09 Maintenance and specifications
Vehicle care
09
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Washing the car
The following points should be kept in mind
when washing and cleaning the car:
•
The car should be washed at regular
intervals since dirt, dust, insects and tar
spots adhere to the paint and may cause
damage. To help prevent corrosion, it is
particularly important to wash the car fre-
quently in the wintertime.
•
Avoid washing your car in direct sunlight.
Doing so may cause detergents and wax
to dry out and become abrasive. To avoid
scratching, use lukewarm water to soften
the dirt before you wash with a soft
sponge, and plenty of sudsy water.
•
Bird droppings: Remove from paintwork
as soon as possible. Otherwise the finish
may be permanently damaged.
•
A detergent can be used to facilitate the
softening of dirt and oil.
•
Dry the car with a clean chamois and
remember to clean the drain holes in the
doors and rocker panels.
•
Tar spots can be removed with tar
remover after the car has been washed.
•
A stiff-bristle brush and lukewarm soapy
water can be used to clean the wiper
blades. Frequent cleaning of the wind-
shield and wiper blades improves visibility
considerably and also helps prolong the
service life of the wiper blades.
•
Wash off the dirt from the underside
(wheel housings, fenders, etc).
•
In areas of high industrial fallout, more
frequent washing is recommended.
NOTE
When washing the car, remember to
remove dirt from the drain holes in the
doors and sills.
CAUTION
•
During high pressure washing, the
spray mouthpiece must never be
closer to the vehicle than 13" (30 cm).
Do not spray into the locks.
•
Dirt, snow, etc., on the headlights can
reduce lighting capacity considerably.
Clean the headlights regularly, for
example when refueling.
Special moonroof cautions:
•
Always close the moonroof and sun
shade before washing your vehicle.
•
Never use abrasive cleaning agents on
the moonroof.
•
Never use wax on the rubber seals
around the moonroof.
Exterior components
Volvo recommends the use of special clean-
ing products, available at your Volvo retailer,
for cleaning colored plastic, rubber, or orna-
mental components such as chromed strips
on the exterior of your vehicle. The instruc-
tions for using these products should be fol-
lowed carefully. Solvents or stain removers
should not be used.
CAUTION
•
Avoid waxing or polishing plastic or
rubber components
•
Polishing chromed strips can wear
away or damage the surface
•
Polishes containing abrasive sub-
stances should not be used
Automatic car wash
•
We do NOT recommend washing your
car in an automatic wash during the first
few months (because the paint will not
have hardened sufficiently).
•
An automatic wash is a simple and quick
way to clean your car, but it is worth
remembering that it may not be as thor-
ough as when you yourself go over the
car with sponge and water. Keeping the
underbody clean is most important, espe-
cially in the winter. Some automatic
