Exterior Care

Exterior Care

Exterior General Precautions

It is very important to follow the instructions on the label of any chemical cleaning or polishing product. Read all warnings and cautions printed on the label.

Complete the Maintenance

Washing

To protect your vehicle's paint from rust and wear, wash it thoroughly and often, at least once a month, with warm or cold water.

If you use your vehicle for off-road driving, you should wash it after each off-road trip. Pay special attention to removing any accumulation of salt, mud, dirt, and other foreign materials. Make sure the drain holes in the lower edges of the doors and the rocker panels are kept clean.

Insects, tree sap, tree resin, bird droppings, industrial fallout, and similar deposits may damage your vehicle's finish if not removed immediately.

Even a quick wash with plain water cannot completely remove all of these deposits. You may use a mild soap that is safe for painted surfaces.

After washing, rinse the vehicle thoroughly with warm or cold water. Do not allow soap to dry on the finish.

CAUTION

• Do not use strong soap, chemical cleaners, or hot water, and do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight or when the vehicle body is warm.
• Be careful when washing the side windows of the vehicle, especially with high-pressure water. Water may leak through the windows and wet the interior.
• To avoid damage to plastic parts and lamps, do not clean them with chemical solvents or strong detergents.

WARNING - Wet Brakes

After washing the vehicle, test the brakes at low speed to check whether they have been affected by water. If braking performance has decreased, dry the brakes by applying them lightly while maintaining a slow forward speed.

CAUTION

• Washing the engine compartment with water, including high-pressure water washing, may cause failure of the electrical circuits located in the engine compartment.
• Never allow water or other liquids to contact electrical or electronic components inside the vehicle, as this may cause damage.

Waxing

Wax the vehicle when water no longer beads on the paint.

Always wash and dry the vehicle before applying wax. Use a quality liquid or paste wax and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Apply wax to all metal trim to protect it and maintain its shine.

Removing oil, resin, and similar materials with a spot remover will usually remove wax from the finish. Be sure to re-apply wax to these areas, even if the rest of the vehicle does not yet need waxing.

CAUTION

• Wiping dust or dirt from the body with a dry cloth may scratch the finish.
• Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, acidic cleaners, or strong cleaners with high alkali or caustic content on chrome or anodized aluminum parts. This may damage the protective coating and cause discoloration or wear of the paint.

Complete the Repair of Damage

Deep scratches or chips in the painted surface must be repaired immediately. Exposed metal rusts quickly and may lead to major repair costs.

✽ NOTICE

If your vehicle is damaged and requires repair or metal replacement, make sure the body shop applies anti-corrosion materials to the repaired or replaced parts.

Bright Metal Care

• To remove road tar and insects, use a tar remover, not a scraper or other sharp tool.
• To protect bright metal surfaces from corrosion, apply a coat of wax or chrome preservative and rub to a shine.
• In winter or in coastal areas, cover bright metal parts with a heavier coat of wax or preservative. If necessary, cover the parts with non-aggressive petroleum jelly or another protective compound.

Underbody Maintenance

Corrosive materials used for de-icing and dust control can accumulate on the underbody. If these materials are not removed, accelerated rusting may occur on underbody parts, such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan and exhaust system, even though they have been treated with rust protection.

Thoroughly wash the underbody of the vehicle and the wheel wells with warm or cold water. Rinse once a month, after off-road driving, and at the end of each winter. Pay special attention to these areas, because it is difficult to see all the mud and dirt. Wetting road dirt without removing it will do more harm than good.

The lower edges of the doors, rocker panels, and frame members have drain holes. Do not allow them to become clogged with dirt; water that gets into these areas may cause rust.

WARNING

After washing the vehicle, test the brakes at low speed to check whether they have been affected by water. If braking performance has decreased, dry the brakes by applying them lightly while maintaining a slow forward speed.

Care of Aluminum or Chrome Wheels

Aluminum or chrome wheels are covered with a clear protective coating.

• Do not use abrasive cleaners, polishing pastes, solvents, or wire brushes on aluminum or chrome wheels. They may scratch or damage the coating.
• Clean the wheel when it has cooled down.
• Use only mild soap or a neutral detergent and rinse thoroughly with water. Always clean the wheels after driving on salted roads. This helps prevent corrosion.
• Avoid washing wheels with high-speed vehicle wash brushes.
• Do not use alkaline or acidic cleaners. They may damage and corrode aluminum or chrome wheels with a clear protective coating.

Corrosion Protection

Protecting Your Vehicle from Corrosion

Using the most advanced design and construction techniques to combat corrosion, we produce vehicles of the highest quality. However, this is only part of the job. To achieve the long-term corrosion resistance your vehicle can provide, the owner's cooperation and assistance are also required.

Common Causes of Corrosion

The most common causes of corrosion on your vehicle are:

• Road salt, dirt and moisture that can accumulate under the vehicle.
• Removal of paint or protective coatings by stones, gravel, abrasion, or minor scratches and dents, leaving unprotected metal exposed to corrosion.

High-Corrosion Areas

If you live in an area where your vehicle is regularly exposed to aggressive materials, corrosion protection is especially important. Common causes of accelerated corrosion are road salts, dust control chemicals, ocean air and industrial pollution.

Moisture Causes Corrosion

Moisture creates the conditions under which corrosion is most likely to occur. For example, corrosion is accelerated by high humidity, especially at temperatures just above freezing. Under these conditions, corrosive material stays in contact with the vehicle surface with moisture that evaporates slowly.

Dirt is especially aggressive because it dries slowly and keeps moisture in contact with the vehicle.

Although dirt may appear dry, it can still retain moisture and promote corrosion.

High temperatures can also accelerate corrosion of parts that are not properly ventilated, so that moisture cannot evaporate. For all these reasons, it is especially important that your vehicle be kept clean and free of dirt or accumulations of other materials.

This applies not only to visible surfaces, but especially to the underbody of the vehicle.

To help prevent corrosion

You can prevent corrosion by observing the following guidelines: