Rinse the sponge or glove thoroughly and often.
Clean the wheels and under the door sills last. Use a different sponge
or wash mitt.
WARNING
After the vehicle has been washed, the wet brakes or, in winter,
brake discs or pads coated with ice, react slower and need
longer stopping distances.
Always dry the brakes and clean off any ice coatings with a
few careful applications of the brake. Make sure not to endan-
ger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal requirements.
CAUTION
Sharp edges under the vehicle can cut exposed skin.
Always protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp
metal edges when cleaning the underbody, the inside of the
wheel housings, etc.
NOTICE
The water temperature must not be more than +140 °F
(+60 °C).
To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Do not use insect sponges, abrasive kitchen sponges or simi-
lar things to clean the vehicle. These can damage the paint fin-
ish.
Never clean headlights with a dry cloth or sponge. Always use
a wet cloth or sponge. For best results use soapy water.
When washing or rinsing the vehicle in cold weather, do not
let water get into the lock cylinders or point the hose at gaps
around the doors, hood, or luggage compartment lid. The water
could freeze on the locks and seals and make it difficult to open
the vehicle!
NOTICE
To help prevent vehicle damage in a car wash:
Compare the vehicle track width with the dimensions of the
guide rails in the car wash to help prevent damage to wheel rims
and tires!
Switch off the rain sensor before driving the vehicle through a
car wash ⇒ Rain sensor.
Make sure there is enough clearance for the height and width
of the vehicle.
To help prevent paint damage to the engine hood, place wiper
blades against the windshield after they have dried. Do not let
them snap back into place.
Fold the outside mirrors toward the vehicle body. Do not fold
power folding mirrors manually!
Lock the luggage compartment lid to help prevent uninten-
tional opening in the car wash.
Washing with a power washer
Opening the fuse box in the instrument panel
Insert a flat object, such as a screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit,
into the opening ⇒ fig. 196 (arrow) and carefully lift off the cover.
On the inside of the cover there are plastic tweezers for removing
and inserting fuses.
To install, guide the cover from the bottom into the instrument
panel and push until you can hear it latch into place.
Opening the fuse box in the engine compartment
Open the engine hood
