General Maintenance; Taking Care Of And Cleaning The Vehicle; Washing Your Car - Skoda 2013 Roomster Owner's Manual

General Maintenance

Taking care of and cleaning the vehicle

Washing your car

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Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Washing by hand
Automatic car wash systems
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
The best way to protect your vehicle against harmful environmental influences is
frequent washing.
How often the vehicle should be washed depends on factors such as:
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Frequency of use.
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Parking situation (garage, under trees etc.).
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Season.
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Weather conditions.
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Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar,
soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the
paintwork of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be.
High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun's rays, accentuate this
caustic effect.
It is essential to also thoroughly clean the underside of the vehicle at the end of
the winter.
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the winter: Water and ice in the braking sys-
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tem can affect the braking efficiency – risk of accident!
Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is switched off – risk of accident!
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General Maintenance
CAUTION
Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight – risk of paint damage.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle at washing bays intended for this purpose.
Washing by hand

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 144.
144
Soak the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as well as possible.
144
Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove or a washing brush. Work
145
from the top to the bottom - starting with the roof.
Only use a car shampoo for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such
areas.
Give the vehicle a good rinse after washing it and dry it off using a chamois leath-
er.
CAUTION
When washing the car by hand, protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged
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metal parts (e.g. when cleaning the under body and/or chassis, exhaust system,
the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims, etc.) - risk of cuts! - There is
a risk of cuts!
Only apply slight pressure when cleaning the vehicle's paintwork.
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Automatic car wash systems

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 144.
The usual precautionary measures must be taken before washing the vehicle in
an automatic car wash system (e.g. closing the windows and the sliding/tilting
roof etc.).
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