218 Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
CAUTION
●Never remove dirt, mud or dust if the vehicle surface is dry. Never use a
dry cloth or sponge for cleaning purposes. This could scratch the paintwork
or glass on your vehicle.
●Washing the vehicle in low temperatures: when washing the vehicle
with a hose, do not direct water into the lock cylinders or the gaps around
the doors, rear lid, or sunroof. Risk of freezing.
For the sake of the environment
To protect environment, the vehicle should be washed only in specially pro-
vided wash bays. This prevents toxic, oil-laden waste water entering the
sewerage system. In some places, washing vehicles outside wash bays is
prohibited.
Note
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
Washing the vehicle with a high pressure cleaner
Be particularly careful when using a high pressure cleaner!
–Always observe the instructions for the high-pressure cleaner,
particularly those concerning the pressure and the spraying
distance.
–Increase the spraying distance for soft materials and painted
bumpers.
–Do not use a high pressure cleaner to remove ice or snow from
windows ⇒ page 219.
–Never use concentrated jet nozzles (“rotating jets”) ⇒ .
–After washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking. “Dry” the
brakes by braking several times ⇒ page 201.
WARNING
●Never wash tyres with a concentrated jet (“rotating nozzle”). Even at
large spraying distances and short cleaning times, visible and invisible
damage can occur to the tyres. This may cause an accident.
●Water, ice and salt on the brakes can reduce braking efficiency. Risk
of accident.
CAUTION
●Do not use water hotter than 60°C. This could damage the car.
●To avoid damage to the vehicle, keep a sufficient distance from sensitive
materials such as flexible hoses, plastic, soundproofing material, etc. This
is also important for bumpers painted in the colour of the bodywork. The
closer the nozzle is to the surface, the greater the wear on the material.
Vehicle paint maintenance
Regular waxing protects the paintwork.
You need to apply wax to your vehicle if water does not form small drops
and run off the paintwork when it is clean.
Good quality hard wax products are available at your Technical Service.
Regular wax applications help to protect the paintwork from environmental
contaminants ⇒ page 216. It is also effective in protecting against minor
scratches.
Even if a wax solution is used regularly in the vehicle washing tunnel, it is
advisable to protect the paint with a hard wax coating at least twice a year.
