Subaru Outback Manuals 2011 Outback Owner's Manual | Page 348

10-2 Appearance 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 pressing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. . Do not wash the engine compartment and areas adjacent to it. If water enters the engine air intake, electrical parts or the power steering fluid reservoir, it will cause engine trouble or a malfunction of the power steering. . Do not use any organic solvents when washing the bulb lenses. However, if a detergent with organic solvents is used to wash them, completely wash off the detergent. Otherwise, the lenses may be damaged. . Outback: Since your vehicle is equipped with a rear wiper, automatic car-wash brushes could become tangled around it, damaging the wiper arm and other components. 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. NOTE When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make sure beforehand that the car wash is of suitable type. 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 sunlight. Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree sap, and bird droppings should be washed off