MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE
374
Car wash
The car should be washed as soon as it
becomes dirty. Wash the car in a car wash with
oil separator. Use car shampoo.
Handwashing
•Remove bird droppings from the paintwork
as soon as possible. Bird droppings contain
chemicals that affect and discolour paintwork
very quickly. An authorised Volvo workshop is
recommended for the removal of any discol-
oration.
•Hose down the underbody.
•Rinse the entire car until the dissolved dirt
has been removed so as to reduce the risk of
scratches from washing. Do not spray directly
onto the locks.
•If necessary, use cold degreasing agent on
very dirty surfaces. Note that in this case, the
surfaces must not be hot from the sun!
•Wash using a sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of lukewarm water.
•Clean the wiper blades with a lukewarm soap
solution or car shampoo.
•Dry the car using a clean, soft chamois or a
water scraper. If you avoid allowing drops of
water to dry in strong sunlight, you reduce
the risk of water drying stains which may
need to be polished out.
WARNING
Always have the engine cleaned by a work-
shop. There is a risk of fire if the engine is hot.
IMPORTANT
Dirty headlamps have impaired functionality.
Clean them regularly, when refuelling for
example.
Do not use any corrosive cleaning agents or
cleaning agents with a pH value lower than
3.5 or higher than 11.5. Use water and a non-
scratching sponge.
NOTE
Outside lighting such as headlamps and rear
lamps may temporarily have condensation on
the inside of the lens. This is normal, all exte-
rior lighting is designed to withstand this.
Condensation is normally vented out of the
lamp housing when the lamp has been
switched on for a time.
Automatic car washes
An automatic car wash is a simple and quick way
of washing the car, but it cannot reach every-
where. Handwashing the car is recommended for
achieving optimum results.
NOTE
The car must only be washed by hand over
the first few months. This is because the paint
is more delicate when it is new.
High-pressure washing
When using high-pressure washing, use sweep-
ing movements and make sure that the nozzle
does not come closer than 30 cm to the surface
of the car (the distance applies to all exterior
parts). Do not spray directly onto the locks.
Testing the brakes
WARNING
Always test the brakes after washing the car,
including the parking brake, to ensure that
moisture and corrosion do not attack the
brake linings and reduce braking perform-
ance.
Lightly depress the brake pedal now and then
when driving long distances in rain or slush. The
heat from the friction causes the brake linings to
warm up and dry. Do the same thing after starting
in very damp or cold weather.
Wiper blades
Asphalt, dust and salt residue on wiper blades, as
well as insects, ice etc. on the windscreen, impair
the service life of wiper blades.
