1998 Chevrolet Venture Owner's Manual - Page 388

Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird droppings, chemicalsfrom industrial chimneys, etc.,can damage your vehicle's finish if they remain on painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter. Exterior painted surfacesare subject to aging, weather and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered whenever possible. Don't take your vehicle through an automatic car wash that has silicon carbide tire cleaning brushes. These brushes canalso damage the surface of these wheels. Cleaning Tires To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner. NOTICE: When applying a tire dressing always take care to wipeoff any oversprayor splash from all painted surfaceson the body or wheels of the vehicle. Petroleum-based products may damage the paint finish. Cleaning Aluminum Wheels (If Equipped) Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After rinsing thoroughly, dry with soft a clean towel. A wax may then be applied. The surface of these wheelsis similar tothe painted surface of your vehicle. Don't use strong soaps, chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners or abrasive cleaning brushes on them because you could damage the surface. Sheet Metal Damage If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal repair or replacement, makesure the body repair shop applies anti-corrosion materialto the parts repairedor replaced to restore corrosion protection. 6-53