Saab 2006 9-2 - Manual (Page 234)

10-2
Appearance care
Appearance care Exterior care
¢ Washing
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure be-
forehand that the car wash is of suit-
able type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the ve-
hicle at least once a month to avoid con-
tamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct
sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or soft
cloth. In the U.S., see your dealer or visit
www.saabcatalog.com for a full line of car
care products.
q Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deic-
ing road surfaces are extremely corrosive,
accelerating the corrosion of underbody
components, such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor
pan and fenders, and suspension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-
sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody. Carefully flush the sus-
pension and axle parts, as they are partic-
ularly prone to mud and sand buildup. Do
not use a sharp-edged tool to remove
caked mud.
NOTE
Be careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-
nents.
q Using a warm water washer
— Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle.
— Do not wash the same area continuous-
ly.
— When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes, drive
the vehicle at a safe speed while
lightly pressing the brake pedal to
heat up the brakes.
— Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If wa-
ter enters the engine air intake,
electrical parts or the power steer-
ing fluid reservoir, it will cause en-
gine trouble or faulty power
steering respectively.
— Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become tan-
gled around it, damaging the wip-
er arm and other components.
Ask the automatic car-wash oper-
ator not to let the brushes touch
the wiper arm or to fix the wiper
arm on the rear window glass with
adhesive tape before operating
the machine.
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