210 Cleaning and protec tio n
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water .
- You should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head
lights w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge. It is best to use
soapy water .
@) For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated w ith
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, wash ing vehicles outs ide of
these facilities is prohib ited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
• Before using the power w asher , make sure
yo u have read and understood the WARN
INGS
q A in General information on
page 208.
• Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer.
• Make sure that the jet o n the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls .
Keep a d istance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulat ing mater ial as we ll as
sensors and camera lenses.
When cleaning t he vehicle wit h a power wash
er
always fo llow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the operating pres
sure and the spraying distance . Do not po int
the spray direc tly at the sea ls around the s ide
windows, aro und t he doors, on the re ar lid or
on the sunroof* . Likew ise, do not point it di
rectly at tires, r ubber hoses, ins ulation mate
rial or sensors
q page 211. Hold the spray nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do no t use a high-pressu re power was her to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a d irect
st ream o r one that has a rotating je t.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °() .
A WARNING ,..__
Neve r wash t ires with a jet that sprays wa
ter in a direct stream. This could cause in
v is ible d amage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative ly
l ong distance and for a short time . Dam
aged and wea kened tires can fail a nd cause
accidents and personal in jury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging yo ur vehicle, a lw ays
make sure tha t the re is sufficien t distance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
li ke rubber hoses, plast ic parts and sound
deaden ing mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never a im the spray
head at the same point fo r a long time.
This also app lies to cleaning headlights
and paint ed bumpers . Remembe r: t he
closer the no zzle is to the surfa ce of the
m at erial , the gre ater t he s tress on the ma
terial.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: wit h matte finish paint
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing by hand
T o avoid damaging the pain t when was hing,
fi rst remove dust and la rge particles from
yo ur vehicle . Insects, grease spots and finger
prints are best removed with a
special cleaner
for matte finish pa int .
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