Mitsubishi Outlander: Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle

If the following is left on your vehicle, it may cause corrosion, discolouration and stains, wash the vehicle as soon as possible.

● Seawater, road deicing products.

● Soot and dust, iron powder from factories, chemical substance (acids, alkalis, coal-tar, etc.).

● Droppings from birds, carcasses of insects, tree sap, etc.

Washing

Chemicals contained in the dirt and dust picked up from the road surface can damage the paint coat and body of your vehicle if left in prolonged contact.

Frequent washing and waxing is the best way to protect your vehicle from this damage. This will also be effective in protecting it from environmental elements such as rain, snow, salt air, etc.

Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. Park the vehicle in the shade and spray it with water to remove dust. Next, using an ample amount of clean water and a car washing brush or sponge, wash the vehicle from top to bottom.

Use a mild car washing soap if necessary. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry with a soft cloth. After washing the vehicle, carefully clean the joints and flanges of the doors, bonnet and other sections where dirt is likely to remain.

CAUTION:

• If your vehicle is equipped with a rear spoiler or roof rails, consult a car wash operator before using the car washer.

During cold weather

The salt and other chemicals spread on the roads in some areas in winter can have a harmful effect on the vehicle body. You should therefore wash the vehicle as often as possible in accordance with our care-instructions. It is recommended to have a preservative applied and the underfloor protection checked before and after the cold weather season.

After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freezing.

NOTE:

● To prevent freezing of the weatherstripping on the doors, bonnet, etc., they should be treated with silicone spray.

Waxing

Waxing the vehicle will help prevent the adherence of dust and road chemicals to the paintwork. Apply a wax solution after washing the vehicle, or at least once every three months to assist displacing of water.

Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight. You should wax after the surfaces have cooled.

CAUTION:

● On vehicles with the sunroof, be careful when waxing the area around the sunroof opening, not to put any wax on the weatherstrip (black rubber). If stained with wax, the weatherstrip cannot maintain a weatherproof seal with the sunroof.

Polishing

The vehicle should only be polished if the paintwork has become stained or lost its lustre. Do not polish parts with a mat coating and the plastic bumpers. Doing so could cause stains or damage the finish.

Damaged paint

Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat should be touched up as soon as possible with MITSUBISHI touch-up paint to prevent corrosion.

Check body areas facing the road or the tyres carefully for damage to the paint caused by gravels, etc. The paint code number for your vehicle can be found on the vehicle information code plate in the engine compartment.

Cleaning plastic parts

Use a sponge or chamois leather.

If a car wax adheres on a grey or black rough surface of the bumper, moulding or lamps, the surface becomes white. In such a case, wipe it off using lukewarm water and soft cloth or chamois leather.

CAUTION:

If they touch the plastic parts, wipe them off with soft cloth, chamois or the like and an aqueous solution of neutral detergent then immediately rinse the affected parts with water.

Chrome parts

In order to prevent spots and corrosion of chrome parts, wash with water, dry thoroughly, and apply a special protective coating.

This should be done more frequently in winter.

Aluminium wheels

1. Remove dirt using a sponge while sprinkling water on the vehicle.

2. Use neutral detergent on any dirt that cannot be removed easily with water.

Rinse off the neutral detergent after washing the vehicle.

3. Dry the vehicle thoroughly using a chamois leather or a soft cloth.

CAUTION:

● Contact with seawater and road deicer can cause corrosion. Rinse off such substances as soon as possible.

Window glass

The window glass can normally be cleaned using only a sponge and water.

Glass cleaner can be used to remove oil, grease, insect carcasses, etc. After washing the glass, wipe it dry with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Never use a cloth that is used for cleaning a painted surface to clean a window. Wax from the painted surface could get on the glass and lower glass transparency and visibility.

NOTE:

● To clean the inside of the rear window, always use a soft cloth and wipe the window glass along the demister heater element so as not to cause damage.

Wiper blades

Use a soft cloth and glass cleaner to remove grease, dead insects, etc., from the wiper blades. Replace the wiper blades when they no longer wipe properly (refer to page 8-19).

Cleaning the sunroof

Use a soft cloth to clean the inner side of the sunroof. Hard deposits should be wiped away with a cloth dipped in warm, neutral detergent solution. Wipe away the solution with a sponge dipped in fresh water.

NOTE:

● The surface treatment on the inside of the glass may be removed if hard cloth or organic solvent (benzine, thinner, etc.) is used.

Chassis and underbody protection

Your vehicle’s underbody has been treated at the factory in order to protect it from rust and corrosion. Some areas have been injected with anti-corrosion agents and wax.

The effectiveness of these measures, however, will be reduced by flying stones, road chemicals, etc., as the vehicle is driven.

We recommend to have body sheet metal inspected every 12 months. Additionally it is recommended to have underbody checked regularly (autumn and spring) and have additional protection treatment carried out as required.

As not all of the commercially available materials are suitable for use on your vehicle, we recommend you to have this work carried out by a specialist.

When washing the vehicle, especially in winter, spray the underbody with water to remove dirt and dust which might contain salts, road chemicals, etc.

Engine compartment

Clean the engine compartment at the beginning and end of winter. Pay particular attention to flanges, crevices and peripheral parts where dust containing road chemicals and other corrosive materials might collect.

If salt and other chemicals are used on the roads in your area, clean the engine compartment at least every three months.

Never spray or splash water on the electrical components in the engine compartment, as this may cause damage.

Do not bring the nearby parts, the plastic parts and so on into contact with sulphuric acid (battery electrolyte) which may crack, stain or discolour them.

If they are in contact, wipe off with soft cloth, chamois or the like and an aqueous solution of neutral detergent then immediately rinse the affected parts with plenty of water.

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