10-2
Appearance care/Exterior care
Exterior care
& Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes, drive
the vehicle at a safe speed while
lightly depressing the brake ped-
al to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air intake
or electrical parts, it will cause
engine trouble or a malfunction
of electrical equipment.
. When washing inner fenders, un-
derbody, bumpers and protrud-
ing objects such as exhaust
pipes and exhaust finishers, be
careful to prevent injuries from
contacting sharp ends.
. Do not use any organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. However, if
a detergent with organic solvents
is used to wash the cover sur-
face, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise,
the cover surface may be da-
maged.
. Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the
wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
. For models with a rod-type roof
antenna, remove the antenna rod
before washing your car at a car
wash. If the antenna rod remains
attached, it may scratch the roof.
When reinstalling the removed
antenna rod, be sure to fully
tighten it.
NOTE
. When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
. The rear view camera lens has a hard
coating to help prevent scratches.
However, when washing the vehicle or
cleaning the camera lens, be careful not
to scratch the camera lens. Do not use a
washing brush directly on the camera
lens. The image quality of the rear view
camera may deteriorate.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash the
vehicle with hot water and in direct sun-
light.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree sap,
and bird droppings should be washed off
by using a light detergent, as required. If
you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or soft
cloth. Wear rubber gloves and use a hand
brush when washing down underbody,
inner fenders and suspension to effec-
tively remove mud and dirt off.