Get Self-help, Vehicle Care -> Vehicle care Guide for Vauxhall Meriva SUV First Generation (2003-2010)

202

Self-help, Vehicle Care

Vehicle care aids 3

Vehicle wash:

Washing

Vehicle care

When caring for your vehicle, observe all

national environmental regulations,

particularly when washing it.

The paintwork of your vehicle is exposed to

environmental influences, e.g. continuous

changes in weather conditions, industrial

waste gases and dust or thawing salts, so

wash and wax your vehicle regularly.When

using automatic car washes, select a

programme which includes waxing.

z Wash brush,

z Car Shampoo,

z Car Sponges,

Regular, thorough care helps to improve

the appearance of your vehicle and

maintain its value over the years. It is also

a prerequisite for warranty claims for any

paint or corrosion damage.

z Insect Removal Sponge,

z Chamois Leather,

z Wheel cleaners,

z Engine cleaners,

z Glass cleaners.

Bird droppings, dead insects, resin, pollen

and the like should be cleaned off

immediately, as they contain aggressive

constituents which can cause paint

damage.

The following pages contain tips for vehicle

care which, if used properly, will help

combat the unavoidable damaging effects

of the environm ent.

Vehicle care:

z Paintwork Cleaner,

z Paintwork Polish,

z Metallic Paintwork Wax,

z Hard wax,

z Touch-up pens,

z Touch-U p / Aerosol Paint,

z Wheel Preserver,

z Insect Remover,

z Window Cleaning Spray,

z Vauxhall Windscreen Wash Solvent,

z Silicone Oil for Rubber Seals,

z Cleaner,

z Alloy Wheel Cleaner,

z Alloy Wheel Preserver,

z Rust Preventative.

If using a car wash, comply with the

pertinent instructions of the manufacturer

of the car wash.Windscreen wiper and rear

window wiper must be switched off, see

pages 11 and 12. Unscrew antenna 3 and

roof-mounted luggage carrier 3, stand on

door sill to reach them more ea sily.

If y ou wash your vehicle by hand, make

sure that the insides of the wings are also

thoroughly rinsed out.

Clean edges and folds on opened doors

and flaps as well as the areas they cover.

Thoroughly rinse off and leather-off the

vehicle. Rinse leather frequently. Use

separate leathers for paint and window

surfaces: remnants of wax on the windows

will impair vision.

Observe national regulations.

Self-help, Vehicle Care 203

Waxing

Wheels

Exterior lights

Wax your vehicle regularly, in particular

after it has been washed using shampoo,

and at the latest when water no longer

forms beads on the paintwork, otherwise

the paintwork will dry out.

Use a p H-neutral wheel clea ning a gent to

Headlight and other protective lightbezels

are made of plastic. If they require

additional cleaning after the vehicle has

been wa shed , clean them w ith Car

Shampoo. Do not use any abrasive or

caustic agents, do not use an ice scraper,

and do not clean them dry.

clean the wheels.

Wheels are painted a nd can be treated

with the same agents as the body. For alloy

wheels, we recommend use of Alloy Wheel

Preserver.

Also wax edges and folds on opened doors

and flaps as well as the areas they cover.

Paintwork damage

Plastic and rubber parts

Polishing

Repair minor paintwork damage such as

stone chips, scratches etc. im mediately

using a touch-up pen or spray, before rust

forms. If rust has already formed, have a

workshop eliminate the cause. Also check

the surfaces and edges facing the road

surface on which rustmay have developed

unnoticed for some time.

If the car wash does not clean plastic and

rubber parts adequately, use cleaner

suitable for vehicle interiors. Do not use any

other agent, and in particular do not use

solvents or petrol.

Polishing is necessary only if the paint has

become dull or if solid deposits have

become attached to it.

Paintwork polish with silicone forms a

protective film, making waxing

unnecessary.

Wheels and tyres

Do not use high-pressure jet cleaners on

wheels and tyres.

Plastic body parts should not be treated

with wax and polish.

Use M etallic Paintwork Wax on vehicles

with a metallic-effect paint finish.

204

Self-help, Vehicle Care

Interior and upholstery

Seat belts

Windscreen wiper blades

Clean the vehicle interior, including the

instrument panel facia, using interior

cleaner.

Always keep seat belts clean and dry.

Wax, such as that used in car w ashes, can

cause streaking on the windscreen when

the wiper is used.

Clean only with lukewarm water or Cleaner.

Wi nd ows

The instrument panel should only be

cleaned using a soft damp cloth.

Smearing wiper blades can be cleaned with

a soft cloth and Vauxhall Windscreen

Wash Solvent, and replaced if necessary –

see page 233.

When cleaning the heated rear w indow,

make sure that the heating elementon the

inside of the window is not damaged.

Clean fabric upholstery with a vacuum

cleaner and brush. To remove stains, use

cleaner that is suitable for both fabrics and

vinyl.

Use asoftlint-free cloth or chamois leather

in conjunction with Window Cleaning Spray

and Insect Remover.

Locks

The locks are factory-lubricated with a high

quality lock cylinder grease. This prevents

the locks from freezing. Only use de-icer in

urgent c ases as this destroys the grease

and damages the function of the locks.

After using de-icer, have a workshop

regrease the locks.

Do not use cleaning agents such as

Vauxhall Windscreen Wash Solvent is

suitable for defrosting windows.

acetone, tetrachloride, paint thinner, paint

remover, nail varnish remover, washing

powder or bleach. Petrolis also unsuitable.

For mechanical removal of ice, use a

commercially available sharp-edged ice

scraper. Press the scraper firmly against

the glass so that no dirt can get under it

and scratch the glass.

Open Velcro fasteners on clothing could

damage seat upholstery. Make sure that

Velcro fasteners are closed.

Self-help, Vehicle Care 205

Engine compartment

Underbody

Caution -commercially available bitumen /

rubber materials can damage the PVC

coating. We recommend that you have

underbody work carried out by a

workshop, who knows the prescribed

materials and has experience in the use

thereof.

Look after areas in the engine

compartment that are painted in the same

colour as the vehicle like any other

paintwork.

Your vehicle has a factory-applied PVC

undercoating in the wheel arches

(includingthe longitudinal members) which

provides permanent protection and needs

no special maintenance. The surfaces of

the vehicle underbody not covered by PVC

are provided with adurable protective wax

coating in critical areas.

It is advisable to wash the engine

compartment before and after winter and

preserve it with wax. Before engine

washing, cover alternator and brake fluid

reservoir with plastic sheeting.

The underbody should be washed

following the end of the cold weather

season to remove any dirt adhering to the

underbody since this may also contain salt.

Check protective wax coating and, if

necessary, have it restored to perfect

condition.

On vehicles which are washedfrequently in

automatic car washes with underbody

washing facility, the protective wax

coating may be impairedby dirt-dissolving

additives, so check the underbody after

washing and have it waxed if necessary.

Before the startof the cold weatherseason,

check the PVC coating and protective wax

coating and, if necessary, have them

restored to perfect condition.

When washing the engine with a steam-jet

cleaner, do not d irect the steam jet at

components of the Anti-lock Brake

System (ABS), the automatic air

conditioning system 3 or the belt drive and

its components.

Engine washing also removes subsequently

applied protective wax. Therefore after

washing, have a workshop protect the

engine, parts of the braking system in the

engine bay, axle elements with steering,

body elements and cavities, thoroughly

with protective wax.

An engine wash can be performed in the

spring in order to remove dirt that has

adhered to the engine compartment,

which may also have a high salt content.

Checkprotective wax layer and make good

if necessary.

Do not use high-pressure jet clea ners in the

engine compartment.

Self-help, Vehicle Care -> Vehicle care for Your Vauxhall Meriva SUV First Generation (2003-2010)

Related Topics

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals