Maintenance and care -> Maintenance and care for Your Toyota Auris 4 Door First Generation (2006-2012)

4-1. Maintenance and care  
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior  
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime  
condition:  
Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle  
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any  
dirt and dust.  
Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a  
chamois.  
For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thor-  
oughly with water.  
Wipe away any water.  
Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.  
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehi-  
cle body is cool.  
Automatic car washes  
Before washing the vehicle, do the following:  
• Fold the mirrors back.  
• Remove the antenna.  
Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface  
and harm your vehicle’s paint.  
High pressure car washes  
Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity  
of the windows.  
Before car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is closed  
properly.  
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4-1. Maintenance and care  
Aluminum wheels  
Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use  
hard brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical  
cleaners.  
Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.  
Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after  
driving for long distance in the hot weather.  
Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.  
Bumpers  
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.  
CAUTION  
When cleaning the windshield (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield  
wiper)  
Set the wiper switch to off.  
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-  
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ers may operate unexpectedly in the fol-  
Off  
lowing situations, and may result in hands  
being caught or other serious injuries and  
cause damage to the wiper blades.  
When the upper part of the windshield where the raindrop sensor is  
located is touched by hand  
When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor  
If something bumps against the windshield  
If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps into  
the raindrop sensor  
Caution about the exhaust pipe  
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.  
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has cooled  
sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.  
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4-1. Maintenance and care  
NOTICE  
To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-  
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)  
Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:  
• After driving near the sea coast  
• After driving on salted roads  
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface  
• If you see dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings on the paint  
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,  
iron powder or chemical substances  
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud  
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface  
If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.  
To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place  
with low humidity when storing the wheels.  
Cleaning the exterior lights  
Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.  
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.  
Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.  
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.  
Antenna installation and removal precautions  
Before driving, ensure that the antenna is installed.  
When the antenna is removed, such as before entering an automatic car  
wash, make sure to store it in a suitable place so as not to lose it. Also,  
before driving, make sure to reinstall the antenna in its original position.  
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4-1. Maintenance and care  
NOTICE  
When using an automatic car wash (vehicles with rain-sensing wind-  
shield wipers)  
Set the wiper switch to off.  
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may operate and the wiper  
blades may be damaged.  
To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms  
When lifting the wiper arms away from the windshield, pull the driver side  
wiper arm upward first, and repeat for the passenger side. When returning  
the wipers to their original position, do so from the passenger side first.  
High pressure car washes (vehicles with rear view monitor system)  
When washing the vehicle, do not apply intensive bursts of water to the cam-  
era or camera area. Doing so may result in the camera malfunctioning.  
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4-1. Maintenance and care  
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior  
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle's interior and  
keep it in top condition:  
Protecting the vehicle interior  
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty sur-  
faces with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.  
Cleaning the leather areas  
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.  
Wipe any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with  
diluted detergent.  
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool deter-  
gent.  
Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly  
wipe off all remaining traces of detergent.  
Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remain-  
ing moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded ventilated  
area.  
Cleaning the synthetic leather areas  
Remove loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.  
Apply a mild soap solution to the synthetic leather using a  
sponge or soft cloth.  
Allow the solution to soak in for a few minutes. Remove the  
dirt and wipe off the solution with a clean, damp cloth.  
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4-1. Maintenance and care  
Caring for leather areas  
Toyota recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year  
to maintain the quality of the vehicle's interior.  
Shampooing the carpets  
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a  
sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not apply  
water. Excellent results are obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possi-  
ble.  
Seat belts  
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also  
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.  
CAUTION  
Water in the vehicle  
Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle, such as on the floor, in the  
hybrid battery (traction battery) air vents, and in the luggage compartment.  
Doing so may cause the hybrid battery, electrical components, etc. to mal-  
function or catch fire.  
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Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.  
(P. 130)  
An electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function  
properly, resulting in death or severe injury.  
Cleaning the interior (especially instrument panel)  
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel may reflect off  
the windshield, obstructing the driver's view and leading to an accident,  
resulting in death or serious injury.  
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4-1. Maintenance and care  
NOTICE  
Cleaning detergents  
Do not use organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, acidic or  
alkaline solutions, dye, bleach or other detergent. Doing so may discolor  
the vehicle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces.  
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel's or other  
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.  
Preventing damage to leather surfaces  
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of  
leather surfaces:  
Remove any dust or dirt from leather surfaces immediately.  
Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.  
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.  
Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or that contain wax on the uphol-  
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats  
up significantly.  
Water on the floor  
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.  
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes  
into contact with electrical components under the floor of the vehicle, and  
may also cause the body to rust.  
Cleaning the inside of the rear window  
Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause  
damage to the rear window defogger heater wires. Use a cloth dampened  
with lukewarm water to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the window in  
strokes running parallel to the heater wires.  
Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires.  
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