Car Care - Volvo V50 Owner's Manual

Car care

Cleaning
Washing the car
Wash the car as soon as it becomes dirty.
Use car shampoo. Dirt and road salt can lead
to corrosion.
• Do not park the car in direct sunshine.
Washing a car with hot paintwork can
cause permanent paintwork damage.
Wash the car in a carwash with waste
water separator.
• Thoroughly rinse dirt off the underbody of
the car.
• Rinse the entire car to remove loose dirt.
When using a pressure washer: Make
sure that the nozzle of the pressure
washer is not closer than 30 cm to the
bodywork. Do not spray directly at the
locks.
• Wash using a sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of lukewarm water.
• If the dirt is difficult to dislodge, wash the
car using a cold degreasing agent.
• Dry the car using a clean, soft chamois or
a water scraper.
• Clean the wiper blades with a lukewarm
soap solution or car shampoo.
Removing bird droppings
Wash bird droppings off the paintwork as
soon as possible. Bird droppings contain
chemicals that affect and discolour paintwork
152
very quickly. This discoloration can only be
removed by a specialist.
WARNING!
Always have the engine cleaned by a
workshop. There is a risk of fire if the
engine is hot.
Automatic carwashes
Although an automatic carwash is a quick
and easy way to clean the car, it is no
substitute for a proper hand wash. The
brushes of an automatic carwash cannot
reach all parts. We recommend that new cars
are washed by hand for the first few months.
WARNING!
Always test the brakes after washing the
car to ensure that moisture and corrosion
do not attack the brake pads and reduce
braking performance.
Press the brake pedal lightly from time to time
if driving for long periods in rain or slush. This
heats and dries the brake pads. You should
also do this when you begin driving in
extremely damp or cold weather.
Cleaning the upholstery
Treating spots on fabric
A special cleaning agent, available from your
Volvo dealer, is recommended for cleaning
the fabric upholstery. Other chemicals can
impair the fire retardant qualities of the uphol-
stery.
Important!
Sharp objects and Velcro may damage
the fabric upholstery.
Treating spots on vinyl and plastic parts
A special cleaning agent, available from your
Volvo dealer, is recommended for cleaning
interior vinyl and plastic parts. Do not scrape
or rub spots. Do not use strong stain
removers.
Treating spots on leather
A special cleaning agent, available from your
Volvo dealer, is recommended when cleaning
leather upholstery. Treat the leather uphol-
stery once or twice a year using Volvo's
leather care kit. Never use strong solvents.
Such products may damage fabric, vinyl and
leather upholstery.