Get Exterior care and cleaning Guide for Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

Exterior care and cleaning

¤ Introduction

In this section you’ll find information about:

Washing the vehicle

Washing with a power washer

Cleaning windows and outside mirrors

Cleaning and changing the windshield wiper blades

Waxing and polishing vehicle paint

Caring for and cleaning chrome and aluminum parts

Cleaning wheel rims

Caring for rubber door and window seals

Deicing door lock cylinders

Undercoating

Cleaning the engine compartment

Regular and expert care helps to preserve the value of your vehicle.

Such expert care may also be one of the requirements of your New

Vehicle Limited Warranty if corrosion repair or repainting is neces-

sary.

Vehicle care products are available from your authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

More information:

Power locking and closing system

Power windows

Windshield wipers and washer

Working in the engine compartment

Interior care and cleaning

Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications

WARNING

Vehicle care products can be dangerous. Improper use can

cause accidents, burns, poisoning, or other serious personal

injuries.

Always store vehicle care products only in original contain-

ers that are securely closed.

Always read and heed all the instructions and all WARNINGS

on the package.

To reduce the risk of poisoning, never use empty food or

beverage containers that might mislead someone into drinking

from them.

Always keep vehicle care products out of the reach of chil-

dren.

Always use such products outdoors or in well-ventilated are-

as, because harmful vapors may be released when these prod-

ucts are used.

Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, nail polish remover or

other volatile fluids for vehicle care. They are poisonous and

highly flammable.

WARNING

Improper care and cleaning of vehicle components can impact

the safety features of the vehicle and cause severe injuries.

Always clean and maintain vehicle components according to

manufacturer's instructions.

Only use approved or recommended cleaners.

NOTICE

Vehicle care products containing solvents can damage plastics

and other vehicle the materials.

Wash the vehicle only at specifically designated wash locations

to help prevent water contaminated with oil, grease and fuel from en-

tering the storm drain sewer system. In some areas it is against the

law to wash motor vehicles anywhere than other than at specified

designated car washing locations.

When buying vehicle care products, try to choose those that are

not harmful to the environment.

Never throw out vehicle care products with ordinary household

waste. Always read and heed all the instructions and all WARNINGS

on the package.

Washing the vehicle

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

The longer insect splatter, bird droppings, tree sap, road dirt, industri-

al deposits, tar, soot, road salt, and other aggressive materials stay

on your vehicle, the more damage they do to the paint finish. High

temperatures (including strong sunlight) increase the corrosive ef-

fects. The vehicle underbody should also be washed regularly and

thoroughly.

Car wash

Pay close attention to the information provided by the car wash

operator. Before going through a car wash, be sure to take the usual

precautions to help prevent damage, such as closing the windows,

folding back the outside mirrors, etc. If you have installed additional

accessories on the vehicle, such as a spoiler, a roof rack, or an an-

tenna, always ask the car wash operator if this poses a problem ⇒ꢀ .

The paint finish is tough enough that the vehicle can normally be

washed without problems in an automatic car wash. However, the

effect on the paint depends to a large extent on the type of car wash.

Volkswagen recommends using brushless car wash facilities.

To remove wax residue from the windows and avoid jerky windshield

wiper movement, heed the following tips ⇒ꢀCleaning windows and

outside mirrors.

Washing by hand

When washing by hand, first soften the dirt with plenty of water and

then rinse off as much dirt as possible.

Then clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing mitt or brush

using only light pressure. Start on the roof and work down. Use spe-

cial shampoo only on hard-to-remove dirt or grime.

Rinse the sponge or glove thoroughly and often.

Clean the wheels and under the door sills last. Use a different sponge

or wash mitt.

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 endan-

ger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal requirements.

CAUTION

Sharp edges under the vehicle can cut exposed skin.

Always protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp

metal edges when cleaning the underbody, the inside of the

wheel housings, etc.

NOTICE

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 simi-

lar things to clean the vehicle. These can damage the paint fin-

ish.

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 luggage compartment lid. The water

could freeze on the locks and seals and make it difficult to open

the vehicle!

NOTICE

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 sensor.

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. Do not fold

power folding mirrors manually!

Lock the luggage compartment lid to help prevent uninten-

tional opening in the car wash.

Washing with a power washer

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Always follow the instructions for the power washer. This especially

applies to the pressure and spraying distance ⇒ꢀ

.

Make sure there is enough distance to soft materials such as rubber

hoses or insulating material as well as the sensors of the Park Dis-

tance Control system. The Park Distance Control system sensors can

be found in the front and rear bumpers ⇒ꢀ .

Never use concentrated jet nozzles or so-called dirt blasters ⇒ꢀ

.

Never use a power washer to clean the engine compartment ⇒ꢀ

Cleaning the engine compartment.

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.

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 endan-

ger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal requirements.

NOTICE

Water temperature should not be more than +140 °F (+60 °C).

To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle

in direct sunlight.

In order for Park Distance Control to work correctly, the sen-

sors in the rear bumper 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.

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 luggage compartment lid. The water

could freeze on the locks and seals and make it difficult to open

the vehicle!

Cleaning windows and outside mirrors

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

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 be-

cause 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 re-

moved 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 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 wind-

shield 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 re-

move wax residue ⇒ꢀ .

Windshield cleaners, special cleaners, and cleaning cloths are avail-

able from your authorized Volkswagen dealer and authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility.

Removing snow

Remove snow from all windows and outside mirrors with an appropri-

ate 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 when 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 out-

side window surfaces.

NOTICE

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 wind-

shield wiper 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.

Cleaning and changing the windshield wiper blades

Fig. 172 Changing the windshield wiper blades.

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Factory-installed wiper blades have a graphite coating. The graphite

coating lets the wiper blades glide smoothly over the windshield. If

this coating is worn or damaged, the wipers may grab or squeak.

Check all wiper blades regularly. Wiper blades that grab and

squeak must be replaced if worn or damaged and cleaned if dirty ⇒ꢀ

.

Replace worn or damaged wiper blades immediately. Replacement

blades may be purchased from any authorized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Lifting and tilting windshield wiper arms

Move the wiper arms to the service position before lifting them away

from the windshield ⇒ꢀ Windshield wipers and washer.

It is not possible to lift the wiper arms away from the windshield when

they are not in the service position.

When lifting or replacing a wiper blade on a window, grip it only by its

mounting and not by the blade itself.

Cleaning the wiper blades

Lift the wiper arm(s) away from the windshield.

Using a soft cloth, carefully remove dust and dirt from the wiper

blades.

If the blades are very dirty, carefully clean them with a sponge or

cloth ⇒ꢀ .

Carefully fold the wiper arm back down onto the windshield.

Changing wiper blades

Lift the wiper arm(s) away from the windshield.

Press and hold the release button ⇒ꢀfig. 172 (1).

While lifting the wiper blade in the direction of the wiper arm, pull

off the wiper blade in the direction of the arrow. This may require

moderate force.

Install a new wiper blade of same length and type onto the wiper

arm by pushing in the opposite direction of the arrow until it latches.

Carefully fold the wiper arm back down onto the windshield.

WARNING

Worn or dirty wiper blades reduce visibility and increase the

risk of accidents and severe injuries.

Always change wiper blades if they are damaged or worn,

and if they cannot clean the windows sufficiently.

NOTICE

Damaged or dirty wiper blades can scratch the windshield.

Solvents, abrasive sponges and sharp-edged objects will

damage the graphite coating on the wiper blades.

Do not clean the windows with gasoline, nail polish remover,

paint thinner or similar fluids.

To help prevent damage to the engine hood and the wind-

shield wiper arms, lift the wiper arms away from the windshield

only when they are in the service position.

Waxing and polishing vehicle paint

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Waxing

A good coat of wax helps to protect the vehicle paint. When water no

longer forms small drops and runs off when the paint is clean, apply

a new coat of good hard wax to protect the vehicle again.

Even if a wax solution is used regularly at the car wash, Volkswagen

recommends applying a coat of hard wax at least twice a year to pro-

tect the paint.

Polishing

Polish your vehicle if the paint has lost its shine and the gloss cannot

be brought back with wax.

The vehicle must be waxed after polishing if the polish used does not

contain wax compounds to seal the paint.

NOTICE

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.

Caring for and cleaning chrome and aluminum parts

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

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

water.

If the surface is especially dirty, use a special solvent-free clean-

ing material.

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

NOTICE

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.

Exterior care and cleaning for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

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