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

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.