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CAUTION
When using high-pressure water to wash a
vehicle equipped with the F.A.S.T.-key sys-
tem, keep the water from spraying on the
open button on the trunk. This could cause
the trunk to open and flood the inside of the
trunk.
Make sure to do the following when using an
automatic car wash, with help from either
this manual or the car wash operator, to
avoid damaging your vehicle:
• Fold the outside rear-view mirrors.
• Remove the antenna.
• If your vehicle is equipped with rear
spoiler, check with the car wash operator
before using the car wash.
• If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place
the wiper switch lever in the "OFF" posi-
tion to deactivate the rain sensor.
During cold weather
Salt and other chemicals spread on winter
roads in some geographical areas can have a
detrimental effect on the vehicle underbody.
You should flush the underbody with a high
pressure hose every time you wash the out-
side of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other
debris which could trap and hold salt and
moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all
waterdrops from the rubber parts around the
doors to prevent the doors from freezing.
NOTE
When the door is frozen, opening it by force
may tear off or crack the rubber gasket
installed around the door. Pour warm water
to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe
off the water after opening the door. To pre-
vent freezing of the weatherstripping on the
doors, hood, etc., treat with silicone lubri-
cant.
Waxing
Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or
when water does not bead up on the paint.
Use a soft cloth to put a small amount of wax
on the painted surfaces. After the wax has
dried, polish with a dry soft cloth.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax when the painted surfaces
are cool.
Cleaning the outside of your vehicle
CAUTION
Waxes containing high abrasive compounds
should not be used. These waxes remove rust
and stain effectively from the paintwork, but
are harmful to the finish on the paint and the
plate, because they also remove clearcoat.
They are also harmful to other glossy sur-
faces such as the grille, trim, moldings, etc.
Do not use gasoline, kerosene, benzine or
paint thinners to remove road tar or other dirt
from the vehicle surface.
Do not put wax on the areas having black
matte coating because it can cause uneven
discoloration, patches, blurs, etc. If these get
wax on them, wipe the wax off right away
with a soft cloth and warm water.
If your vehicle is equipped with a sunroof, be
N00946000221
careful not to apply any wax on the weather-
strip (black rubber) when waxing the area
around the sunroof opening.
If stained with wax, the weatherstrip cannot
maintain a weatherproof seal with the sun-
roof.
Polishing
If painted surfaces have been severely dam-
aged and lost their original luster and color
tone, polish the surface lightly with a fine
polishing compound. Avoid limiting your
polishing to the damaged surface only; polish
a somewhat wider area, moving the polishing
Vehicle care and maintenance
9
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9-43
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