Page 273 of 283

Maintenance
387
EXTERIOR CARE
Exterior general caution
It is very important to follow the label
directions when using any chemical
cleaner or polish. Read all warning and
caution statements that appear on the
label.
Finish maintenance
Washing
To help protect your vehicle’s finish from
rust and deterioration, wash it thoroughly
and frequently at least once a month with
lukewarm or cold water.
If you use your vehicle for off-road driv-
ing, you should wash it after each off-
road trip. Pay special attention to the
removal of any accumulation of salt, dirt,
mud, and other foreign materials. Make
sure the drain holes in the lower edges of
the doors and rocker panels are kept
clear and clean. Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial pollution and similar deposits
can damage your vehicle’s finish if not
removed immediately.
Even prompt washing with plain water
may not completely remove all these
deposits. A mild soap, safe for use on
painted surfaces, may be used.
After washing, rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water. Do
not allow soap to dry on the finish.
CAUTION
Do not use
strong soap, chemical
detergents or hot water, and do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight
or when the body of the vehicle i s
warm.
WARNING
After washing the vehicle, test the
brakes while driving slowly to see if
they have been affected by water. If
braking performance is impaired,
dry the brakes by applying them
lightly while maintaining a slow for-
ward speed.
CAUTION
• Water washing in the engine com-
partment including high pre ssure
water washing may cause the fail- ure of electrical circuit s located in
the engine compartment.
• Never allow water or other liquids come in contact with electrical/electronic component s inside the
vehicle as this may damage them.
OJB037800
Page 275 of 283

Maintenance
407
Underbody maintenance
Corrosive materials used for ice and
snow removal and dust control may col-
lect on the underbody. If these materials
are not removed, accelerated rusting can
occur on underbody parts such as the
fuel lines, frame, floor pan and exhaust
system, even though they have been
treated with rust protection.
Thoroughly flush the vehicle underbody
and wheel openings with lukewarm or
cold water once a month, after off-road
driving and at the end of each winter. Pay
special attention to these areas because
it is difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It
will do more harm than good to wet down
the road grime without removing it. The
lower edges of doors, rocker panels, and
frame members have drain holes that
should not be allowed to clog with dirt;
trapped water in these areas can cause
rusting.
Aluminum wheel maintenance
The aluminum wheels are coated with a
clear protective finish.
• Do not use any abrasive cleaner, pol-ishing compound, solvent, or wire
brushes on aluminum wheels. They
may scratch or damage the finish.
• Use only a mild soap or neutral deter- gent, and rinse thoroughly with water.
Also, be sure to clean the wheels after
driving on salted roads. This helps pre-
vent corrosion.
• Avoid washing the wheels with high- speed car wash brushes.
• Do not use any acid detergent. It may damage and corrode the aluminum
wheels coated with a clear protective
finish.WARNING
After washing the vehicle, test the
brakes while driving slowly to see if
they have been affected by water. If
braking performance is impaired,
dry the brakes by applying them
lightly while maintaining a slow for-
ward speed.
Page 281 of 283

Index
29
Air bags-advanced supplemental restraint system ···3-52
Air cleaner ··················\
··················\
··················\
··············7-19
Antenna ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·3-98
Audio remote control··················\
··················\
···············3-99
Audio systems ··················\
··················\
··················\
·······3-100
Automatic climate control system ··················\
············4-43
Automatic transaxle ··················\
··················\
·········4-5, 7-16
Battery··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···7-22
Before driving··················\
··················\
··················\
···········5-5
Brake system ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········4-10
Brakes ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···7-14
Climate control air filter ··················\
··················\
·········7-19
Cruise control system ··················\
··················\
··············4-19
Defroster ··················\
··················\
··················\
·················4-41\
Door locks ··················\
··················\
··················\
·················3-9
Driver position memory system··················\
················3-28Electrical circuit protection ··················\
··················\
······6-5
Electronic stability control ··················\
··················\
······4-22
Emergency starting··················\
··················\
··················\
··6-3
Emission control system ··················\
··················\
············5-3
Engine compartment ··················\
··················\
········2-4, 7-10
Engine cooling system ··················\
··················\
·············7-12
Engine oil and oil filter ··················\
··················\
············7-11
Exterior care··················\
··················\
··················\
···········7-38
Fuel filler lid ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········3-81
Fuel requirements ··················\
··················\
··················\
····5-2
Gauges ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···4-26
Hazard warning flasher ··················\
··················\
··········4-42
Homelink® wireless control system ··················\
·········5-25
Hood ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
······3-80
How to use this manual ··················\
··················\
·············1-2
If you have a flat tire ··················\
··················\
···············6-17
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I