CORROSION PREVENTION AND APPEARANCE CARE -> Washing and waxing your Toyota for Your Toyota Avalon 4 Door Second Generation (2000-2004)

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)  
Washing and waxing your  
Toyota  
Check the interior of your vehicle. Wa-  
ter and dirt can accumulate under the  
floor mats and could cause corrosion. Oc-  
casionally check under the mats to make  
sure the area is dry. Be particularly care-  
ful when transporting chemicals, cleans-  
ers, fertilizers, salt, etc.; these should be  
transported in proper containers. If a spill  
or leak should occur, immediately clean  
and dry the area.  
Washing your Toyota  
1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Re-  
move any mud or road salt from the  
underside of the vehicle or in the  
wheel wells.  
Keep your vehicle clean by regular  
washing.  
The following cases may cause weakness  
to the paint or corrosion to the body and  
parts. Wash your vehicle as soon as pos-  
sible.  
2. Wash with  
a
mild car−wash soap,  
mixed according to the manufacturer’s  
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and  
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into  
the wash water. Do not rub hard—let  
the soap and water remove the dirt.  
D When driving in a coastal area  
D When driving on a road sprinkled with  
antifreeze  
Use mud shields on your wheels. If you  
drive on salted or gravel roads, mud  
shields help protect your vehicle. Full−size  
shields, which come as near to the ground  
as possible, are the best. We recommend  
that the fittings and the area where the  
shields are installed be treated to resist  
corrosion. Your Toyota dealer will be  
happy to assist in supplying and installing  
the shields if they are recommended for  
your area.  
Plastic wheel ornaments: The plastic  
wheel ornaments are damaged easily by  
organic substances. If any organic sub-  
stances splashes an ornament, be sure to  
wash it off with water and check if the  
ornament is damaged.  
D When having coal tar, tree sap, bird  
droppings and carcass of an insect  
D When driving in the areas where there  
is a lot of smoke, soot, dust, iron dust  
and chemical substance  
D When the vehicle becomes remarkably  
dirty with dust and mud  
CAUTION  
Hand−washing your Toyota  
Do not attach the heavily damaged  
plastic wheel ornament. It may fly off  
the wheel and cause accidents while  
the vehicle is moving.  
Work in the shade and wait until the  
vehicle body is not hot to the touch.  
Keep your vehicle in a well ventilated  
garage or a roofed place. Do not park  
your vehicle in a damp, poorly venti-  
lated garage. If you wash your vehicle in  
the garage, or if you drive it in covered  
with water or snow, your garage may be  
so damp it will cause corrosion. Even if  
your garage is heated, a wet vehicle can  
corrode if the ventilation is poor.  
CAUTION  
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap  
or neutral detergent.  
When cleaning under floor or chassis,  
be careful not to injure your hands.  
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not  
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper  
faces are soft.  
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’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)  
Cleaning the interior  
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or  
cleaners that are marked safe for painted  
surfaces.  
Waxing your Toyota  
CAUTION  
Polishing and waxing is recommended  
to maintain the original beauty of your  
Toyota’s finish.  
D Be careful not to splash water or  
spill liquid on the floor. This may  
prevent the side airbags from acti-  
vating correctly, resulting in serious  
injury.  
NOTICE  
Once a month or if the vehicle surface  
does not repel water well, apply wax.  
Do not use organic substances (gaso-  
line, kerosene, benzine or strong sol-  
vents), which may be toxic or cause  
damage.  
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-  
3. Rinse  
thoroughly—dried  
soap  
can  
cause streaking. In hot weather you  
may need to rinse each section right  
after you wash it.  
ered, use  
a
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.  
a
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle  
using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not  
rub or press hard—you might scratch  
the paint.  
3. Wax the vehicle again when water  
does not bead but remains on the sur-  
face in large patches.  
Vinyl interior  
Automatic car wash  
The vinyl upholstery may be easily  
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent  
and water.  
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-  
matic car wash, but remember that the  
paint can be scratched by some type of  
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the  
washing process itself. Scratching reduces  
paint durability and gloss, especially on  
darker colors. The manager of the car  
wash should be able to advise you wheth-  
er the process is safe for the paint on  
your vehicle.  
NOTICE  
Always remove the plastic bumpers if  
your vehicle is re−painted and placed  
in a high heat paint waxing booth.  
High temperatures could damage the  
bumpers.  
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