Caring For Your Vehicle - BMW X5 3.0i Owner's Manual

Caring for your vehicle

Washing your vehicle
You can have your new BM W w ashed
in an autom atic car w ash. Car w ash
system s that do not employ brushes
are preferable.
Wipe aw ay tough dirt and loosen and
rem ove dead insects before w ashing
the vehicle.
To prevent spots, avoid w ashing w hen
the hood is still w arm, or imm ediately
after and during exposure to strong
sunlight.
When using an automatic car w ash, be
sure that:
> The car w ash system is suited for the
dim ensions of your vehicle.
Before w ashing the vehicle in a
car w ash, fold in the exterior
m irrors m anually, otherw ise they may
be dam aged on account of the w idth of
the vehicle.<
> No dam age w ill occur on vehicles
w ith attached body accessories (such
as spoilers or antennas). If you are
uncertain, consult the manager of the
car w ash.
> The w heels and tires of your vehicle
cannot be dam aged by the convey-
ance devices of the car w ash system .
> The vehicle is cleaned w ith m inim um
brush pressure, and that am ple w ater
is available for w ashing and rinsing.
*
Vehicles w ith rain sensor :
Clean the w indshield regularly. Wax
from automatic car w ashes or insects,
for example, can cause m alfunctions in
the function of the rain sensor.
Deactivate the rain sensor in auto-
matic car w ashes. If you do not,
dam age m ay occur if the w ipers sw itch
on unintentionally.<
Parts of the vehicle that are inacces-
sible to the autom atic car w ash — such
as door sills, door and hood edges, etc.
— should be cleaned by hand.
In the w inter m onths, it is especially
important to ensure that the vehicle is
w ashed on a regular basis. Large quan-
tities of dirt and road salt are difficult to
rem ove, and they also cause dam age to
the vehicle.
If spray w ands or high- pressure
w ashers are used, be sure to
m aintain an adequate distance betw een
the spray source and the vehicle's
surface. Inadequate distance and
excessive pressure can dam age or
w eaken the finish, m aking it m ore
susceptible to subsequent attack. In
addition, m oisture could penetrate to
vehicle com ponents, leading to long-
term dam age.<
When cleaning the headlam ps,
please observe the follow ing:
> Do not w ipe dry (scratches). Never
use abrasives or strong solvents to
clean the covers.
> Rem ove dirt and contam ination (such
as insects) by soaking w ith BM W Car
Sham poo and then rinsing w ith plenty
of w ater.
> Alw ays use a deicer spray to rem ove
accum ulated ice and snow – never
use a scraper.<
After w ashing the vehicle, apply
the brakes briefly to dry them .
Braking efficiency m ight otherw ise be
reduced by the m oisture and the brake
rotors could also be corroded.<
Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 155 558 - © 09/00 BMW Group
163n