2014 TOYOTA AVENSIS maintenance

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4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime
condition.
Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any
dirt and dust.
Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thor-
oughly with water.
Wipe away any water.
Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.

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Maintenance and care
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Automatic car washes
Fold the mirrors and remove the antenna (wagon) before washing the
vehicle. Start washing from the front of the vehicle. Make sure to re-install
the antenna (wagon) and extend the mirrors before driving.
Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface
and harm your vehicle’s paint.
Vehicles with the rain-sensing windshield wipers: Turn the wipers off
before washing the vehicle.
High pressure car washes
Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity
of the windows.
Before car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is closed
properly.
Aluminum wheels (if equipped)
Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use
hard brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical
cleaners.
Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after
driving for long distance in the hot weather.
Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.

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CAUTION
Caution about the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has cooled
sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.
When cleaning the windshield (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
When the upper part of the windshield where the raindrop sensor is
located is touched by hand
When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor
If something bumps against the windshield
If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps into
the raindrop sensor
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate unexpectedly in the fol-
lowing situations, and may result in hands
being caught or other serious injuries and
cause damage to the wiper blades.
Off

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Maintenance and care
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NOTICE
To prevent deterioration and corrosion on the body and components
(aluminum wheels etc.)
Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface
• If you see dead insects or insect droppings on the paint
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
Cleaning the exterior lights
Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
Do not apply wax on the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
Antenna installation and removal precautions (wagon only)
Before driving, ensure that the antenna is installed.
When the antenna is removed, such as before entering an automatic car
wash, make sure to store it in a suitable place so as not to lose it. Also,
before driving, make sure to reinstall the antenna in its original position.

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NOTICE
To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms
When lifting the wiper arms away from the windshield pull the driver side
wiper arm upward first, and repeat for the passenger side. When returning
the wipers to their original position, do so from the passenger side first.
When using an automatic car wash (vehicles with rain-sensing wind-
shield wipers)
Turn off the wiper switch. If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may
operate and the wiper blades may be damaged.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
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Maintenance and care
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Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle’s interior and
keep it in top condition:
Protecting the vehicle interior
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty sur-
faces with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
Cleaning the leather areas
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
Wipe any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool deter-
gent.
Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off all remaining traces of detergent.
Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remain-
ing moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded ventilated
area.
Synthetic leather areas
Remove loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.
Apply a mild soap solution to the synthetic leather using a
sponge or soft cloth.
Allow the solution to soak in for a few minutes. Remove the
dirt and wipe off the solution with a clean, damp cloth.

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Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year
to maintain the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not apply
water. Excellent results are obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possi-
ble.
Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
CAUTION
Water in the vehicle
Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle. Doing so may cause electrical
components etc. to malfunction or catch fire.
Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.
(P. 149)
Electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function
properly, resulting in death or serious injury.
Cleaning the interior (especially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel may reflect off
the windshield, obstructing the driver’s view and leading to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.

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NOTICE
Cleaning detergents
Do not use organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, acidic or
alkaline solutions, dye, bleach or other detergent. Doing so may discolor
the vehicle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces.
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel’s or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces.
Remove any dust or dirt on leather surfaces immediately.
Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or that contain wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats
up significantly.
Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes
into contact with electrical components under the floor of the vehicle, and
may also cause the body to rust.
Cleaning the inside of the rear window or right-side rear quarter win-
dow
Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window or right-side rear quar-
ter window (wagon), as this may cause damage to the rear window defog-
ger heater wires or antenna. Use a cloth dampened with lukewarm water
to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the window in strokes running par-
allel to the heater wires or antenna.
Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or antenna.