10 Maintenance and service
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Car wash
The car should be washed as soon as it
becomes dirty. Wash the car in a car wash
with oil separator. Use car shampoo.
Handwashing
•
Remove bird droppings from the paint-
work as soon as possible. Bird droppings
contain chemicals that affect and discol-
our paintwork very quickly. An authorised
Volvo workshop is recommended for the
removal of any discoloration.
•
Hose down the underbody.
•
Rinse the whole car until the loose dirt
has been removed in order to reduce the
risk of scratches from washing. Do not
spray directly onto the locks.
•
If necessary, use cold degreasing agent
on very dirty surfaces. Note that the sur-
faces must not then be warmed up by the
sun!
•
Wash using a sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of lukewarm water.
•
Clean the wiper blades with a lukewarm
soap solution or car shampoo.
•
Dry the car using a clean, soft chamois or
a water scraper. If you avoid allowing
water droplets to dry in strong sunlight
then the risk of water stains that may
need to be polished away is reduced.
WARNING
Always have the engine cleaned by a
workshop. There is a risk of fire if the
engine is hot.
IMPORTANT
Dirty headlamps have impaired functional-
ity. Clean them regularly, when refuelling
for example.
Do not use any corrosive cleaning agents
but use water and a non-scratching
sponge instead.
NOTE
Outside lighting such as headlamps, fog
lamps and rear lamps may temporarily
have condensation on the inside of the
lens. This is normal, all exterior lighting is
designed to withstand this. Condensation
is normally vented out of the lamp housing
when the lamp has been switched on for a
time.
Automatic car washes
An automatic car wash is a simple and quick
way of washing the car, but it cannot reach
everywhere. Handwashing the car is recom-
mended for achieving optimum results.
NOTE
The car must only be washed by hand
over the first few months. This is because
the paint is more delicate when it is new.
High-pressure washing
When using high-pressure washing, use
sweeping movements and make sure that the
nozzle does not come closer than 30 cm to
the surface of the car (the distance applies to
all exterior parts). Do not spray directly onto
the locks.
Testing the brakes
WARNING
Always test the brakes after washing the
car, including the parking brake, to ensure
that moisture and corrosion do not attack
the brake linings and reduce braking per-
formance.
Lightly depress the brake pedal now and then
when driving long distances in rain or slush.
The heat from the friction causes the brake
linings to warm up and dry. Do the same
thing after starting in very damp or cold
weather.
Wiper blades
Asphalt, dust and salt residue on wiper
blades, as well as insects, ice etc. on the
