Volvo XC90 Owner's Manual page 211

Exterior components
Volvo recommends the use of special clean-
ing products, available at your Volvo retailer,
for cleaning colored plastic, rubber, or orna-
mental components such as chromed strips
on the exterior of your vehicle. The instruc-
tions for using these products should be fol-
lowed carefully. Solvents or stain removers
should not be used.
CAUTION
•
Avoid waxing or polishing plastic or
rubber components
•
Polishing chromed strips can wear
away or damage the surface
•
Polishes containing abrasive sub-
stances should not be used
NOTE
When washing the vehicle, remember to
remove dirt from the drain holes in the
doors and sills.
WARNING
•
When the vehicle is driven immediately
after being washed, apply the brakes
several times in order to remove any
moisture from the brake linings.
•
Engine cleaning agents should not be
used when the engine is warm. This
constitutes a fire risk.
Automatic washing – simple and quick
•
We do NOT recommend washing your
vehicle in an automatic wash during the
first few months (because the paint will
not have hardened sufficiently).
•
An automatic wash is a simple and quick
way to clean your vehicle, but it is worth
remembering that it may not be as thor-
ough as when you yourself go over the
vehicle with sponge and water. Keeping
the underbody clean is most important,
especially in the winter. Some automatic
washers do not have facilities for washing
the underbody.
•
Before driving into an automatic car
wash, make sure that side view mirrors,
auxiliary lamps, etc, are secure, and that
any antenna(s) are retracted or removed.
Otherwise there is risk of the machine
dislodging them.
08 Car care
Washing and cleaning the vehicle
Exterior lighting
Condensation may form temporarily on the
inside of the lenses of exterior lights such as
headlights, fog lights, or tail lights. This is nor-
mal and the lights are designed to withstand
moisture. Normally, condensation will dissi-
pate after the lights have been on for a short
time.
Polishing and waxing
•
Normally, polishing is not required during
the first year after delivery, however, wax-
ing may be beneficial.
•
Before applying polish or wax the vehicle
must be washed and dried. Tar spots can
be removed with kerosene or tar remover.
Difficult spots may require a fine rubbing
compound.
•
After polishing use liquid or paste wax.
•
Several commercially available products
contain both polish and wax.
•
Waxing alone does not substitute for pol-
ishing a dull surface.
•
A wide range of polymer-based car
waxes can be purchased today. These
waxes are easy to use and produce a
long-lasting, high-gloss finish that pro-
08
209