Sad Dave

My wife just picked up a 2012 Q5.
48,660 miles. Car seems to drive real nice. I am concerned about what to expect. For example, I am currently trying to get an instant education in order to replace the headlight. Also, lots of black dust in the wheels... is that brake pad I'm seeing? I guess what I'm really asking is, how much can a guy with a tool bag do with the 2012 Q5 at home? Can I replace the driver headlight?
Thanks!

SQive

With help from this forum, my friend...yes you can!

Oh...and cheer up!

sn0wman72

The black dust is brake pad dust, likely my least favorite part of my Q5

HOiYA

That is indeed brake pad dust. It seems that German cars use brake pads with a softer compound. The advantage is better braking, but the negative is it spews off a ton of brake dust. I suggest using something like Sonax Wheel Cleaner. Spray the cleaner on your wheel and let sit for 15 min and then scrub with a brush. There are a variety of brushes you can use, but my favourite are Wheel Woolies.

Dalancroft

And then when your brake pads need replacing, research and find some lower-dust ones. I've heard Hawk is a good brand (not sure of the best model for the Q, I had some on my wife's B5 chassis A4 and they seemed to really help with the dust.