Get Care and maintenance -> Care of the vehicle exterior Guide for Seat Ibiza SUV Fourth Generation (2009-2017)

Care and maintenance

Products for vehicle maintenance

After washing, the brakes could take some

time to respond as the brake discs and pads

could be wet, or even frozen in winter. “Dry”

the brakes by braking several times.

For the sake of the environment

Car-care products are available in your Tech-

nical Services. Keep the product instructions

until you have used them up.

●

When purchasing products for your vehicle

maintenance, select the ones which are not

harmful to the environment.

●

The waste from car-care products should

WARNING

not be disposed of with ordinary household

waste. Observe the disposal information on

the package.

Water, ice and salt on the brake system can

reduce braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-

dent.

●

Car-care products can be toxic. Because of

this, they must always be kept closed in their

original container. Keep them out of the reach

of children. Failure to comply could result in

poisoning.

CAUTION

Care of the vehicle exterior

●

Always read and observe the instructions

Before putting the vehicle through the car

wash, do not tighten the aerial if it is folded

because it can be damaged.

and warnings on the package before using

car-care products. Improper use could cause

health problems or damage the vehicle. The

use of certain products may produce noxious

vapours; they should be used in well ventila-

ted areas.

Automatic car washing tunnel

The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the

vehicle can normally be washed without

problems in an automatic car wash tunnel.

However, the paintwork wear depends to a

large extent on the kind of the car wash tun-

nel, the brushes used, its water filtering and

the type of cleaning and preservative prod-

ucts.

Washing by hand

Vehicle washing

●

Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, nail

varnish remover or other volatile fluids.

These are toxic and highly flammable. Risk of

fire and explosion.

–

First soften the dirt and rinse it off with wa-

ter.

●

Before washing your vehicle, or carrying

–

Clean your vehicle from top to bottom with

a soft sponge, a glove or a brush. Use very

light pressure.

out any maintenance, switch the engine off,

apply the handbrake firmly and remove the

key from the ignition.

Before going through a car wash, be sure to

take the usual precautions such as closing

the windows and sunroof. There is nothing to

note apart from that.

–

Rinse the sponge or glove often with clean

water.

CAUTION

If the vehicle has special accessories such as

spoilers or a roof rack or two-way radio aerial,

etc., it is advisable to consult the car wash

tunnel operator first.

Special car shampoo should only be used

for very stubborn dirt.

Never attempt to remove dirt, mud or dust if

the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never use a

dry cloth or sponge for cleaning purposes.

This could damage the paintwork or the win-

dows of your vehicle. Soak dirt, mud or dust

with plenty of water.

Leave the wheels, sill panels etc. until last,

using a different sponge or glove.

»

157

Advice

–

Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water.

Do not use a high pressure cleaner to re-

move ice or snow from windows

››› page 159.

●

Washing the vehicle in low temperatures:

when washing the vehicle with a hose, do not

direct water into the lock cylinders or the

gaps around the doors, rear lid, or sunroof.

Risk of freezing.

Dry the vehicle surface gently with a cha-

mois leather.

–

Never use concentrated jet nozzles (“rotat-

–

In cold temperature, dry the rubber seals

and their surfaces to prevent them from

freezing. Apply silicone spray to the rubber

seals.

ing jets”) ›››

.

After washing, avoid sudden and sharp

braking. “Dry” the brakes by braking sever-

al times ››› page 126.

For the sake of the environment

To protect the environment, the vehicle

should be washed only in specially provided

wash bays, to prevent toxic, oil-laden waste

water from entering the sewer system. In

some places, washing vehicles outside wash

bays is prohibited.

After washing the vehicle

WARNING

–

After washing, avoid sudden and sharp

braking. “Dry” the brakes by braking sever-

al times.

●

Never wash tyres with a concentrated jet

(“rotating nozzle”). Even at large spraying

distances and short cleaning times, damage

can occur to the tyres. This may cause an ac-

cident.

WARNING

Note

●

Wash your vehicle with the ignition switch-

ed off.

Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.

●

Water, ice and salt on the brake system can

reduce braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-

dent.

●

Protect your hands and arms from cuts on

sharp metal edges when cleaning the under-

body, the inside of the wheel housings etc.

Risk of injury.

Washing the vehicle with a high

pressure cleaner

CAUTION

●

Do not use water hotter than +60 °C

(+140 °F). This could damage the vehicle.

Water, ice and salt on the brake system can

Be particularly careful when using a high

pressure cleaner!

reduce braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-

dent.

●

To avoid damage to the vehicle, keep a suf-

ficient distance from sensitive materials such

as flexible hoses, plastic, soundproofing ma-

terial, etc. This also applies to bumpers pain-

ted in the colour of the bodywork. The closer

the nozzle is to the surface, the greater the

wear on the material.

–

Always observe the instructions for the

high-pressure cleaner, particularly those

concerning the pressure and the spraying

distance.

CAUTION

●

Never remove dirt, mud or dust if the vehi-

cle surface is dry. Never use a dry cloth or

sponge for cleaning purposes. This could

scratch the paintwork or glass on your vehi-

cle.

–

Increase the spraying distance for soft ma-

terials and painted bumpers.

158

Care and maintenance

Removing snow

Vehicle paint maintenance

CAUTION

To prevent damage to the paintwork:

–

Use a small brush to remove snow from the

windows and mirrors.

Regular waxing protects the paintwork.

●

Do not use polishes and hard wax on pain-

You need to apply wax to your vehicle if water

does not form small drops and run off the

paintwork when it is clean.

ted parts with a matt finish or on plastic

parts.

Removing ice

–

Use a de-icer spray.

●

Do not polish your vehicle in a sandy or

dusty environment.

Good quality hard wax products are available

at your Technical Service.

Use a clean cloth or chamois leather to dry

the windows. The chamois leathers used on

painted surfaces are not suitable to clean

windows because they are soiled with wax

deposits which could smear the windows.

Regular wax applications help to protect the

paintwork from environmental contaminants

››› page 156. It is also effective in protecting

against minor scratches.

Caring for plastic parts

If normal washing fails to clean plastic parts,

clean them with approved solvent-free plas-

tic cleaning and care products.

If possible, use a de-icing spray to remove

ice. If you use an ice scraper, push it in one

direction only without swinging it.

Even if a wax solution is used regularly in the

vehicle washing tunnel, it is advisable to pro-

tect the paint with a hard wax coating at least

twice a year.

CAUTION

Use window cleaner or a silicone remover to

clean rubber, oil, grease and silicone depos-

its off.

●

The use of liquid air freshener directly over

the air vents of the vehicle may damage plas-

tic parts if the liquid is accidentally spilled.

Wax deposits can only be removed with a

special cleaner available at your Technical

Service. Wax deposits on the windscreen

could cause the wiper blades to judder. Add-

ing a window cleaner that dissolves wax to

the windscreen washer fluid prevents wiper

blades from juddering, but wax deposits are

not removed.

Polishing the paintwork

●

Cleaning products which contain solvents

will damage the material.

Polishing is only necessary if the paint has

lost its shine, and the gloss cannot be

brought back by applying wax. Polishing

products can be purchased in your Technical

Service.

Cleaning windows and exterior

mirrors

The vehicle must be waxed after polishing if

the polish used does not contain wax com-

pounds to seal the paint ››› page 159, Vehicle

paint maintenance.

Cleaning windows

CAUTION

–

Moisten the windows with commercially

available, alcohol based glass cleaner.

●

Never use warm or hot water to remove

snow and ice from windows and mirrors. This

could cause the glass to crack!

–

Dry the windows with a clean chamois

leather or a lint-free cloth.

»

159

Advice

Caring for rubber seals will also prevent pre-

mature ageing and leaks. The doors will be

easier to open. If rubber seals are well looked

after, they will not freeze so quickly in winter.

Steel wheel rims

●

The heating element for the rear window is

located on the inner side of the window. To

prevent damage, do not put stickers over the

heating elements on the inside of the win-

dow.

–

Clean steel wheel rims regularly using a

separate sponge.

Use an industrial cleaner to remove brake

dust. Any damage to the paint on steel wheel

rims should be repaired before starting to

rust.

Door lock cylinders

Cleaning windscreen wiper blades

The door lock cylinders can freeze up in win-

ter.

Clean wiper blades improve visibility.

WARNING

To de-ice the lock cylinders you should only

use spray with lubricating and anti-corrosive

properties.

1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt

from the windscreen wiper blades.

●

Never wash tyres with a cylindrical jet. Even

at large spraying distances and short clean-

ing times, damage can occur to the tyres.

This may cause an accident.

2. Use window cleaner to clean the wind-

screen wiper blades. Use a sponge or a

cloth to remove stubborn dirt.

●

Water, ice and salt on the brake system can

Cleaning chrome parts

reduce braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-

dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden

and sharp braking. “Dry” the brakes by brak-

ing several times ››› page 126, Braking ca-

pacity and braking distance.

1. Clean chrome parts with a damp cloth.

2. Polish chrome parts with a soft, dry cloth.

Rubber seals maintenance

If rubber seals are well looked after, they will

not freeze so quickly.

If this does not provide satisfying results, use

a specialist chrome cleaning product.

Chrome cleaning products will remove stains

from the surface.

1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt

from the rubber seals.

Alloy wheel rims

Every two weeks

2. Apply a specialist care product to the rub-

ber seals.

CAUTION

–

Wash salt and brake dust from alloy

wheels.

To prevent scratching chrome surfaces:

The rubber strips on the doors, windows, etc.

will remain pliable and last longer if they are

treated with a suitable rubber care product

from time to time (for example silicone

spray).

●

Never use an abrasive cleaning product on

chrome.

–

Use an acid free detergent to clean the

wheel rims.

●

Do not clean or polish chrome parts in a

sandy or dusty environment.

Every 3 months

–

Apply a hard wax compound to the wheels.

160

Care and maintenance

Alloy wheels require regular attention to pre-

serve their appearance. If road salt and brake

dust are not often removed, the aluminium

finish will be impaired.

have the engine cleaned. On commissioning

this work, ensure that all surfaces, seams,

joints and components in the engine com-

partment are given anti-corrosion treatment.

WARNING

Do not apply underseal or anti-corrosion

coatings to the exhaust pipes, catalytic con-

verter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-

tem. The heat of the exhaust system or the

engine could cause them to ignite. Risk of

fire.

Always use an acid-free detergent for alloy

wheel rims.

WARNING

●

When working in the engine compartment,

Car polish or other abrasive agents should

not be used for maintaining the rims. If the

protective coating is damaged, e.g. by flying

stones, the damaged area should be re-

paired immediately.

always observe the safety warnings

››› page 166.

●

Before opening the bonnet, switch the en-

Cleaning the engine compartment

gine off, apply the handbrake firmly and al-

ways remove the key from the ignition.

Take special care when cleaning the engine

compartment.

●

Allow the engine to cool before you clean

the engine compartment.

WARNING

Observe the safety warnings ››› in Steel

wheel rims on page 160.

Anti-corrosion treatment

●

Do not clean, for example, the vehicle un-

derbody, wheel arches or wheel trims without

protecting your hands and arms. You may cut

yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. Failure

to comply could result in injury.

The engine compartment and the surface of

the power unit are given anti-corrosion treat-

ment at the factory.

Underbody protection

Good corrosion protection is particularly im-

portant in winter when the vehicle is fre-

quently driven on salted roads. To prevent

the salt corroding the vehicle, the entire en-

gine compartment should be thoroughly

cleaned before and after winter.

●

Moisture, ice and salt on the brake system

The vehicle underbody is coated to protect it

from chemical and mechanical damage.

may affect braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-

dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden

and sharp braking.

The protective coating can be damaged when

driving. We recommend that you check the

protective coating under the body and on the

running gear, and retouch it if necessary, be-

fore and after the winter season.

●

Never touch the radiator fan. It is tempera-

ture-controlled and could start automatically,

even when the key is removed from the igni-

tion!

Technical Services have the proper products

for cleaning and preservation as well as the

necessary workshop equipment. For this rea-

son, we recommend having this work per-

formed by them.

We recommend that you go to your Technical

Service to carry out repair work and addition-

al anti-corrosion work.

For the sake of the environment

Fuel, grease and oil deposits can be removed

when the engine is washed. The polluted wa-

ter must be cleaned in an oil separator. For

this reason, engine washing should be

The anti-corrosion protection is usually re-

moved if the engine compartment is cleaned

with grease removing solutions, or if you

»

161

Advice

–

Cleaning stubborn stains

If this does not provide satisfactory results,

use a gentle soap solution.

carried out only by a specialised workshop or

a petrol station.

–

More stubborn dirt can be removed using a

mild soap solution (pure liquid soap; two

tablespoons diluted in one litre of water)

and a cloth.

CAUTION

Cleaning products which contain solvents will

damage the material.

Caring for the vehicle interior

–

Do not let the water soak through the leath-

er or soak into the seams.

Cleaning plastic parts and the

instrument panel

Then wipe off with a soft, dry cloth.

Cloth seat covers and fabric trim

cleaning

–

Use a clean, damp cloth to clean plastic

parts and the dash panel.

Leather maintenance

Cloth seat covers and fabric trim on the

doors, headlining etc. can be cleaned with a

special interior cleaner or with dry foam and

a soft brush.

–

The leather should be treated twice a year

with a special leather-care product, availa-

ble at Technical Services.

If this does not provide satisfactory results,

use a special solvent-free plastic cleaning

product.

–

Apply these products very sparingly.

Then wipe off with a soft, dry cloth.

WARNING

Cleaning the radio and climate

controls

Never clean the dash panel and the airbag

module surface with cleaners containing sol-

vents. Solvents cause the surface to become

porous. If the airbag triggered, plastic parts

could become detached and cause injuries.

SEAT does everything possible to preserve

the genuine qualities of this natural product.

Due to the natural properties of the specially

selected hides employed, the finished leath-

er has a certain sensitivity to grease and dirt,

etc. so a degree of care is required in every-

day use and when looking after the leather.

To clean the radio and/or climate controls,

use a soft damp cloth. For more resistant dirt,

a neutral soap solution may be used.

CAUTION

Cleaning products which contain solvents will

damage the material.

Dust and grit in the pores and seams can

scratch and damage the surface. If the vehi-

cle is under solar radiation for long periods,

the leather should be protected to prevent it

from fading. However, slight colour variations

in high-quality natural leather are normal.

Leather cleaning*

Normal cleaning

–

Moisten a cotton or woollen cloth with wa-

ter and wipe over the leather surfaces.

Wooden trim cleaning*

–

Clean the wooden trim with a water-mois-

tened clean cloth.

162

Care and maintenance -> Care of the vehicle exterior for Your Seat Ibiza SUV Fourth Generation (2009-2017)

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