not been opened.

NOTE

Do not attempt to clean the drain tubes for the power sunroof. This could result in vehicle damage caused by punctured or damaged drain tubes.

Undercoating

The vehicle underbody is coated to help protect it from corrosion and damage. The undercoating could be damaged during normal use. We therefore recommend

that you have the protective coatings on the underbody and suspension inspected regularly, and repaired if necessary.

WARNING

Undercoating and rustproofing products can catch fire on the hot exhaust system or any other hot engine component.

Never apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or near the exhaust manifold, the exhaust pipes, the catalytic converter, the heat shields, or any

other hot vehicle component.

Cleaning the engine compartment

The engine compartment of a vehicle is a dangerous area ⇒ In the engine compartmentꢀ.

If necessary, the engine compartment should be cleaned by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Incorrect cleaning

procedures could remove corrosion protection and damage electrical components, among other things. In addition, water could enter directly into the vehicle interio

through the plenum chamber ⇒ ꢀ.

Never use a power washer to clean the engine compartment ⇒ ꢀ.

If the engine compartment is extremely dirty, have it cleaned professionally by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Plenum chamber

The plenum chamber is located in the engine compartment between windshield and engine, under a perforated cover. Outside air is taken into the vehicle interior

from the plenum chamber via the climate control system.

Regularly remove leaves and other loose objects from the plenum chamber cover by hand or with a vacuum cleaner.

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

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WARNING

Injuries, scalding, electric shock, accidents, and fire hazards can occur while working on the engine or in the engine compartment!

Before working in the engine compartment, be sure to familiarize yourself with the necessary procedures and generally accepted safety precautions ⇒ In

the engine compartmentꢀ.

Volkswagen recommends having the work performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

NOTE

Spraying or pouring water (for example, with a power washer) into the plenum chamber can cause severe damage to the vehicle.

Wash the engine compartment only in special wash bays so that the oily dirt and fuel residue that are washed off the vehicle will not enter the sewage

system. In some areas it illegal to wash the engine compartment anywhere other than at such specified locations.

Interior care and cleaning

Introduction to the subject

In this chapter you will find information on the following subjects:

⇒ Caring for upholsteryꢀ

⇒ Cleaning upholstery, fabric trim, and microfiber fabricꢀ

⇒ Care and cleaning of leather upholstery ꢀ

⇒ Cleaning leatheretteꢀ

⇒ Cleaning storage compartments and cup holdersꢀ

⇒ Care and cleaning of plastic components, wood trim, and instrument panel ꢀ

⇒ Cleaning the safety beltsꢀ

Modern clothing fabrics such as dark denim may not be completely colorfast. Even with normal use, dye from these and other fabrics can rub off on seat upholstery

and leave visible discolorations (especially on light-colored seat upholstery). This is caused by a lack of colorfastness in the clothing fabric, not by any fault in the

seat upholstery fabric. To help prevent damage to the seat upholstery, always make sure your clothing is colorfast. Volkswagen recommends having a qualiﬁed

specialist remove any discolorations from the seat upholstery.

The longer stains, dirt and other deposits remain on the surfaces of vehicle components and upholstery, the more difﬁcult it may be to clean them. If stains, dirt and

deposits are left untreated for a long time, they may become impossible to remove.

NOTE

Vehicle care products containing solvents can cause irreparable damage to plastics and other vehicle materials.

Stains, dirt and other deposits that contain aggressive substances or solvents can corrode vehicle materials and cause permanent damage, even after brief

contact with the surface.

Remove stains, dirt, and other deposits as quickly as possible and do not allow them to dry.

To help prevent damage, have stubborn stains removed by a professional who has the necessary expertise and experience.

Caring for upholstery

Read and follow the introductory information and safety information first ⇒ Introduction to the subjectꢀ

Checklist

Please note the following when it comes to the care and preservation of the upholstery

⇒

ꢀ:

Open Velcro® fasteners can damage upholstery, fabric, and trim. Before you get into the vehicle, close all Velcro® fasteners that could come into contact

with upholstery fabrics and cloth trim.

Sharp-edged objects and items on clothing and belts (such as belt clips, mobile phone cases, zippers, rivets, and rhinestones) can damage upholstery

material and fabric trim. To help prevent damage, do not let such items come into direct contact with the upholstery and fabric trim.

Dust and dirt particles in pores, folds, and seams can have a scouring effect on material and damage the surface. Remove dust and dirt regularly to help

prevent permanent surface damage.

Check clothing for color-fastness to help prevent upholstery discoloration, especially to light-colored upholstery.

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Vehicle care -> Exterior care and cleaning for Your Volkswagen Golf 4 Door Seventh Generation (2017-2020)

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