2006 Subaru Impreza Owner's Manual - Page 275

10-2 Appearance care Exterior care Washing Appearance care When washing the vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a result, the brake stopping distance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. Do not wash the engine compartment and area adjacent to it. If water enters the engine air intake, electrical parts or the power steering fluid reservoir, it will cause engine trouble or faulty power steering respectively. Since your vehicle is equipped with a rear wiper, automatic carwash brushes could become tangled around it, damaging the wiper arm and other components. Ask the automatic car-wash operator not to let the brushes touch the wiper arm or to fix the wiper arm on the rear window glass with adhesive tape before operating the machine (Wagon models only). NOTE (WRX-STI) Do not hold the roof vane such as when washing the vehicle roof or trying to move the vehicle. Doing so could break the roof vane. When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make sure beforehand that the car wash is of suitable type. The best way to preserve your vehicle’s beauty is frequent washing. Wash the vehicle at least once a month to avoid contamination by road grime. Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash the vehicle with hot water and in direct sunlight. 800278 Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree sap, and bird droppings should be washed off by using a light detergent, as required. If you use a light detergent, make certain that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use strong soap or chemical detergents. All cleaning agents should be promptly flushed from the surface and not allowed to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly