Toyota RAV4 Owner's Manual page 476

If the vehicle is particularly dirty, use a
diluted neutral detergent and a sponge
or a soft cloth and wash off the dirt by
hand.
• Wash detergent off with water immedi-
ately after use.
After using detergent, wash the deter-
gent off with water and wipe the vehicle
dry with a soft cloth.
●
For vehicles with 19-inch matte
painted wheels: Make sure to observe
the following precautions to prevent
damage to the matte paint.
• Do not polish or scrub with dry cloths,
brushes, etc.
• Do not use detergents containing
coatings or abrasives.
• If using an automatic car wash, make
sure it does not include dedicated
wheel brushes.
• Do not use high-pressure spray guns
or steam cleaners.
• Do not use detergent on the wheels
when they are hot, such as after driv-
ing or parking in hot weather.
■ Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■
Plated portions
If dirt cannot be removed, clean the
parts as follows:
● Use a soft cloth dampened with an
approximately 5% solution of neutral
detergent and water to clean the dirt
off.
● Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth
to remove any remaining moisture.
● To remove oily deposits, use alcohol
wet wipes or a similar product.
WARNING
■ When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the
engine compartment. Doing so may
cause the electrical components, etc.
to catch fire.
7-1. Maintenance and care
■
When cleaning the windshield
(vehicles with rain-sensing wind-
shield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in "AUTO", the
wipers may operate unexpectedly in
the following situations, and may
result in hands being caught or other
serious injuries and cause damage to
the wiper blades.
A
Off
B
AUTO
● When the upper part of the wind-
shield where the raindrop sensor is
located is touched by hand
● When a wet rag or similar is held
close to the raindrop sensor
● If something bumps against the
windshield
● If you directly touch the raindrop
sensor body or if something bumps
into the raindrop sensor
■ Precautions regarding the
exhaust pipes
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust
pipes to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful
not to touch the pipes until they have
cooled sufficiently, as touching hot
exhaust pipes can cause burns.
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