Vauxhall 2010 Astra, Owner'S Manual

Page: 296 / 367

292 Self-help, Vehicle care
Eng ine compar tment
Areas of the engine compartment that are
painted in the same colour as the vehic le
must be looked after lik e any other p ainted
surface.
It is adv isable to wash the engine
compartment before and after winter and
preserve it with wax. Cover alternator and
brake fluid reserv oir with plastic sheets
before washing the eng ine.
When washing the engine with a steam-jet
cleaner, do not d irect the steam jet at
components of the anti-lock b ra ke system,
the a ir cond itioning system, the climate
control system or the b elt drive and its
components.
Engine washing also removes subseq uently
applied protective wax. Therefore after
washing, hav e a workshop protect the
engine, parts of the braking system in the
engine b ay, axle elements with steering,
body elements and cavities, thoroughly
with protective wax.
An engine w ash ca n be p erformed in the
spring in order to remov e dirt that has
adhered to the engine comp artment,
whic h may also have a high salt content.
Check protectiv e w ax la yer and ma ke good
if necessary.
Do not use high-pressure jet clea ners.
Underbod y
Your v ehicle ha s a factory-applied PVC
undercoating in the wheel arches
(including the longitudinal members) whic h
provides perma nent protection and needs
no special maintenance. The surfa ces of
the v ehicle underb od y not cov ered by PVC
are provided with a durable protective wax
coating in critical a reas.
On vehicles w hich are washed frequently in
automatic c ar washes with underbody
washing facility, the protective wax
coating may be im paired by dirt-dissolving
add itiv es.