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Cleaning the Inside of Your
Oldsmobile
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of
dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl with a
clean, damp cloth.
Your Oldsmobile dealer has two GM
cleaners-a solvent-type spot lifter and a
foam-type powdered cleaner. They will
clean normal spots and stains very well.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the
cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can-
before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and
change to a clean area often.
A soft
brush may be used if stains are
stubborn.
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-
ventilated area only. If you use them,
don’t saturate the stained area.
clean the entire area immediately or
it
will set.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning,
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on
Fabric
Vacuum and brush the area to remove
Always clean a whole trim panel or
any
loose dirt.
section. Mask surrounding trim along
stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner
following
the directions on the
container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean
sponge.
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Service & Appearance Care
Using Barn-Type Cleaner on
Fabric (CONT.)
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section,
use a sponge to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet
sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly
damp paper towel or cloth.
Then dry it immediately with an air
hose, a hair dryer or a heat lamp.
Wipe with a clean cloth.
Using Solvenf-Type Cleaner on
Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type
cleaner at all. Some
spots and stains will
clean
off better with just water and mild
soap.
If you need to use it, then:
Gently scrape excess soil from the
trim material with a clean, dull knife
or scraper. Use very little cleaner,
light pressure and clean cloths (preferably cheesecloth). Cleaning should
start at the outside of the stain,
“feathering” toward the center. Keep
changing to a clean section
of the
cloth.
When you clean a stain from fabric,
immediately dry the area with
an air
hose, hair dryer, or heat lamp to help
prevent a cleaning ring. (See the
previous
NOTICE.)
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Special Cleaning Problems
Greasy or Oily Stains:
Like grease, oil, butter, margarine, shoe
polish, coffee with cream, chewing
gum, cosmetic creams, vegetable oils,
wax crayon, tar and asphalt.
Carefully scrape off excess stain.
Then follow the solvent-type
Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and
instructions
above.
asphalt will stain if left on a vehicle
seat fabric. They should be removed
as soon as possible. Be careful,
because
the cleaner will dissolve them
and may cause them to bleed.
Non-Greasy Stains:
Like catsup, coffee (black), egg, fruit,
fruit juice, milk, soft drinks, wine,
vomit, urine and blood.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
sponge
the soiled area with cool water.
If a stain remains, follow the foam-
type instructions above.
If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit
or urine, treat
the area with a water/
baking soda solution:
1 teaspoon
(5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup
(250
ml) of lukewarm water.
Finally, if needed, clean lightly with
solvent-type cleaner.
Combination Stains:
Like candy, ice cream, mayonnaise,
chili sauce and unknown stains.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
clean with cool water and allow to
dry.
If a stain remains, clean it with
solvent-type cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl or Leafher
Just use warm water and a clean cloth.
Rub with a clean, damp cloth to
remove dirt. You may have to do
it
more than once.
polish will stain
if you don’t get them
off quickly. Use a clean cloth and
solvent-type vinyl/leather cleaner.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe
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Service & Appearance Care
258
Cleaning the Top of the
Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean
the top surfaces of the instrument panel.
Sprays containing silicones or waxes
may cause annoying reflections in the
windshield and even make it difficult to
see through the windshield under certain
conditions.
Vacuum the carpeted area as needed,
and clean as you would any other
carpet.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
A Do not bleach or dye safety
severely weaken them. In a crash
they might not be able to provide I
adequate protection. Clean safety
belts
only with mild soap and
lukewarm water.
- L belts. If you do, it may
Glass
Glass should be cleaned often. GM
Glass Cleaner (GM Part No. 1050427)
or a liquid household glass cleaner will
remove normal tobacco smoke and dust
films.
Don’t use abrasive cleaners on glass,
because they may cause scratches. Avoid
placing decals on the inside rear
window, since they may have
to be
scraped off later.
If abrasive cleaners are used on the
inside of the rear window, an electric
defogger element may be damaged. Any
temporary license should not be attached across the defogger grid.
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Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using
the windshield washer, or if the wiper
blade chatters when running, wax or
other material may be on the blade or
windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with
GM Windshield Cleaner, Bon-Ami
Powder@ (GM
Part No. 1050011). The
windshield is clean if beads do not form
when you rinse it with water.
Clean
the blade by wiping vigorously
with a cloth soaked in full strength
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse
the blade with water.
Wiper blades should be checked on a
regular basis and replaced when worn.
Cleaning the Outside of Your
Oldsmobile
The paint finish on your vehicle
provides beauty, depth of color, gloss
retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
finish
is to keep it clean by washing it
often with lukewarm or cold water.
Don’t wash your vehicle in the direct
rays of the sun. Don’t use strong soaps
or chemical detergents. Use liquid hand,
dish or vehicle washing (non-detergent)
soaps. Don’t use cleaning agents that
contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning
agents should be flushed promptly and
not allowed to dry on the surface, or
they could stain. Dry the finish with a
soft, clean chamois or a
100% cotton
towel to avoid surface scratches and
water spotting.
High pressure vehicle washes may cause
water
to enter your vehicle.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of
your Oldsmobile may be necessary
to
remove residue from the paint finish.
You can get
GM approved cleaning
products from your dealer. (See the
Index under Appearance Care.)
Your Oldsmobile has a “basecoatl
clearcoat” paint finish. The clearcoat
gives more depth and gloss to the
colored basecoat.
Machine compounding
or
aggressive polishing on a
~:-~~:- basecoat/clearcoat paint finis
dull the finish
or leave swirl
marks., . , .. .
II
I
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Service & Appearance Care
260
Aluminum Wheels
Don't use chrome polish on your
aluminum wheels. Use wax after you
clean them. Also, don't
use abrasive
cleaners or cleaning brushes on them-
you could damage the protective
coating.
?;<,wash that has hard silicon carbide
,+:cleaning
>+=; brushes. These brushes
&??&an-take
%.?-_ . . off the protective coating. I
',I. : - .. .
White Sidewall Tires
Your Oldsmobile dealer has a GM
White Sidewall Tire Cleaner. You can
use
a stiff brush with it.
Weatherstrips
These are places where glass or metal
meets rubber. Silicone grease there will
make them last longer, seal better, and
not squeak. Apply silicone grease with a
clean cloth at least every six months.
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Foreign Material
Calcium chloride and other salts, ice
melting agents, road
oil and tar, tree sap,
bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, and other foreign
matter can damage your vehicle’s finish
if they remain on painted surfaces. Use
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces for these
stains.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep
scratches in the fmish should be
repaired right away.
Minor chips and scratches can be
repaired with touch-up materials available from your dealer or other
service outlets. Larger areas
of finish
damage can be corrected
in your
dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow
removal and dust control can collect on
the underbody. If these are not removed,
accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur
on the underbody parts such as fuel
lines, frame, floor pan, and exhaust
system even though they have corrosion
protection.
At least every spring, flush these
materials from the underbody with plain
water. Clean any areas where mud and
other debris can collect. Dirt packed in
closed areas of the frame should be
loosened before being flushed. Your
dealer or an underbody vehicle washing
system can do this for you.
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Service & Appearance Cure
I
262
Collision Repair
Your vehicle was built with composite
SMC (Sheet Molded Compound)
fiberglass body panels and molded
RIM
(Reaction Injection Molded) fascias and
front fenders. These panels require
different collision repair procedures
than metal-paneled vehicles. See your
Oldsmobile dealer for information on
collision repair.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric
conditions can create a chemical fallout.
Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces
on your vehicle.
This damage can take two
forms:
blotchy, ringlet-shaped discolorations,
and small irregular dark
spots etched
into the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job
causes this, Oldsmobile will repair, at
no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout
condition within
12 months or 12,000
miles
(20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever comes first.
0
Vehicle Identification Number
This is the legal identifier for your
Oldsmobile. It appears on a plate in the
front corner of the instrument panel, on
the driver’s side. You can see it
if you
look through the windshield from
outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and
Service
Parts labels and the certificates
of title and registration.
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