Subaru Forester: Exterior care / Washing

CAUTION

• 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 or electrical parts, it will cause engine trouble or a malfunction of electrical equipment.
• When washing inner fenders, underbody, bumpers and protruding objects such as exhaust pipes and exhaust finishers, be careful to prevent injuries from contacting sharp ends.
• 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.
• Since your vehicle is equipped with a rear wiper, automatic carwash brushes could become tangled around it, damaging the wiper arm and other components. Ask the automatic carwash 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 rear view camera lens has a hard coating to help prevent scratches. However, when washing the vehicle or cleaning the camera lens, be careful not to scratch the camera lens. Do not use a washing brush directly on the camera lens. The image quality of the rear view camera may deteriorate.

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 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. Wear rubber gloves and use a hand brush when washing down underbody, inner fenders and suspension to effectively remove mud and dirt off.

• Washing the underbody
• Using a warm water washer