2004 Mercury Mountaineer Owner's Manual - Page 210

Cleaning PAINT CHIPS Your dealer has touch-up paint and sprays to match your vehicle's color. Take your color code (printed on a sticker in the driver's door jam) to your dealer to ensure you get the correct color. • Remove particles such as bird droppings, tree sap, insect deposits, tar spots, road salt and industrial fallout before repairing paint chips. • Always read the instructions before using the products. ALUMINUM WHEELS AND WHEEL COVERS Aluminum wheels and wheel covers are coated with a clearcoat paint finish. In order to maintain their shine: • Clean weekly with Motorcraft Wheel and Tire Cleaner (ZC-37-A), which is available from your dealer. Heavy dirt and brake dust accumulation may require agitation with a sponge. Rinse thoroughly with a strong stream of water. • Never apply any cleaning chemical to hot or warm wheel rims or covers. • Some automatic car washes may cause damage to the finish on your wheel rims or covers. Chemical-strength cleaners, or cleaning chemicals, in combination with brush agitation to remove brake dust and dirt, could wear away the clearcoat finish over time. • Do not use hydrofluoric acid-based or high caustic-based wheel cleaners, steel wool, fuels or strong household detergent. • To remove tar and grease, use Motorcraft Bug and Tar Remover (ZC-42), available from your dealer. ENGINE Engines are more efficient when they are clean because grease and dirt buildup keep the engine warmer than normal. When washing: • Take care when using a power washer to clean the engine. The high pressure fluid could penetrate the sealed parts and cause damage. • Do not spray a hot engine with cold water to avoid cracking the engine block or other engine components. • Spray Motorcraft Engine Shampoo and Degreaser (ZC-20) on all parts that require cleaning and pressure rinse clean. 210 REVIEW COPY: 2004 Explorer (exp), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002), Market: USA English (fus)