DODGE STRATUS COUPE 2004 2.G Owners Manual

VEHICLE CARE
CONTENTS
mCleaning the inside of your vehicle.........253
NPlastic, vinyl leather, fabric, and flocked parts . . 253
NUpholstery..........................253
NGenuine leather (if so equipped)...........254
mCleaning the outside of your vehicle........254
NForeign material.......................254
NWashing............................255
NDuring cold weather...................256
NWaxing your vehicle....................257NPolishing your vehicle..................258
NDamaged paint.......................258
NCleaning plastic parts...................258
NChrome parts........................259
NAluminum wheels (if so equipped).........259
NWindow glass........................259
NWiper blades.........................259
NCleaning the sunroof (if so equipped).......259
NEngine compartment...................259
7

In order to maintain the value and good looks of your
vehicle, perform regular maintenance using proper ma-
terials and procedures.
Be sure to use only those materials and procedures that
are in compliance with all local environmental pollution
control regulations. Carefully select the materials to be
used to be sure that they do not contain corrosives; if in
doubt, contact an authorized dealer for assistance in the
selection of these materials.CAUTION!
Cleaning products can be dangerous. Some are poi-
sonous. Others are highly flammable. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed
space. When you use any product to clean your
vehicle, be sure to follow the instructions printed on
its container. Always open your vehicle doors or
windows when you're cleaning the inside. Never use
the following chemicals to clean your vehicle:
·Gasoline
·Carbon Tetrachloride
·Benzine
·Naphtha
·Acetone
·Turpentine
·Paint Thinner
·Lacquer Thinner
·Nail Polish Remover
These can all be dangerous, and can damage your vehicle.
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CLEANING THE INSIDE OF YOUR VEHICLE
After cleaning the inside of your vehicle with cleaner,
wipe it dry in a shady, well ventilated area.
CAUTION!
Do not use organic substances (solvents, kerosene,
alcohol, gasoline, etc.) or alkaline or acidic solutions.
These chemicals can cause discoloring, staining or
cracking of the surface.
If you use cleaners or polishing agents, make sure
their ingredients do not include the substances men-
tioned above.
NOTE: Always read the instructions on the cleaner
label.
Plastic, vinyl leather, fabric, and flocked parts
1. Lightly wipe with a soft cloth soaked in a 3% solution
of neutral detergent and water.2. After using detergent, dip the cloth in fresh water and
wring out well. Using this cloth, wipe off the detergent
thoroughly.
NOTE: Cleaners, conditioners, and protectants contain-
ing silicons or waxes may cause annoying reflections and
obscure vision.
Upholstery
1. To maintain the value of your new vehicle, maintain
the upholstery carefully and keep the interior clean.
Use a vacuum cleaner and brush to clean the seats. If
stained, vinyl and synthetic leather should be cleaned
with an appropriate cleaner. Cloth fabrics can be cleaned
with either upholstery cleaner or a 3% solution of neutral
detergent in lukewarm water.
2. Clean the carpeting with a vacuum cleaner and re-
move any stains with carpet cleaner. Oil and grease can
be removed by lightly dabbing with a clean colorfast
cloth and spot remover.
NOTE: If fuzzing is difficult to remove from the seat
upholstery, draw a suitable defuzzing brush over the
surface in one direction.
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Genuine leather (if so equipped)
1. Lightly wipe with a soft cloth soaked in a 5% solution
of neutral detergent and water.
2. Dip the cloth in fresh water and wring it out well.
Using this cloth, wipe off the detergent thoroughly.
3. Apply a leather protecting agent to the genuine leather
surface.
NOTE
1. If genuine leather is wet with water, wipe off the water
as quickly as possible with a dry, soft cloth.
2. Slight stains on genuine leather may be removed with
a leather cleaner.
3. The genuine leather surface may be damaged if a
nylon brush is rubbed hard against it.
4. Organic solvents such as benzine, alcohol, gasoline,
acid or alkaline solvents may discolor the genuine leather
surface and should not be used.
5. Dirty genuine leather seats may mildew. Be very
careful about oil stains and remove them immediately.6. The genuine leather surface may harden and shrink if
it is exposed to the direct rays of the sun for long hours.
When your vehicle is parked, place it in the shade as
much as possible.
7. When the temperature of the vehicle interior rises in
the summer, vinyl products left on the genuine leather
seat may deteriorate and stick to the seat.
CLEANING THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR VEHICLE
To protect your vehicle's outside finish, it is important
that you wash it often and thoroughly. If desired, you
may wax your vehicle by using an automobile wax.
Foreign material
Industrial fallout, road tar, bird droppings, tree sap,
insect remains, sea water, and other foreign matter can
damage the finish of your vehicle.
Generally, the longer the foreign material remains in
contact with the outside finish the more extensive the
damage. Wash your vehicle as soon as possible if it
becomes contaminated with foreign material.
254 VEHICLE CARE

Washing
Chemicals contained in the dirt and dust picked up from
air, rain, snow, or road surface can damage the paint coat
and body of your vehicle if left in prolonged contact.
Frequent washing and waxing is the best way to protect
your vehicle from this damage.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. Park the
vehicle in the shade and spray it with water to remove
dust. Next, using an ample amount of clean water and a
car washing mitt or sponge, wash the vehicle from top to
bottom.
Use a mild vehicle washing soap. Rinse thoroughly and
wipe dry with a chamois or soft cloth. After washing the
vehicle, carefully clean the joints and flanges of the doors,
hood, etc., where dirt is likely to remain.CAUTION!
²When washing the under side of your vehicle,
wear a pair of rubber gloves in order to protect
your hands.
²Never spray or splash water on the electrical
components in the engine compartment, as this
may adversely affect the starting circuit.
Exercise caution also when washing the under-
body; be careful not to spray water into the engine
compartment.
²Using an automatic car wash, pay attention to the
following items, referring to the operation manual
or consulting a car wash operator.
²The outside mirrors and the antenna are retracted.
VEHICLE CARE 255
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CAUTION!
²Some types of washers (including coin-operated
washers) apply high temperature and high pres-
sure to the vehicle, which may cause heat distor-
tion and damage to the resin parts of the vehicle
body, leakage of water into the vehicle, etc. There-
fore, be sure to observe the following.
²Maintain a good distance of approx. 16 in. (40 cm)
or more between the vehicle body and the wash-
ing nozzle.
²When washing around the door glass, hold the
nozzle at a distance of more than 40 in.(1m) and at
right angles to the glass surface.
During cold weather
Salt and other chemicals that are spread on winter roads
in some geographical areas can have a detrimental effect
on the vehicle underbody. You should flush the under-
body with a high pressure hose every time you wash the
exterior of your vehicle.
Special care should be taken to remove mud or other
debris which could trap and hold salt and moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all water drops from
the rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors
from freezing.
NOTE: When a door is frozen, opening it by force may
tear or crack the rubber gasket installed around the door.
Therefore, pour warm water to melt the ice. Be sure to
wipe off water thoroughly after opening the door. To help
prevent freezing of the weatherstripping on the doors,
hood, etc., treat the rubber seal with a lubricant designed
for rubber.
256 VEHICLE CARE

Waxing your vehicle
Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or when painted
surfaces do not shed water well.
Apply a small amount of wax to painted surfaces with a
soft cloth. After the wax has dried, polish with a dry soft
cloth.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax after the surfaces have cooled.CAUTION!
²Waxes containing high abrasive compounds
should not be used. Such waxes remove rust and
stain effectively from the paintwork, but are
harmful to the luster of the painted surface, since
they also remove paint/clearcoat.
Further, they are detrimental to glossy surfaces
such as the grille, garnish, moldings, etc.
²Do not use gasoline, kerosene, benzene or paint
thinners to remove road tar or other contamina-
tion to the painted surface.
²Do not apply wax on the areas having black mat
coating as it can cause uneven discoloration,
patches, blurs, etc. If stained with wax, immedi-
ately wipe off with a soft cloth and warm water.
²Be careful when waxing the area around the
sunroof opening, not to apply any wax on the
weatherstrip (black rubber).
If stained with wax, the weatherstrip cannot main-
tain a weatherproof seal with the sunroof.
VEHICLE CARE 257
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Polishing your vehicle
If painted surfaces have been severely damaged and lost
their original luster and color tone, polish the surface
lightly with a fine polishing compound. Avoid limiting
your polishing to the damaged surface only; polish a
somewhat wider area, moving the polishing cloth in one
direction. After polishing, flush the compound from the
surface and apply a coat of wax to regain a beautiful
luster.
Damaged paint
Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat should be
touched up as soon as possible with touch-up paint to
prevent corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the tires carefully for
damage to the paint coat caused by flying stones, etc. The
paint code number for your vehicle can be found on the
vehicle information code plate in the engine compart-
ment.
Cleaning plastic parts
Use a sponge or chamois.
If vehicle wax adheres on the plastic bumper or mold-
ings, the surface may appear white in color. In this case,
wipe it off using lukewarm water and a soft cloth or
chamois.
CAUTION!
²Do not use a scrub brush or other hard tools as
they may damage the plastic part surface.
²Do not use wax containing compound (polishing
compound) which may damage the plastic part
surface.
²Do not bring plastic parts into contact with brake
fluids, engine oils, greases, thinner for painting,
and sulfuric acid (battery electrolyte) which may
stain, crack or discolor the plastic parts.
If they touch the plastic part, wipe them with a
soft cloth, or chamois and an aqueous solution of
neutral detergent. Then, immediately rinse the
affected parts with water.
258 VEHICLE CARE

Chrome parts
To prevent spots and corrosion of chrome parts, wash
with water, dry thoroughly, and apply a nonabrasive
automotive wax. If the chrome is severely damaged or
pitted use a commercially available chrome polish.
Aluminum wheels (if so equipped)
A protective coating is provided over aluminum wheels.
Clean aluminum wheels with a cleaner designed for use
on aluminum and apply an appropriate protection agent.
CAUTION!
²Do not use abrasive cleaners.
²Brushes may damage the aluminum wheel sur-
face. Be sure to use a sponge, chamois, etc.
²Do not apply hot water directly from a steam
cleaner to the wheel surface.
²Wheels exposed to sea water or road chemicals
should be cleaned as soon as possible.
Window glass
The window glass can be cleaned using only a sponge
and water. Glass cleaner can be used to remove wax, oil,
grease, dead insects, etc. After washing the glass, wipe
dry with a clean, dry, soft cloth.
Wiper blades
Use a soft cloth and glass cleaner to remove grease, dead
insects, etc., from the wiper blades.
Replace the wiper blades when they no longer clean the
windshield properly.
Cleaning the sunroof (if so equipped)
Clean the inside of the sunroof with a soft cloth. Hard
deposits should be wiped away with a cloth dipped in
warm, neutral detergent solution. Wipe away the solu-
tion with a sponge dipped in fresh water.
NOTE: The surface treatment on the inside of the glass
may be removed if a hard cloth or organic solvent is used.
Engine compartment
Never spray or splash water on the electrical components
in the engine compartment, as this may adversely affect
the electrical circuits.
VEHICLE CARE 259
7