Mitsubishi MOTORS MIRAGE G4 2022 Owner's Manual page 260

Foreign material
Industrial pollution, road tar, bird droppings,
tree sap, insect remains, sea water and other
foreign matters can damage the finish on your
vehicle.
Generally, the longer any foreign material
stays on the finish, the worse the damage.
Wash your vehicle as soon as possible when-
ever the finish gets soiled.
Washing
Chemicals contained in the dirt and dust
picked up from air, rain, snow, or road sur-
faces can damage the paint and body of your
vehicle if left on.
Frequent washing and waxing is the best way
to protect your vehicle from this damage.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
Park the vehicle in the shade and spray it with
water to remove dust. Next, using plenty of
clean water and a car washing mitt or sponge,
wash the vehicle from top to bottom.
Use a mild car washing soap if necessary.
Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry with a cham-
ois or soft cloth. After washing the vehicle,
carefully clean the joints and flanges of the
doors, hood, etc., where dirt is likely to
remain.
CAUTION
 When washing the underside of your vehicle
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or the wheels, wear a pair of gloves to pro-
tect your hands.
 If your vehicle is equipped with rain 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 windshield and may get damaged as a
result.
 Never spray or splash water on the electrical
parts in the engine compartment. This may
damage them. Be careful also when washing
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the underbody to ensure that water does not
enter the engine compartment.
 Avoid automatic car washers that use rotat-
ing brushes. These brushes may scratch the
paint surface and make it dull.
Scratches are more noticeable on darker col-
ored vehicles.
 Some hot water washing equipment uses
high pressure and heat to clean your vehicle.
Because hot water can damage plastics parts
and seep inside your vehicle, make sure you
do the following when using such equip-
ment:
• Keep the washing nozzle at least 28 inches
(70 cm) away from the vehicle body.
• When washing around the door glass, hold
the nozzle at a distance of more than 28
inches (70 cm) and at a right angle to the
glass surface.
Cleaning the outside of your vehicle
CAUTION
 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 rearview mirrors.
• Remove the antenna.
• If your vehicle is equipped with the rain
sensor, place the wiper switch lever in the
"OFF" position to deactivate the rain sen-
sor.
• If your vehicle is equipped with the For-
ward Collision Mitigation system (FCM),
turn off the system. Refer to "FCM
ON/OFF switch" on page 5-64.
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.
Vehicle care and maintenance
9
9-37