Washing

• 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 depressing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
• Do not wash the engine compartment and area adjacent to it. If water enters the engine air intake, electrical parts or the power steering fluid reservoir, it will cause engine trouble or a malfunction of power steering.
• Do not use any organic solvents when washing the surface of the bulb assembly cover. However, if a detergent with organic solvents is used to wash the cover surface, completely rinse off the detergent with water. Otherwise, the cover surface may be damaged.
• For 5-door models, since your vehicle is equipped with a rear wiper, automatic car-wash brushes could become tangled around it, damaging the wiper arm and other components. Ask the automatic car-wash operator 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.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make sure beforehand that the car wash is of suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s beauty is frequent washing. Wash the vehicle at least once a month to avoid contamination 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.
See also:
Safety & Reliability
In crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Forester
earned the top score, Good, in front and side impacts. The SUV was awarded an
IIHS Top Safety Pick designation. Because ...
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment
- Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to prevent
the vehicle from moving.
- Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and ...
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/ Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light
...
