Appearance Care; Maintenance and Care; It will do more harm than good to wet - Page 455

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Some models.

6–63

Maintenance and Care

Appearance Care

 Underbody  Maintenance

    Road chemicals and salt used for ice and 
snow removal and solvents used for dust 
control may collect on the underbody. If 
not removed, they will speed up rusting 
and deterioration of such underbody parts 
as fuel lines, frame, fl oor pan, and exhaust 
system, even though these parts may be 
coated with anti-corrosive material.

  Thoroughly  fl ush the underbody and wheel 
housings with lukewarm or cold water at 
the end of each winter. Try also to do this 
every month.

  Pay special attention to these areas 
because they easily hide mud and dirt. 

It will do more harm than good to wet 
down the road grime without removing 
it.

  The lower edges of doors, rocker panels, 
and frame members have drain holes that 
should not be clogged. Water trapped there 
will cause rusting.

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.

 Aluminum  Wheel  Maintenance 

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            A  protective  coating  is  provided  over  the 
aluminum wheels. Special care is needed 
to protect this coating.

CAUTION

  Do not use any detergent other than 
mild detergent. Before using any 
detergent, verify the ingredients. 
Otherwise, the product could discolor 
or stain the aluminum wheels.

   NOTE

y

  Do not use a wire brush or any abrasive 

cleaner, polishing compound, or solvent 
on aluminum wheels. They may damage 
the coating.

y

  Always use a sponge or soft cloth to 

clean the wheels.

  Rinse the wheels thoroughly with 

lukewarm or cold water. Also, be sure 
to clean the wheels after driving on 
dusty or salted roads to help prevent 
corrosion.

y

  Avoid washing your vehicle in an 

automatic car wash that uses high-
speed or hard brushes.

y

 (18-inch wheel vehicle) 

  If your aluminum wheels lose luster, 

apply wax which contains no polishing 
powder.