Vehicle care and maintenance
7-45
7
Hood lock release mechanism and safety catch
N00942500114
The hood lock release mechanism and hood safety catch should
be checked, cleaned, and oiled when needed for easy move-
ment and to stop rust and wear. Use Multipurpose Grease
NLGI Grade 2 sparingly for all sliding parts of the hood latch
and release lever. Work the grease into the hood lock mecha-
nism until all the movable surfaces are covered.
Also, put a light coat of the same grease on the safety catch
wherever moving parts touch.
For cold and snowy weather
N00942600102
Ventilation slotsThe ventilation slots in front of the windshield should be
brushed clear after a heavy snowfall so that the operation of the
heating and ventilation systems will not be impaired.WeatherstrippingTo prevent freezing of the weatherstripping on the doors,
engine hood, etc., they should be treated with silicone grease.Additional equipment (For regions where snow is
encountered)It is a good idea to carry a shovel or a short-handled spade in
the vehicle during the winter so that you can clear away snow
if you get stranded. A small hand-brush for sweeping snow off
the vehicle and a plastic scraper for the windshield, side and
rear window are also useful.
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7-94 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
During cold weather Salt and other chemicals spread on winter roads in some geo-
graphical areas can have a detrimental effect on the vehicle
underbody. You should flush the underbody with a high pres-
sure hose every time you wash the outside of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other debris which could
trap and hold salt and moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the
rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freez-
ing.
CAUTION
!When washing the underside of your vehicle or the
wheels, wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands.If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place the
wiper switch lever in the “OFF” position to deacti-
vate the rain sensor before washing the vehicle. Oth-
erwise, the wipers will operate in the presence of
water spray on the windshield and may get damaged
as a result.Never spray or splash water on the electrical parts
in the engine compartment. This may damage them.
Be careful also when washing the underbody. Do not
spray water into the engine compartment.Avoid automatic car washers that use rotating
brushes. These brushes may scratch the paint sur-
face and make it dull.
Scratches are more noticeable on darker colored
vehicles.Some hot water washing equipment uses high pres-
sure and heat to clean your vehicle. This heated
water may damage your vehicle’s resin parts. It can
flood the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, be sure
of the following:
• Keep the washing nozzle at least 20 inches (50 cm)
away from the vehicle body.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the
nozzle at a distance of more than 20 inches (50 cm)
and at right angles to the glass surface.
When using high-pressure water to wash a vehicle
equipped with the F.A.S.T.-key system, keep the
water from spraying on the open button on the rear
hatch. This could cause the rear hatch to open and
flood the inside of the rear hatch. Make sure to do the following when using an auto-
matic car wash, with help from either this manual or
the car wash operator, to avoid damaging your vehi-
cle:
• Fold the outside rear-view mirrors.
• Put down (except for vehicles equipped with SIR-
IUS satellite radio antenna only) or remove the
antenna.
• If your vehicle is equipped with rear spoiler, check
with the car wash operator before using the car
wash.
• If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place the
wiper switch lever in the “OFF” position to deacti-
vate the rain sensor.CAUTION
!
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-95
7
NOTEWhen the door is frozen, opening it by force may tear off
or crack the rubber gasket installed around the door. Pour
warm water to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe off
the water after opening the door. To prevent freezing of
the weatherstripping on the doors, hood, etc., treat with
silicone lubricant.Waxi n g
N00946000218
Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or when water does not
bead up on the paint.
Use a soft cloth to put a small amount of wax on the painted
surfaces. After the wax has dried, polish with a dry soft cloth.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax when the painted surfaces are cool.
Polishing
N00946100059
If painted surfaces have been severely damaged and lost their
original luster and color tone, polish the surface lightly with a
fine polishing compound. Avoid limiting your polishing to the
damaged surface only; polish a somewhat wider area, moving
the polishing cloth in one direction. After polishing, flush the
compound from the surface and apply a coat of wax to regain a
beautiful luster.Damaged paint
N00946200063
Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat should be touched
up as soon as possible with touch-up paint to prevent corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the tires carefully for dam-
age to the paint caused by flying stones, etc. The paint code
number for your vehicle can be found on the vehicle informa-
tion code plate in the engine compartment.
CAUTION
!Waxes containing high abrasive compounds should
not be used. These waxes remove rust and stain
effectively from the paintwork, but are harmful to
the finish on the paint and the plate, because they
also remove clearcoat.
They are also harmful to other glossy surfaces such
as the grille, trim, moldings, etc.Do not use gasoline, kerosene, benzine or paint thin-
ners to remove road tar or other dirt from the vehi-
cle surface.
Do not put wax on the areas having black matte
coating because it can cause uneven discoloration,
patches, blurs, etc. If these get wax on them, wipe
the wax off right away with a soft cloth and warm
water.On vehicles equipped with sunroof, be careful not to
apply any wax on the weatherstrip (black rubber)
when waxing the area around the sunroof opening.
If stained with wax, the weatherstrip cannot main-
tain a weatherproof seal with the sunroof.
CAUTION
!
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