7-70
Maintenance
APPEARANCE CARE
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.
Protecting your vehicle's finish
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 harsh 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 interi-
or.
• To prevent damage to the plastic
parts, do not clean with chemi-
cal solvents or strong deter-
gents.
NOTICE
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
7-77
7
Maintenance
• Caring for the leather seats
- Vacuum the seat periodically to
remove dust and sand on the seat.
It will prevent abrasion or damage
of the leather and maintain its qual-
ity.
- Wipe the natural leather seat cover
often with dry or soft cloth.
- Use of proper leather protector
may prevent abrasion of the cover
and helps maintain the color. Be
sure to read the instructions and
consult a specialist when using
leather coating or protective agent.
- Light colored (beige, cream beige)
leather is easily contaminated and
the stain is noticeable. Clean the
seats frequently.
- Avoid wiping with wet cloth. It may
cause the surface to crack.• Cleaning the leather seats
- Remove all contaminations instant-
ly. Refer to instructions below for
removal of each contaminant.
- Cosmetic products (sunscreen,
foundation, etc.)
Apply cleansing cream on a cloth
and wipe the contaminated spot.
Wipe off the cream with a wet cloth
and remove water with a dry cloth.
- Beverages (coffee, soft drink, etc.)
Apply a small amount of neutral
detergent and wipe until contami-
nations do not smear.
- Oil
Remove oil instantly with
absorbable cloth and wipe with
stain remover used only for natural
leather.
- Chewing gum
Harden the gum with ice and
remove gradually.Cleaning the seat belt webbing
Clean the belt webbing with any mild
soap solution recommended for
cleaning upholstery or carpet. Follow
the instructions provided with the
soap. Do not bleach or re-dye the
webbing because this may weaken
the seat belt.
Cleaning the interior window
glass
If the interior glass surfaces of the
vehicle become fogged (that is, cov-
ered with an oily, greasy or waxy
film), they should be cleaned with
glass cleaner. Follow the directions
on the glass cleaner container.
Do not scrape or scratch the
inside of the rear window. This
may result in damage to the rear
window defroster grid.
NOTICE
