Appearance Care; Maintenance and Care; wet by driving slowly, releasing the - Page 453

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Maintenance and Care

Appearance Care

CAUTION

    Do not use steel wool, abrasive 
cleaners, or strong detergents 
containing highly alkaline or caustic 
agents on chrome-plated or anodized 
aluminum parts. This may damage the 
protective coating; also, cleaners and 
detergents may discolor or deteriorate 
the paint.

  Pay special attention to removing salt, dirt, 
mud, and other foreign material from the 
underside of the fenders, and make sure 
the drain holes in the lower edges of the 
doors and rocker panels are clean.

  Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings, 
industrial fallout, and similar deposits 
can damage the fi nish if not removed 
immediately. When prompt washing with 
plain water is ineffective, use a mild soap 
made for use on vehicles.

  Thoroughly rinse off all soap with 
lukewarm or cold water. Do not allow 
soap to dry on the fi nish.

  After washing the vehicle, dry it with a 
clean chamois to prevent water spots from 
forming.

WARNING

  Dry  off  brakes that have become 
wet by driving slowly, releasing the 
accelerator pedal and lightly applying 
the brakes several times until the brake 
performance returns to normal:

  Driving with wet brakes is dangerous. 
Increased stopping distance or the 
vehicle pulling to one side when 
braking could result in a serious 
accident. Light braking will indicate 
whether the brakes have been aff ected.

  When using an automatic car wash

y

 Retract the door mirrors.

y

 The automatic car wash brushes could 

reduce the paint lustre or hasten paint 
deterioration.

  When using a high water pressure car 
wash

    High water temperature and high water 
pressure car washers are available 
depending on the type of car wash 
machine. If the car washer nozzle is 
put too close to the vehicle, the force of 
the spray could damage or deform the 
molding, affect the sealability of parts, 
and allow water to penetrate the interior. 
Keep a suffi cient space (30 cm (12 in) or 
more) between the nozzle and the vehicle. 
In addition, do not spend too much time 
spraying the same area of the vehicle, and 
be very careful when spraying between 
gaps in doors and around windows.

  Waxing

    Your vehicle needs to be waxed when 
water no longer beads on the fi nish.
  Always wash and dry the vehicle before 
waxing it. In addition to the vehicle body, 
wax the metal trim to maintain its luster.

   1.   Use wax which contains no abrasives.
   

Waxes containing abrasive will remove 
paint and could damage bright metal 
parts.

   2.   Use a good grade of natural wax for 

metallic, mica, and solid colors.

   3.   When waxing, coat evenly with the 

sponge supplied or a soft cloth.

   4.   Wipe off the wax with a soft cloth.