10 Maintenance and servicing
Automatic car wash
Polishing and waxing
CAUTION
The vehicle should be washed at regular inter-
vals since dirt, dust, insects and tar spots
adhere to the paint and may cause damage.
To help prevent corrosion, it is particularly
important to wash the car frequently in the
wintertime.
Normally, polishing is not required during the
first year after delivery, however, waxing may
be beneficial.
Before driving into an automatic car
wash, turn off the optional rain sensor
to avoid damaging the windshield wip-
ers.
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10
Before applying polish or wax the vehicle
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must be washed and dried. Tar spots can
be removed with kerosene or tar remover.
Difficult spots may require a fine rubbing
compound.
Make sure that side view mirrors, aux-
iliary lamps, etc, are secure, and that
any antenna(s) are retracted or
removed. Otherwise there is risk of the
machine dislodging them.
We do NOT recommend washing your
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car in an automatic wash during the first
few months (because the paint will not
have hardened sufficiently).
After polishing use liquid or paste wax.
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Chromed wheels: Clean chrome-
plated wheels using the same deter-
gents used for the body of the vehicle.
Aggressive wheel-cleaning agents can
permanently stain chrome-plated
wheels.
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Several commercially available products
contain both polish and wax.
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An automatic wash is a simple and quick
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way to clean your car, but it is worth
remembering that it may not be as thor-
ough as when you yourself go over the
car with sponge and water. Keeping the
underbody clean is most important, espe-
cially in the winter. Some automatic
washers do not have facilities for washing
the underbody.
Waxing alone does not substitute for pol-
ishing a dull surface.
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A wide range of polymer-based waxes
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can be purchased today. These waxes
are easy to use and produce a long-last-
ing, high-gloss finish that protects the
bodywork against oxidation, road dirt and
fading.
WARNING
When the vehicle is driven immediately
after being washed, apply the brakes,
including the parking brake, several
times in order to remove any moisture
from the brake linings.
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Do not polish or wax your vehicle in direct
sunlight (the surface of the vehicle should
not be warmer than 113 °F (45 °C).
NOTE
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Condensation may form temporarily on the
inside of the lenses of exterior lights such
as headlights, fog lights, or taillights. This
is normal and the lights are designed to
withstand moisture. Normally, condensa-
tion will dissipate after the lights have been
on for a short time.
Engine cleaning agents should not be
used when the engine is warm. This
constitutes a fire risk.
Related information
Polishing and waxing (p. 362)
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Cleaning the interior (p. 363)
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Washing the car (p. 361)
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362
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