2009 Nissan Pathfinder Owner's Manual - Page 381

REMOVING SPOTS Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust, insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible from the surface of the paint to avoid lasting damage or staining. Special cleaning products are available at a NISSAN dealer or any automotive accessory store. CAUTION When cleaning the inside of the windows, do not use sharp-edged tools, abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based disinfectant cleaners. They could damage the electrical conductors, radio antenna elements or rear window defroster elements. CHROME PARTS Clean all chrome parts regularly with a nonabrasive chrome polish to maintain the finish. TIRE DRESSINGS NISSAN does not recommend the use of tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating to the tires to help reduce discoloration of the rubber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires, it may react with the coating and form a compound. This compound may come off the tire while driving and stain the vehicle paint. If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the following precautions: ● Use a water-based tire dressing. The coating on the tire dissolves more easily than with an oil-based tire dressing. ● Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help prevent it from entering the tire tread/ grooves (where it would be difficult to remove). ● Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry towel. Make sure the tire dressing is completely removed from the tire tread/grooves. ● Allow the tire dressing to dry as recommended by the tire dressing manufacturer. UNDERBODY In areas where road salt is used in winter, it is necessary to clean the underbody regularly in order to prevent dirt and salt from building up and causing the acceleration of corrosion on the underbody and suspension. Before the winter period and again in the spring, the underseal must be checked and, if necessary, retreated. ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS Wash the wheels regularly with a sponge dampened in a mild soap solution, especially during winter months in areas where road salt is used. If not removed, road salt can discolor the wheels. CAUTION Follow the directions below to avoid staining or discoloring the wheels: ● Do not use a cleaner that uses strong acid or alkali contents to clean the wheels. ● Do not apply wheel cleaners to the wheels when they are hot. The wheel temperature should be the same as ambient temperature. ● Rinse the wheel to completely remove the cleaner within 15 minutes after the cleaner is applied. GLASS Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for glass to become coated with a film after the vehicle is parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner and a soft cloth will easily remove this film. Appearance and care 7-3