Get Appearance and care Guide for Nissan Micra 4 Door Fifth Generation (2017-2023)

7 Appearance and care

Cleaning exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Washing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Waxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Removing spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Underbody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Aluminum alloy wheels (if so equipped). . . . . . . 7-3

Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Tire dressings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Cleaning interior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Air fresheners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Floor mats (if so equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Corrosion protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7

Most common factors contributing to

vehicle corrosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7

Environmental factors influence the

rate of corrosion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7

Protect your vehicle from corrosion . . . . . . . . . . 7-7

CLEANING EXTERIOR

In order to maintain the appearance of

your vehicle, it is important to take proper

care of it.

WASHING

∙ Avoid using tight-napped or rough

cloths, such as washing mitts. Care

must be taken when removing

caked-on dirt or other foreign sub-

stances so the paint surface is not

scratched or damaged.

Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty

of water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly us-

ing a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or

general purpose dishwashing liquid mixed

with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.

To protect the paint surfaces, wash your

vehicle as soon as you can:

∙

After a rainfall to prevent possible dam-

age from acid rain.

Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of

clean water.

CAUTION

∙

After driving on coastal roads.

∙ Do not use car washes that use acid in

the detergent. Some car washes, es-

pecially brushless ones, use some

acid for cleaning. The acid may react

with some plastic vehicle compo-

nents, causing them to crack. This

could affect their appearance, and

also could cause them not to function

properly. Always check with your car

wash to confirm that acid is not used.

Inside edges, seams and folds on the

doors, hatches and hood are particularly

vulnerable to the effects of road salt. There-

fore, these areas must be cleaned regularly.

Take care that the drain holes in the lower

edge of the door are open. Spray water

under the body and in the wheel wells to

loosen the dirt and wash away road salt.

When contaminants such as soot, bird

droppings, tree sap, metal particles or

bugs get on the paint surface.

∙

When dust or mud builds up on the sur-

face.

Whenever possible, store or park your ve-

hicle inside a garage or in a covered area.

When it is necessary to park outside, park in

a shady area or protect the vehicle with a

body cover.

A damp chamois can be used to dry the

vehicle to avoid water spots.

∙ Do not wash the vehicle with strong

household soap, strong chemical de-

tergents, gasoline or solvents.

WAXING

Be careful not to scratch the paint sur-

face when putting on or removing the

body cover.

Regular waxing protects the paint surface

and helps retain new vehicle appearance.

Polishing is recommended to remove

built-up wax residue and to avoid a weath-

ered appearance before re-applying wax.

∙ Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun-

light or while the vehicle body is hot,

as the surface may become

water-spotted.

A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choosing

the proper product.

7-2 Appearance and care

∙

Wax your vehicle only after a thorough

washing. Follow the instructions sup-

plied with the wax.

GLASS

CAUTION

Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and

dust film from the glass surfaces. It is nor-

mal for glass to become coated with a film

after the vehicle is parked in the hot sun.

Glass cleaner and a soft cloth will easily

remove this film.

Follow the directions below to avoid

staining or discoloring the wheels:

Do not use a wax containing any abra-

sives, cutting compounds or cleaners

that may damage the vehicle finish.

∙ Do not use a cleaner that uses strong

acid or alkali contents to clean the

wheels.

Machine compounding or aggressive pol-

ishing on a base coat/clear coat paint fin-

ish may dull the finish or leave swirl marks.

∙ Do not apply wheel cleaners to the

wheels when they are hot. The wheel

temperature should be the same as

ambient temperature.

CAUTION

When cleaning the inside of the win-

dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,

abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based

disinfectant cleaners. They could dam-

age the electrical conductors, radio an-

tenna elements or rear window de-

froster elements.

REMOVING SPOTS

∙ Rinse the wheel to completely remove

the cleaner within 15 minutes after

the cleaner is applied.

Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,

insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible

from the surface of the paint to avoid last-

ing damage or staining. Special cleaning

products are available at a NISSAN dealer

or any automotive accessory store. It is

recommended that you visit a NISSAN

dealer for these products.

CHROME PARTS

Clean all chrome parts regularly with a

non-abrasive chrome polish to maintain

the finish.

ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS (if so

equipped)

Wash the wheels regularly with a sponge

dampened in a mild soap solution, espe-

cially during winter months in areas where

road salt is used. If not removed, road salt

can discolor the wheels.

TIRE DRESSINGS

UNDERBODY

NISSAN does not recommend the use of

tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a

coating to the tires to help reduce discolor-

ation of the rubber. If a tire dressing is ap-

plied to the tires, it may react with the coat-

ing and form a compound. This compound

may come off the tire while driving and

stain the vehicle paint.

In areas where road salt is used in winter, it

is necessary to clean the underbody regu-

larly in order to prevent dirt and salt from

building up and causing the acceleration of

corrosion on the underbody and suspen-

sion. Before the winter period and again in

the spring, the underseal must be checked

and, if necessary, re-treated.

Appearance and care 7-3

CLEANING INTERIOR

If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the

following precautions:

Occasionally remove loose dust from the

interior trim, plastic parts and seats using a

vacuum cleaner or soft bristled brush.Wipe

the vinyl and leather (if so equipped) sur-

faces with a clean, soft cloth dampened in

mild soap solution, then wipe clean with a

dry, soft cloth.

CAUTION

∙ Never use benzine, thinner or any

similar material.

∙

Use a water-based tire dressing. The

coating on the tire dissolves more easily

than with an oil-based tire dressing.

∙ Small dirt particles can be abrasive

and damaging to leather (if so

equipped) surfaces and should be re-

moved promptly. Do not use saddle

soap, car waxes, polishes, oils, clean-

ing fluids, solvents, detergents or

ammonia-based cleaners as they

may damage the leather’s natural

finish.

∙

Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help

prevent it from entering the tire

tread/grooves (where it would be diffi-

cult to remove).

Regular care and cleaning is required in

order to maintain the appearance of the

leather (if so equipped).

∙

Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry

towel. Make sure the tire dressing is

completely removed from the tire

tread/grooves.

Before using any fabric protector, read the

manufacturer’s recommendations. Some

fabric protectors contain chemicals that

may stain or bleach the seat material.

∙ Never use fabric protectors unless

recommended by the manufacturer.

Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-

mended by the tire dressing manufac-

turer.

Use a cloth dampened only with water to

clean the meter and gauge lens.

∙ Do not use glass or plastic cleaner on

meter or gauge lens covers. It may

damage the lens cover.

WARNING

Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot

steam cleaners) on the seat. This can

damage the seat or occupant classifi-

cation sensor. This can also affect the

operation of the air bag system and re-

sult in serious personal injury.

7-4 Appearance and care

AIR FRESHENERS

∙ Use only Genuine NISSAN floor mats,

or equivalent floor mats, that are spe-

cifically designed for use in your ve-

hicle model and model year.

Most air fresheners use a solvent that

could affect the vehicle interior. If you use

an air freshener, take the following precau-

tions:

∙ Properly position the mats in the

floorwell using the floor mat position-

ing hook. For additional information,

refer to "Floor mat installation" in this

section.

∙

Hanging-type air fresheners can cause

permanent discoloration when they

contact vehicle interior surfaces. Place

the air freshener in a location that al-

lows it to hang free and not contact an

interior surface.

∙ Make sure the floor mat does not in-

terfere with pedal operation.

∙

Liquid-type air fresheners typically clip

on the vents. These products can cause

immediate damage and discoloration

when spilled on interior surfaces.

∙ Periodically check the floor mats to

make sure they are properly installed.

WAI0006

∙ After cleaning the vehicle interior,

check the floor mats to make sure

they are properly installed.

FLOOR MATS (if so equipped)

Carefully read and follow the manufactur-

er’s instructions before using the air fresh-

eners.

WARNING

The use of Genuine NISSAN floor mats can

extend the life of your vehicle carpet and

make it easier to clean the interior. Mats

should be maintained with regular clean-

ing and replaced if they become exces-

sively worn.

To avoid potential pedal interference

that may result in a collision, injury or

death:

∙ NEVER place a floor mat on top of an-

other floor mat in the driver front po-

sition or install them upside down or

backwards.

Appearance and care 7-5

3. Make sure the floor mat does not inter-

fere with pedal operation. With the igni-

tion still in the OFF position, the shift

lever in the P (Park) position (automatic

transmission models) or the shift lever

in the N (Neutral) position (manual

transmission models) and with the

parking brake applied, fully apply and

release all pedals. The floor mat must

not interfere with pedal operation or

prevent the pedal from returning to its

normal position.

Floor mat installation

Your vehicle is equipped with floor mat po-

sitioning hook(s). The number and shape of

the floor mat positioning hooks for each

seating position varies depending on the

vehicle.

When installing Genuine NISSAN floor mats,

follow the installation instructions provided

with the mat and the following:

1. With the ignition in the OFF position, the

shift lever in P (Park) position (auto-

matic transmission models) or the shift

lever in the N (Neutral) position (manual

transmission models) and with the

parking brake fully applied, position the

floor mat in the floorwell so that the

floor mat grommet holes are aligned

with the hook(s).

It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN

dealer for details about installing the floor

mats in your vehicle.

LAI2047

Positioning hooks

The illustration shows the location of the

floor mat positioning hooks.

SEAT BELTS

2. Secure the grommet holes into the

hook(s) and ensure that the floor mat is

properly positioned.

The seat belts can be cleaned by wiping

them with a sponge dampened in a mild

soap solution. Allow the belts to dry com-

pletely in the shade before using them. For

additional information, refer to “Seat belt

maintenance” in the “Safety—Seats, seat

belts and supplemental restraint system”

section of this manual.

7-6 Appearance and care

CORROSION PROTECTION

MOST COMMON FACTORS

CONTRIBUTING TO VEHICLE

CORROSION

Temperature

High temperatures accelerate the rate of

corrosion to those parts which are not well

ventilated.

WARNING

Do not allow wet seat belts to roll up in

the retractor. NEVER use bleach, dye or

chemical solvents to clean the seat

belts, since these materials may se-

verely weaken the seat belt webbing.

Most vehicle corrosion is caused by:

∙

The

accumulation

of

moisture-

Air pollution

retaining dirt and debris in body panel

Industrial pollution, the presence of salt in

the air in coastal areas, or heavy road salt

use accelerates the corrosion process.

Road salt also accelerates the disintegra-

tion of paint surfaces.

sections, cavities, and other areas.

∙

Damage to paint and other protective

coatings caused by gravel and stone

chips or minor traffic collisions.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

INFLUENCE THE RATE OF

CORROSION

PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE FROM

CORROSION

∙

Wash and wax your vehicle often to

keep the vehicle clean.

Moisture

Accumulation of sand, dirt and water on

the vehicle body underside can accelerate

corrosion. Wet floor coverings will not dry

completely inside the vehicle and should

be removed for drying to avoid floor panel

corrosion.

Always check for minor damage to the

paint and repair it as soon as possible.

Keep drain holes at the bottom of the

doors open to avoid water accumula-

tion.

Relative humidity

∙

Check the underbody for accumulation

of sand, dirt or salt. If present, wash with

water as soon as possible.

Corrosion will be accelerated in areas of

high relative humidity, especially those ar-

eas where the temperatures stay above

freezing and where atmospheric pollution

exists and road salt is used.

Appearance and care 7-7

CAUTION

∙ NEVER remove dirt, sand or other de-

bris from the passenger compart-

ment by washing it out with a hose.

Remove dirt with a vacuum cleaner or

broom.

∙ Never allow water or other liquids to

come in contact with electronic com-

ponents inside the vehicle as this may

damage them.

Chemicals used for road surface de-icing

are extremely corrosive. They accelerate

corrosion and deterioration of underbody

components such as the exhaust system,

fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor pan

and fenders.

In winter, the underbody must be

cleaned periodically.

For additional protection against rust and

corrosion, which may be required in some

areas, it is recommended that you consult

a NISSAN dealer.

7-8 Appearance and care

Appearance and care for Your Nissan Micra 4 Door Fifth Generation (2017-2023)

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