Außenpflege

General Information on Vehicle Exterior

When using chemical cleaners or polishes, it is very important to follow the instructions and observe the labels. Read all warnings and cautions on the label.

Paint Care

Car Wash

Wash the vehicle thoroughly with warm or cold water at least once a month to protect it against corrosion and environmental effects.

If you drive your vehicle on paved roads, wash it after every off-road trip. Pay special attention to removing road salt, dirt, slush and other deposits. Make sure the drain holes in the lower door panels and rocker panels are free and clean. Insects, tree sap, flower nectar, bird droppings, industrial contaminants and similar residues can damage the paint finish. Remove them immediately.

Even when the vehicle is washed immediately, some residues may not be removed completely with clean water. Use a mild car shampoo suitable for painted surfaces. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with warm or cold water after washing so that the detergent does not dry on the paint.

DANGER

• Do not use aggressive detergents or hot water. Do not wash the vehicle when the body is hot or when it is exposed to intense sunlight.
• Be careful when cleaning the side windows of your vehicle, especially if you use high-pressure water. Water may penetrate through the windows and cause moisture in the interior.
• To avoid damaging plastic parts and causing them to lose their gloss, do not use solvent-based chemicals or aggressive detergents.

WARNING

Wet Brakes

After washing the vehicle, check the brakes by driving slowly to see whether they have become wet. If braking performance is reduced, dry the brakes by driving slowly forward and lightly applying the brake pedal.

High-Pressure Cleaning

• Be careful when using a high-pressure washer. Keep a sufficient distance from the vehicle. An insufficient distance or excessive pressure may damage components or allow water to penetrate.
• Do not spray the camera, sensors or the area around them directly with a high-pressure washer. Water under high pressure may cause a shock that results in the device not functioning normally.
• Do not bring the nozzle tip too close to boots (rubber or plastic covers) or connectors, as they may be damaged when using high-pressure water.

DANGER

• Washing the engine compartment with water, including high-pressure water washing, may cause the wiring harnesses in the engine compartment to fail.
• Drain the water and so on. Do not allow liquids to contact the electrical and electronic components in the vehicle interior. If liquids reach them, they may be damaged.

Vehicle rust

Apply wax to your vehicle if water no longer beads on the paint surface.

Always wash and dry your vehicle before applying wax. Use a high-quality liquid wax or wax paste and observe the manufacturer's notes. Also preserve all metal fittings and maintain their shine.

When removing oil, resin and other residues with special cleaners, the wax layer is usually also removed. You may also need to look for such areas if the rest of the vehicle does not require waxing.

Do not apply wax to unpainted embossed areas, as the material may become dull.

DANGER

• Wiping dust and dirt off with a dry cloth will scratch the vehicle paint.
• Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, acidic cleaners, or caustic or alkaline cleaners to clean chrome or anodized aluminum parts. These products can attack the protective layer, discolor or fade the paint.

Repairing paint damage

Deep scratches and chips in the paint must be repaired immediately. Unprotected metal quickly begins to rust. Expensive repairs may result.

NOTICE

If body work or sheet metal work is required on your vehicle, always make sure to treat installed or replaced components with anti-corrosion agents.

Protect bare metal parts

• Remove resin and insects with suitable special cleaners, but do not use scrapers or other tools with sharp edges.
• Protect exposed metal parts after waxing or polishing chrome, and polish those parts to a shine.
• Wear a more durable protective layer in winter and on the coast on shiny metal parts. If necessary, you can also use petroleum jelly or another protective agent as instructed.

Underbody care

Road salt and other corrosive substances may adhere to the underbody. If these substances are not removed, the risk of corrosion increases for fuel lines, frame components, floor panels and the exhaust system, even if these components have been treated with anti-corrosion agent.

Spray the underbody and wheel arches once a month, after driving off-road, and thoroughly at the end of winter with warm or cold water, with the water turned off. Pay special attention to these areas, as contaminants there are often difficult to see. Rust-preventive coatings not only become moist but are thoroughly washed off. Clean the drain holes in the doors and frame components to prevent clogging. When water cannot drain from these areas, the risk of rust increases.

WARNING

After washing the vehicle, check the brakes by driving slowly to see whether they have become wet. If braking performance is reduced, dry the brakes by driving slowly forward and lightly applying the brake pedal.

Maintaining alloy wheels

Alloy wheels are supplied with a protective clear coat.

• Use only cleaners that do not damage the clear coat. Do not use paint cleaners, solvents or wire brushes to clean alloy wheels.
• Clean the wheel as soon as it has cooled down.
• Use only mild detergent and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Also make sure the wheels are clean after driving on roads treated with road salt, so they do not rust.
• Avoid cleaning wheels with high-speed brushes at car washes.
• Do not use corrosive or acidic cleaners. They may attack alloy wheels and the protective layer and cause corrosion.

Corrosion protection

How to protect your vehicle from corrosion

Through the use of advanced developments and construction methods to combat corrosion, we produce vehicles of the highest quality. However, this is only part of the task. By protecting your vehicle from corrosion, you help keep it protected for as long as possible.

Common causes of vehicle corrosion are the following:

• Accumulation of road salt, dirt and moisture under the vehicle
• Damage to paint or protective layers from stone impacts, abrasion, minor scratches and bumps, through which unprotected metal is exposed to corrosion

Environments that cause high levels of corrosion

If you live in an environment where your vehicle is constantly exposed to corrosive conditions, corrosion protection plays a particularly important role. Especially aggressive are road salt, gravel, sea air and industrial pollution.

Corrosion is most often caused by moisture.

Corrosion is most often caused by moisture. High humidity, especially at temperatures above freezing, is particularly aggressive. Under such conditions, aggressive substances remain in contact with the vehicle surface because moisture slowly evaporates.

Dirt is especially aggressive because it dries slowly and retains moisture on the vehicle. Also, drier dirt can contain residual moisture that causes corrosion.

High temperatures can promote corrosion of components that are poorly ventilated, because moisture cannot evaporate.

Keep your vehicle away from all of the above. Keep the area clean and free of any deposits, such as dirt, etc. This applies not only to visible areas, but above all to the underbody of the vehicle.

Your contribution to corrosion protection

You can contribute to corrosion protection from the start by observing the following points:

Keep your vehicle clean

Best protect your vehicle from corrosion by keeping it clean and free of corrosive substances. Pay special attention to the vehicle underbody.

• If you live in a high-corrosion area (heavier use of road salt, marine climate, industrial pollutants, acid rain, etc.), pay special attention to applying anti-corrosion protection. Spray the underbody of your vehicle at least once a month during winter, and thoroughly clean it when winter ends.
• Be careful when cleaning the underbody of the vehicle, especially in the rocker panels and other hard-to-reach areas. Rinse thoroughly. If you use accumulated dirt, instead simply soak the dirt; washing will remove corrosion. Rinsing is encouraged, not discouraged. High-pressure cleaners are particularly suitable for removing dirt and other corrosive substances from the body.
• When washing the doors, be careful with the sills and frame parts on them, so that the drain holes remain open and moisture can drain and does not remain in the cavity.

Keep your garage dry

Do not park your vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated garage. Damp conditions are ideal for corrosion. This applies in particular when you leave your vehicle in a garage after washing it, or when the vehicle is wet, covered with snow or ice, or muddy. Even a heated garage can promote corrosion if it is insufficiently ventilated and moisture cannot evaporate.

Keep paint and attachments in good condition.

Scratches and stone chips on the paint should be treated with touch-up paint as soon as possible to reduce the possibility of corrosion. If bare metal is visible, have the vehicle inspected at a body shop or take it to a paint shop.

Bird droppings: Bird droppings are extremely aggressive and can damage the paint within a few hours. Remove bird droppings as quickly as possible.

Do not neglect the vehicle interior.

Moisture can collect under floor mats and floor coverings and cause corrosion. Regularly check the mats and make sure the floor underneath is dry. Be especially careful when using fertilizer, cleaning agents, or transporting other chemicals in your vehicle.

Such materials must be transported only in suitable containers. Spills or leaks of liquid must be dealt with immediately. Afterwards, rinse the affected areas with clean water and dry them thoroughly.