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Maintenance
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Blade Inspection
Contamination of either the wind-
shield or the wiper blades with for-
eign matter can reduce the effective-
ness of the windshield wipers.
Common sources of contamination
are insects, tree sap, and hot wax
treatments used by some commer-
cial car washes. If the blades are not
wiping properly, clean both the win-
dow and the blades with a clean
cloth dampened with washer fluid. To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, arms or other compo-
nents, do not:
Use gasoline, kerosene, paint
thinner, or other solvents on or
near them.
Attempt to move the wipers manually.
Use non-specified wiper blades.
Information
Commercial hot waxes applied by
automatic car washes have been
known to make the windshield dif-
ficult to clean.
Blade Replacement
When the wipers no longer clean
adequately, the blades may be worn
or cracked, and require replacement.
To prevent damage to the wiper
arms or other components, do not
attempt to move the wipers manu-
ally.
The use of a non-specified wiper
blade could result in wiper mal-
function and failure.
NOTICE
NOTICE
i
NOTICE
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Maintenance
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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
driving, 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, should be
used.
After washing, rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water.
Do not allow soap to dry on the fin-
ish.
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
is warm.
Be careful when washing the
side windows of your vehicle.
Especially, with high-pressure
water, water may leak through
the windows and wet the inte-
rior.
To prevent damage to the
plastic parts, do not clean
with chemical solvents or
strong detergents.
CAUTION
After washing the vehicle, test
the brakes while driving slowly
to see if they have been affected
by water before getting on the
road. If braking performance is
impaired, dry the brakes by
applying them lightly while
maintaining a slow forward
speed.
WARNING
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7
Maintenance
Waxing
A good coat of wax is a barrier
between your paint and contaminate.
Keeping a good coat of wax on your
vehicle will help protect it.
Wax the vehicle when water will no
longer bead on the paint.
Always wash and dry the vehicle
before waxing. Use a good quality
liquid or paste wax, and follow the
manufacturer’s instructions. Wax all
metal trim to protect it and to main-
tain its luster.
Removing oil, tar, and similar materi-
als with a spot remover will usually
strip the wax from the finish. Be sure
to re-wax these areas even if the rest
of the vehicle does not yet need wax-
ing.
OLMB073082
Water washing in the engine
compartment including high
pressure water washing may
cause the failure of electrical
circuits located in the engine
compartment.
Never allow water or other liq-
uids to come in contact with
electrical/electronic compo-
nents inside the vehicle as
this may damage them.
CAUTION
Wiping dust or dirt off the
body with a dry cloth will
scratch the finish.
Do not use steel wool, abra-
sive cleaners, or strong deter-
gents containing highly alka-
line or caustic agents on
chrome-plated or anodized
aluminum parts. This may
result in damage to the pro-
tective coating and cause dis-
coloration or paint deteriora-
tion.
CAUTION
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Maintenance
Finish damage repair
Deep scratches or stone chips in the
painted surface must be repaired
promptly. Exposed metal will quickly
rust and may develop into a major
repair expense.
If your vehicle is damaged and
requires any metal repair or
replacement, be sure the body
shop applies anti-corrosion mate-
rials to the parts repaired or
replaced.
Bright-metal maintenance
To remove road tar and insects,use a tar remover, not a scraper or
other sharp object.
To protect the surfaces of bright- metal parts from corrosion, apply a
coating of wax or chrome preser-
vative and rub to a high luster.
During winter weather or in coastal areas, cover the bright metal parts
with a heavier coating of wax or
preservative. If necessary, coat the
parts with non-corrosive petroleum
jelly or other protective compound.
Underbody maintenance
Corrosive materials used for ice and
snow removal and dust control may
collect on the underbody. If these
materials are not removed, acceler-
ated 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 under-
body and wheel openings with luke-
warm 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 rust-
ing.
NOTICE
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7
Maintenance
vehicle, pay particular attention to
the components under the fenders
and other areas that are hidden
from view. Do a thorough job; just
dampening the accumulated mud
rather than washing it away will
accelerate corrosion rather than
prevent it. Water under high pres-
sure and steam are particularly
effective in removing accumulated
mud and corrosive materials.
When cleaning lower door panels, rocker panels and frame members,
be sure that drain holes are kept
open so that moisture can escape
and not be trapped inside to accel-
erate corrosion.Keep your garage dry
Don't park your car in a damp, poor-
ly ventilated garage. This creates a
favorable environment for corrosion.
This is particularly true if you wash
your vehicle in the garage or drive it
into the garage when it is still wet or
covered with snow, ice or mud. Even
a heated garage can contribute to
corrosion unless it is well ventilated
so moisture is dispersed.
Keep paint and trim in good condition
Scratches or chips in the finish
should be covered with "touch-up"
paint as soon as possible to reduce
the possibility of corrosion. If bare
metal is showing through, the atten-
tion of a qualified body and paint
shop is recommended.
Bird droppings are highly corrosive
and may damage painted surfaces in
just a few hours. Always remove bird
droppings as soon as possible.
Interior Care
Interior general precautions
Prevent caustic solutions such as
perfume and cosmetic oil, from con-
tacting the interior parts because
they may cause damage or discol-
oration. If they do contact the interior
parts, wipe them off immediately.
See the instructions for the proper
way to clean vinyl.
Never allow water or other liq-
uids to come in contact with
electrical/electronic compo-
nents inside the vehicle as
this may damage them.
When cleaning leather prod-
ucts (steering wheel, seats
etc.), use neutral detergents
or low alcohol content solu-
tions. If you use high alcohol
content solutions or acid/
alkaline detergents, the color
of the leather may fade or the
surface may get stripped off.
CAUTION