2002 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 221

Car care NOTE • Try your brakes on leaving a car wash. Wet brake discs reduce the braking effect. • Turn off the radio before entering an automatic car wash so the power antenna mast does not get damaged. • Clean the rod of the electrically powered antenna about once a month with a clean, dry rag. IMPORTANT! Use no oil, nor any silicone-based cleaning product. • Fixed antennas must be removed when going through an automatic car wash. • Saab 9-3 Viggen: If you wash the car in an automatic car wash, you must first remove the roof-mounted antenna, otherwise it will be damaged. IB1271 221 Touching up the paint Damaged paintwork should be treated as soon as it is discovered: the longer it is left, the greater the risk of corrosion. The anti-perforation warranty does not cover corrosion resulting from untreated defects. Paintwork damage sustained in a crash is usually extensive and can only be properly restored by professionals. However, you can repair small scratches and stone-chip damage yourself. The necessary tools and materials, such as primer, touch-up paint and brushes, are available from your Saab dealer. In the case of minor flaws in the paintwork, where the metal has not been exposed and an undamaged layer of paint remains, touch-up paint can usually be applied directly, after any dirt has been scraped away using a pointed knife. If corrosion has already set in, e.g. as a result of stone-chip damage, use a pointed knife to scrape off all surface rust. If possible, the damaged area should be taken back to the bare metal. The metal should then be primed with two thin coats of primer applied by brush. After the primer has dried, apply several thin layers of topcoat enamel until the surface of the repaired area is flush with the surrounding paintwork. Stir both primer and touch-up enamel thoroughly before use and allow each coat to dry before applying the next. Removing the roof-mounted antenna, Saab 9-3 Viggen. Waxing and polishing Do not wax a new car during the first three or four months. In fact, there is no need to polish the car before the paintwork has started to go dull through oxidation. Other than in exceptional cases, do not use abrasive polishes containing a cutting agent on a new car. Always wash the car thoroughly before waxing or polishing.