Get CORROSIONPREVENTIONANDAPPEARANCECARE -> Cleaning the interior Guide for Toyota 4 Runner SUV Fourth Generation (2003-2009)

07 12.25

Cleaning the interior

Waxing your Toyota

Vinyl interior

CAUTION

Polishing and waxing is recommended

to maintain the original beauty of your

Toyota’s finish.

The vinyl upholstery may be easily

cleaned with a mild soap or detergent

and water.

D Be careful not to splash water or

spill liquid on the floor. This may

prevent the side airbags and curtain

shield airbags from activating cor-

rectly, resulting in serious injury.

Apply wax once a month or if the vehicle

surface does not repel water well.

First vacuum over the upholstery to re-

move loose dirt. Then, using a sponge or

soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the

vinyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few

minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt

and wipe off the soap with a clean damp

cloth. If all the dirt does not come off,

repeat the procedure. Commercial foam-

ing−type vinyl cleaners are also available

which work well. Follow the manufacturer’s

instructions.

1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be-

fore you begin waxing, even if you are

using a combined cleaner and wax.

D Do not wash the vehicle floor with

water, or allow water to get onto

the floor when cleaning the vehicle

interior or exterior. Water may get

into audio components or other

electrical components above or un-

der the floor carpet (or mat) and

2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If

the finish has become extremely weath-

ered, use

car−cleaning polish, fol-

lowed by a separate wax. Carefully fol-

low the manufacturer’s instructions and

precautions. Be sure to polish and wax

the chrome trim as well as the paint.

cause

malfunction; and it may

cause body corrosion.

NOTICE

Exterior lights: Do not apply wax on the

surfaces of the lights. Wax may cause

damage to the lenses. If you accidentally

put wax on the light surfaces, wipe or

wash it off.

Do not use solvent, thinner, gasoline

or window cleaner on the interior.

3. Wax the vehicle again when water

does not bead but remains on the sur-

face in large patches.

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Carpets

NOTICE

Use

good foam−type shampoo to

z Do not use dye or bleach on the

belts—it may weaken them.

z Do not use organic substances (sol-

vents, kerosene, alcohol, gasoline,

etc.) or alkaline or acidic solutions.

These chemicals can cause discol-

oring, staining or peeling of the

surface.

clean the carpets.

Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to remove

as much dirt as possible. Several types of

foam cleaners are available; some are in

aerosol cans and others are powders or

liquids which you mix with water to pro-

duce a foam. To shampoo the carpets,

use a sponge or brush to apply the foam.

Rub in overlapping circles.

z Do not use the belts until they be-

come dry.

Windows

z If you use cleaners or polishing

agents, make sure their ingredients

do not include the substances men-

tioned above.

The windows may be cleaned with any

household window cleaner.

Do not apply water—the best results are

obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as

possible. Read the shampoo instructions

and follow them closely.

NOTICE

z If you use a liquid car freshener, do

not apill the liquid onto the ve-

hicle’s interior surfaces. It may con-

ingredients mentioned

above. Immediately clean any spill

using the method mentioned above.

z When cleaning the inside of the

rear window, be careful not to

scratch or damage the heater wires

or connectors.

tain

the

Seat belts

The seat belts may be cleaned with

mild soap and water or with lukewarm

water.

z When cleaning the inside of the

rear quarter window, be careful not

to scratch or damage the printed

antenna.

Leather interior

Use a cloth or sponge. As you are clean-

ing, check the belts for excessive wear,

fraying, or cuts.

The leather upholstery may be cleaned

with neutral detergent for wool.

Air conditioning control panel, audio

panel, instrument panel, console panel

and switches

Remove dirt using a soft cloth dampened

with 5% solution of neutral detergent for

wool. Then thoroughly wipe off all traces

of detergent with a clean damp cloth.

Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.

Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-

warm water then lightly wipe off dirt.

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Rain clearing mirrors

After cleaning or whenever any part of the

leather gets wet, dry with a soft clean

cloth. Allow the leather to dry in a venti-

lated shaded area.

On some models, the outside rear view

mirrors have been coated to produce a

“rain clearing” effect. This coating

causes the raindrops to spread, clear-

ing the driver’s rear view when it rains.

z Mildew may develop on soiled leath-

er upholstery. Be especially careful

to avoid oil spots. Try to keep your

upholstery always clean.

Synthetic leather

z Long exposure to direct sunlight

may cause the leather surface to

harden and shrink. Keep your ve-

hicle in a shaded area, especially in

the summer.

It is sufficient to wash the mirrors with

water for day to day care.

D Remove loose dirt using

vacuum

cleaner.

The rain clearing effect is reduced in

drizzle and light rain.

D Apply a mild soap solution to the syn-

thetic leather using a sponge or soft

cloth.

In the following cases, the rain clearing

effect will be reduced temporarily, but will

gradually recover.

z The interior of your vehicle is apt

to heat up on hot summer days, so

avoid placing on the upholstery

items made of vinyl or plastic or

containing wax as these tend to

stick to leather when warm.

D Allow the solution to soak in for a few

minutes. Remove the dirt and wipe off

the solution with a clean, damp cloth.

D After wiping dirt off the mirrors

D When the mirrors fog up

NOTICE

D After waxing your vehicle in an auto-

z Improper cleaning of the leather up-

holstery could result in discolor-

ation or staining.

z If a stain should fail to come out

matic car wash

with

neutral detergent, apply

D After your vehicle has been parked for

a long period in underground parking

lots, etc. where there is no direct sun-

light.

cleaner that does not contain an

organic solvent.

If you have any questions about the

cleaning of your Toyota, your local

Toyota dealer will be pleased to answer

them.

z Never use organic substances such

as benzine, alcohol or gasoline, or

alkaline or acid solutions for clean-

ing the leather as these could

cause discoloring.

z Use of a nylon brush or synthetic

fiber cloth, etc. may scratch the

fine grained surface of the leather.

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CORROSIONPREVENTIONANDAPPEARANCECARE -> Cleaning the interior for Your Toyota 4 Runner SUV Fourth Generation (2003-2009)

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