Get Tips and Maintenance -> Care and maintenance Guide for Seat Ibiza SUV Second Generation (1993-2002)

151Care and maintenance

Safety First

Controls and equipment Tips and Maintenance Technical Data

CCaarree aanndd mmaaiinntteennaannccee

CCaarree ooff tthhee vveehhiiccllee

RReegguullaarr aanndd eexxppeerrtt ccaarree hheellppss ttoo mmaaiinnttaaiinn tthhee vvaalluuee ooff tthhee

vveehhiiccllee..

FFoorr tthhee ssaakkee ooff tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt

When buying car care materials one should select products which do not

damage the environment. Empty containers which these materials were in

do not belong with household waste.

Washing

The best protection against environmental influences is frequent

washing and use of the right waxing product.

How often this treatment is required depends, amongst other

things on how much the vehicle is used, how it is parked (garage,

in open under trees etc.), the seasons, weather conditions and

environmental influences.

TThhee lloonnggeerr bbiirrdd ddrrooppppiinnggss,, iinnsseeccttss,, ttrreeee rreessiinn,, rrooaadd aanndd iinndduussttrriiaall

ggrriimmee,, ttaarr ssppoottss,, ssoooott,, rrooaadd ssaalltt aanndd ootthheerr aaggggrreessssiivvee mmaatteerriiaallss

rreemmaaiinn oonn tthhee vveehhiiccllee ppaaiinntt tthhee mmoorree llaassttiinngg tthheeiirr ddeessttrruuccttiivvee

eeffffeecctt wwiillll bbee.. HHiigghh tteemmppeerraattuurreess ee..gg.. ffrroomm ssttrroonngg ssuunnlliigghhtt

iinntteennssiiffiieess tthhee ccoorrrroossiivvee eeffffeecctt..

In certain circumstances weekly washing can be necessary, in

other conditions monthly washing with appropriate waxing may be

fully adequate.

After the period when salt is put on the roads the underside of the

vehicle should always be washed thoroughly.

AAuuttoommaattiicc ccaarr wwaasshheess

The vehicle paint is sufficiently durable for the vehicle to be

washed in an automatic car wash without problem. Naturally, the

effect on the paint depends largely on the design of the car wash,

the filtering of the wash water, the type of wash and care material,

etc.

•• IIff mmiissuusseedd,, ccaarr ccaarree mmaatteerriiaallss ccaann bbee hhaarrmmffuull ttoo hheeaalltthh..

•• CCaarr ccaarree mmaatteerriiaallss mmuusstt aallwwaayyss bbee ssttoorreedd iinn aa ssaaffee ppllaaccee wwhheerree tthheeyy aarree

oouutt ooff rreeaacchh ooff cchhiillddrreenn..

WWAARRNNIINNGG

DDaammppnneessss aanndd iiccee iinn tthhee bbrraakkee ssyysstteemm ccaann hhaavvee aa nneeggaattiivvee eeffffeecctt oonn tthhee

bbrraakkiinngg ppoowweerr..

WWAARRNNIINNGG



152 Care and maintenance

NNoottee

• Before going through the car wash, apart from the usual precautions

(closing windows and sliding roof).

You do not need to remove the Original roof aerial.

• If there are special fittings on the vehicle – e.g. spoilers, roof rack, two-

way radio aerial – it is best to speak to the car wash operator.

Washing the vehicle by hand

FFoorr tthhee ssaakkee ooff tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt

In the interests of environmental protection the vehicle should only be

washed in specially provided wash bays. In some districts, washing cars

elsewhere may even be forbidden.

First soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse off as well as

possible. Then clean the car

wwiitthh aa ssoofftt ssppoonnggee,, gglloovvee oorr bbrruusshh

starting on the roof and going from top to bottom

uussiinngg oonnllyy sslliigghhtt

pprreessssuurree eessppeecciiaallllyy wwhheenn cclleeaanniinngg tthhee hheeaaddlliigghhtt aarreeaa..

Paint

shampoo, preferably with a neutral pH, should only be used for

very persistent dirt. Rinse the sponge or glove out thoroughly at

short intervals.

Wheels and sill panels should be cleaned last, using a different

sponge if possible.

After cleaning the vehicle, rinse thoroughly with water and leather

it off.

NNoottee

•

The vehicle should not be washed in strong sunshine.

•

If the vehicle is rinsed with a hose, do not direct the jet of water

at the lock cylinders and the door/boot lid/tailgate shut lines –

they can freeze up in the winter.

Washing vehicle with high pressure cleaner

• The operating instructions for the high pressure cleaner must be

followed closely – particularly with regard to pressure and working

distance.

• Do not use a concentrated jet.

• The water temperature must not be above 60°C.

Conservation

Regular application of protection products protects the vehicle

paintwork to a large extent against the environmental influences

listed under “Washing” on the previous page and even against

light mechanical damage.

At the latest when water on the clean paint does not form small

drops and roll off, the vehicle should be protected by applying a

coat of good hard wax. Even when a wax solution is used regularly

TTyyrreess mmuusstt nneevveerr bbee cclleeaanneedd wwiitthh aa ccoonncceennttrraatteedd jjeett!! EEvveenn aatt aa rreellaattiivveellyy

llaarrggee wwoorrkkiinngg ddiissttaannccee aanndd aa vveerryy sshhoorrtt sspprraayyiinngg ttiimmee,, ddaammaaggee ccaann

ooccccuurr..

WWAARRNNIINNGG



153Care and maintenance

Safety First

Controls and equipment Tips and Maintenance Technical Data

in the washing water it is advisable to protect the paint with a coat

of hard wax at least twice a year.

Polishing

Should only be done if paint has lost its shine and gloss cannot be

brought back with wax. If the polish used does not contain

preservative compounds, the paint must be waxed afterwards.

NNoottee

Matt painted and plastic parts should not be treated with polish or hard

wax.

Paint damage

Small marks in the paint such as scratches

or stone damage

should be touched up immediately with paint before the metal

starts to rust.

However, should rust be found at any time it must be removed

thoroughly and then the area treated first with an anti-corrosion

primer and then the correct paint applied.

The number of the original vehicle paint is given on the data

sticker which is inside the boot in the spare wheel housing.

Windows

Remove snow and ice from windows and mirrors with a plastic

scraper only. To avoid scratches due to dirt on the glass, the

scraper should only be pushed in one direction and not moved to

and fro.

Traces of rubber, oil, wax

, grease or silicone can be removed with

a window cleaning solution or a silicone remover.

The windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regular

intervals.

Do not dry the windows with the leather used for the paintwork

because traces of paint cleaner will cause streaks to appear on the

glass, which will hinder vision.

To avoid damaging the heating element wires in the rear window

do not put stickers over the wires on the inside.

Door, boot and window seals

The weatherstrips will remain flexible and last longer if they are

rubbed lightly with a rubber protective compound from time to

time. This will also stop the weatherstrips from freezing on in

winter.

Door lock cylinder

You should only use an appropriate spray, which has lubricating

and anti-corrosive qualities, to de-ice the lock cylinder.

This wax residue can only be removed with a special cleaner. Your Technical Service

Centre will provide you with more detailed information.

154 Care and maintenance

Plastic parts and leatherette

Exterior plastic parts are cleaned with normal washing and interior

parts with a damp cloth. If this is not sufficient,

tthheessee ppaarrttss aanndd

lleeaatthheerreettttee mmaayy oonnllyy bbee cclleeaanneedd wwiitthh ssppeecciiaall ppllaassttiicc cclleeaanneerrss tthhaatt

aarree ffrreeee ffrroomm aallccoohhooll aanndd ootthheerr ssoollvveennttss..

NNoottee

The use of liquid air conditioners directly over the air vents of the vehicle

may damage the plastic parts if the liquid is accidentally spilled over

them.

Upholstery cloth and textile trim

Upholstery cloth and textile trim on door panels, parcel shelves,

luggage compartment covers, headlining etc. must be cleaned with

special cleaners or dry foam and a soft brush.

Natural leather*

Leather should, depending on usage, be treated from time to time

in accordance with the following instructions. It must be noted that

on no account may

ssoollvveennttss,, fflloooorr wwaaxx,, sshhooee ppoolliisshh,, ssppoott

rreemmoovveerrss aanndd ssiimmiillaarr pprroodduuccttss bbee uusseedd ffoorr tthhiiss ppuurrppoossee..

To clean leather a cotton or woollen cloth lightly moistened with

water should be used for the dirty surfaces.

Dirtier areas may be cleaned with a mild soap solution (2 dessert

spoonfuls of neutral soap to 1 litre of water). Make sure that the

lleeaatthheerr iiss nnoott mmaaddee ttoooo wweett

and that no water seeps through the

seams. After cleaning, wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Furthermore we recommend that, with normal usage, the leather is

treated at half yearly intervals with a special leather care agent.

Apply one coat and clean off with a soft cloth once it has taken

effect.

Cleaning seat belts

KKeeeepp bbeellttss cclleeaann.. TThheeyy mmaayy nnoott rreettrraacctt pprrooppeerrllyy iiff vveerryy ddiirrttyy..

Dirty belts can be cleaned by washing with a mild soap solution

without taking the belts out of the vehicle.

CCaauuttiioonn

Inertia reel belts should be completely dry before they are allowed to roll up.

•• TThhee sseeaatt bbeellttss mmuusstt nnoott bbee rreemmoovveedd ffoorr cclleeaanniinngg..

•• DDoo nnoott hhaavvee tthhee bbeellttss cclleeaanneedd cchheemmiiccaallllyy bbeeccaauussee tthhee cclleeaanniinngg

ccoommppoouunnddss ddaammaaggee tthhee wweebbbbiinngg mmaatteerriiaall.. EEnnssuurree tthhaatt tthhee bbeellttss ddoo nnoott

ccoommee iinnttoo ccoonnttaacctt wwiitthh ccoorrrroossiivvee fflluuiiddss..

•• YYoouu sshhoouulldd cchheecckk tthhee ccoonnddiittiioonn ooff yyoouurr sseeaatt bbeellttss rreegguullaarrllyy.. IIff yyoouu ffiinndd

aannyy ddaammaaggee ttoo tthhee bbeelltt wweebbbbiinngg,, bbeelltt ccoonnnneeccttiioonnss,, tthhee bbeelltt rreettrraaccttoorr oorr tthhee

lloocckkiinngg ppaarrttss,, tthhee bbeelltt iinn qquueessttiioonn mmuusstt bbee rreeppllaacceedd bbyy aa TTeecchhnniiccaall SSeerrvviiccee

CCeennttrree..

WWAARRNNIINNGG

155Care and maintenance

Safety First

Controls and equipment Tips and Maintenance Technical Data

Steel wheels

The wheels and the wheel trims should be cleaned thoroughly at

regular intervals when the vehicle is being washed. This will

prevent brake dust, dirt and road salt from accumulating on the

wheel. Persistent ingrained brake dust can be removed with an

industrial grime remover. Paint damage should be repaired before

rust can form.

Alloy wheels*

In order to maintain the smart appearance of alloy wheels for a

long period, regular care is necessary. In particular, salt and brake

pad dust must be washed off thoroughly at least every two weeks

otherwise the surface of the alloy will be damaged. After being

washed, the wheels should be treated with an acid-free cleaner for

alloy wheels. About every three months it is necessary to give

wheels a good rubbing with hard wax. Paint polish or other

abrasive solutions must not be used. If the protective paint coat

has been damaged, e.g. by stone impact, the damaged spots

should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Cleaning and anti-corrosion treatment of engine

compartment

The leaves, blossoms etc. which drop into the water box

(underneath the engine bonnet in front of the windscreen) should

be cleaned out occasionally. This will prevent the water drain holes

from becoming blocked and – on vehicles without a dust and

pollen filter – foreign bodies entering the vehicle interior via the

heating and ventilation system.

The engine compartment and the outside surface of the power unit

are given anti-corrosion treatment at the factory.

In the winter when the vehicle is being driven frequently on salted

roads, good anti-corrosion treatment is very important. For this

reason the entire engine compartment and the plenum chamber

should be thoroughly cleaned before and after the salting period

and then preserved so that the salt cannot have a damaging effect.

TThhee iiggnniittiioonn mmuusstt bbee sswwiittcchheedd ooffff bbeeffoorree wwaasshhiinngg tthhee eennggiinnee..

DDoo nnoott ppooiinntt tthhee wwaatteerr jjeett ddiirreeccttllyy aatt tthhee hheeaaddlliigghhttss ttoo aavvooiidd

ddaammaaggee..

PPlleeaassee nnoottee wwhheenn cclleeaanniinngg tthhee wwhheeeellss tthhaatt ddaammppnneessss,, iiccee aanndd ggrriitt ccaann

hhaavvee aa nneeggaattiivvee eeffffeecctt oonn tthhee bbrraakkiinngg ppoowweerr..

WWAARRNNIINNGG

•

BBeeffoorree wwoorrkkiinngg iinn tthhee eennggiinnee ccoommppaarrttmmeenntt,, rreeaadd tthhee nnootteess iinn tthhee

""EEnnggiinnee ccoommppaarrttmmeenntt"" cchhaapptteerr..

•

FFoorr ssaaffeettyy rreeaassoonnss ppuullll oouutt iiggnniittiioonn kkeeyy bbeeffoorree rreeaacchhiinngg iinnttoo tthhee wwaatteerr

bbooxx.. OOtthheerrwwiissee iiff tthhee wwiinnddssccrreeeenn wwiippeerrss aarree sswwiittcchheedd oonn uunniinntteennttiioonnaallllyy

tthhee mmoovveemmeenntt ooff tthhee wwiippeerr lliinnkk ccoouulldd ccaauussee iinnjjuurryy..

WWAARRNNIINNGG



156 Care and maintenance

If the engine compartment is cleaned at any time with grease

removing solutions

or if one has the engine washed, the anti-

corrosion compound is nearly always removed as well. It is

therefore essential to ask for durable preservation of all surfaces,

seams, joints and components in the engine compartment to be

carried out. This applies also when corrosion protected parts are

renewed.

FFoorr tthhee ssaakkee ooff tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt

Because when washing the engine petrol, grease and oil deposits are

washed off, the dirty water must be cleaned by an oil separator. For this

reason engine washing should only be carried out in a workshop or filling

station.

Undercoating

The underside of the vehicle is coated with a special compound to

protect it from corrosion and damage.

However, as this protective layer becomes damaged when the

vehicle is in use, the protective coating under the body and on the

running gear should be examined at defined intervals – preferably

before and after the winter season – and any damage made good.

NNoottee ffoorr vveehhiicclleess wwiitthh aa ccaattaallyyttiicc ccoonnvveerrtteerr

Due to the high temperatures which occur in the afterburning

process, additional heat shields are fitted over the catalytic

converter. Underbody sealant must not be applied to these

shields, the catalytic converter or the exhaust pipes. Removal of

the heat shields is also not permissible.

Cavity preservation

All cavities on the vehicle which could be susceptible to corrosion

are given permanent protection at the factory.

This coating does not need checking or any subsequent treatment.

Should a small amount of wax run out of the cavities at high

ambient temperatures it can be removed with a plastic scraper and

some white spirit.

FFoorr tthhee ssaakkee ooff tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt

If the wax which has run out is removed with clean petrol, heed the

environmental protection regulations.

Only the correct cleaning solutions should be used – on no account petrol or Diesel.

NNeevveerr uussee aaddddiittiioonnaall uunnddeerr fflloooorr pprrootteeccttiioonn oorr aannttii--ccoorrrroossiioonn aaggeennttss ffoorr

tthhee eexxhhaauusstt ssiilleenncceerr,, eexxhhaauusstt ppiippee,, ccaattaallyyssttss oorr hheeaatt sshhiieellddss.. TThheessee

ssuubbssttaanncceess ccoouulldd iiggnniittee wwhhiillsstt tthhee vveehhiiccllee iiss iinn mmoottiioonn..

WWAARRNNIINNGG

Tips and Maintenance -> Care and maintenance for Your Seat Ibiza SUV Second Generation (1993-2002)

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