Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle
During cold weather
CAUTION
CAUTION
Salt and other chemicals spread on the roads
in some areas in winter can have a harmful
effect on the vehicle body. You should there-
fore wash the vehicle as often as possible in
accordance with our care-instructions. It is
recommended to have a preservative applied
and the underfloor protection checked before
and after the cold weather season.
As your vehicle is equipped with the rain
After washing the vehicle, drive the vehicle
slowly while lightly depressing the brake
pedal several times in order to dry out the
brakes.
Leaving the brakes wet could result in re-
duced braking performance. Also, there is a
possibility that they could freeze up or be-
come inoperative due to rust, rendering the
vehicle unable to move.
When using an automatic car wash, pay at-
tention to the following items, referring to
the operation manual or consulting a car
wash operator. If the following procedure is
not followed, it could result in damage to
your vehicle.
l
l
l
sensor, place the wiper switch lever in the
“OFF” position to deactivate the rain sensor
before washing the vehicle. Otherwise, the
wipers will operate in the presence of water
spray on the windscreen and may get dam-
aged as a result.
Refrain from excessively using a car wash as
l
its brushes may scratch the paint surface,
causing it to lose its gloss. Scratches will be
especially visible on darker coloured vehi-
cles.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all wa-
terdrops from the rubber parts around the
doors to prevent the doors from freezing.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical
l
components in the engine compartment. Do-
ing so could have an adverse effect on the
Plug-in Hybrid EV system startability.
Exercise caution also when washing the un-
derbody; be careful not to spray water into
the engine compartment.
NOTE
The outside mirrors are retracted.
The wiper arms are secured in place with
tape.
•
•
To prevent freezing of the weatherstripping
on the doors, bonnet, etc., they should be
treated with silicone spray.
l
10
If your vehicle is equipped with roof rails
or a roof spoiler, consult a car wash oper-
ator before using the car wash.
•
Some types of hot water washing equipment
l
apply high pressure and heat to the vehicle.
They may cause heat distortion and damage
to the vehicle resin parts and may result in
flooding of the vehicle interior.
Waxing
As your vehicle is equipped with the rain
sensor, place the wiper switch lever in the
“OFF” position to deactivate the rain sen-
sor.
•
Waxing the vehicle will help prevent the ad-
herence of dust and road chemicals to the
paintwork. Apply a wax solution after wash-
ing the vehicle, or at least once every three
months to assist displacing of water.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax after the surfaces have
cooled.
Therefore:
Maintain a distance of approx. 70 cm or
more between the vehicle body and the
washing nozzle.
•
Make sure that the charging lid and the
fuel lid are completely closed.
•
•
If your vehicle is equipped with the Ultra-
sonic misacceleration Mitigation System
(UMS), turn the system off by using the
“FCM and UMS ON/OFF switch” on
page 7-70.
When washing around the door glass,
hold the nozzle at a distance of more than
70 cm and at right angles to the glass sur-
face.
•
For information on how to use wax refer to
the instruction manual of the wax.
10-04
Vehicle care
OGGE20E1