Suzuki XL7 - Manual (Page 235)

5-51
SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
clean water. After rinsing thoroughly, dry
with a soft clean towel. A wax may then be
applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to
the painted surface of the vehicle. Do not
use strong soaps, chemicals, abrasive pol-
ishes, abrasive cleaners, cleaners with
acid, or abrasive cleaning brushes on them
because the surface could be damaged.
Do not use chrome polish on aluminum
wheels.
Do not take the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash that has silicone carbide
tire cleaning brushes. These brushes can
also damage the surface of these wheels.
Tires
To clean the tires, use a stiff brush with tire
cleaner.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and requires
sheet metal repair or replacement, make
sure the body repair shop applies anti-cor-
rosion material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts
will provide the corrosion protection while
maintaining the warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep
scratches in the finish should be repaired
right away. Bare metal will corrode quickly
and may develop into major repair
expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired
with touch-up materials available from your
SUZUKI dealer. Larger areas of finish
damage can be corrected in your SUZUKI
dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal
and dust control can collect on the under-
body. If these are not removed, corrosion
and rust can develop on the underbody
parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan,
and exhaust system even though they
have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials
from the underbody with plain water. Clean
any areas where mud and debris can col-
lect. Dirt packed in close areas of the
frame should be loosened before being
flushed. Your dealer or an underbody car
washing system can do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions
can create a chemical fallout. Airborne pol-
lutants can fall upon and attack painted
surfaces on the vehicle. This damage can
take two forms: blotchy, ring-shaped dis-
colorations, and small, irregular dark spots
etched into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes
this, SUZUKI will repair, at no charge to
the owner, the surfaces of new vehicles
damaged by this fallout condition within 12
months or 12000 miles (20000 km) of pur-
chase, whichever occurs first.
CAUTION
Using chrome polish on aluminum
wheels could damage the wheels.
The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Use chrome polish on
chrome wheels only.
CAUTION
If you drive your vehicle through an
automatic car wash that has silicone
carbide tire cleaning brushes, you
could damage the aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels. The repairs
would not be covered by your war-
ranty. Never drive a vehicle equipped
with aluminum or chrome-plated
wheels through an automatic car
wash that uses silicone carbide tire
cleaning brushes.
CAUTION
Using petroleum-based tire dressing
products on your vehicle may dam-
age the paint finish and/or tires.
When applying a tire dressing,
always wipe off any overspray from
all painted surfaces on your vehicle.