Self-help, vehicle care
146
Locks
The locks are lubrica ted with a high-grade
Loc k Cylind er Grease at the factory. Lock
Cylind er Grease prevents the locks from
freezing up. Only use d e-icing agent in
emergencies, as they have a degreasing
effect and will im pair the function of the
locks. After using a d e-icing agent, have
the lock s regreased by a workshop.
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 Brake System
(ABS), the air conditioning system
3
or the
belt drive and its components.
Protective wax that has been ap plied is
also removed during the engine wash. For
this reason, have the engine, brak e system
components in the engine compartment,
axle com ponents with steering, body parts
and cavities thoroughly preserved with
protective wax after the wash b y a
work shop.
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 in
engine c om partment.
Underbody
Your vehicle has a factory-app lied PVC
undercoating in the wheel arches
(including the longitudinal mem bers) which
prov ides permanent protec tion and needs
no special maintenance. The surfaces of
the vehicle underbody not covered by PVC
are provided with a durable p rotective wax
coating in critic al areas.
On vehicles whic h are wa shed frequently
in automatic ca r washes with underbody
washing facility, the protective wax
coating may be im paired by dirt-dissolving
add itiv es, so check the underb od y after
washing and have it waxed if necessary.
Before the sta rt of the cold weather season,
check the PVC coating and protectiv e wax
coating and, if necessary, ha ve them
restored to perfect condition.
Caution
–
commercially a vailable bitumen /
rubber materials can damage the PVC
coating. We recom mend that you ha ve
underbody work ca rried out by a
workshop, who knows the p rescrib ed
ma terials and has experience in the use
thereof.
The underbody should be washed
following the end of the cold weather
season to remov e any dirt adhering to the
underbody since this may also contain salt.
Check p rotective wax c oa ting and , if
nec essary, have it restored to perfec t
condition.
