2000 Toyota RAV4 Owners Manual - Page 187

Rav4(U) Washing and waxing your Toyota Check the interior of your vehicle. Water and dirt can accumulate under the floor mats and could cause corrosion. Occasionally check under the mats to make sure the area is dry. Be particularly careful when transporting chemicals, cleansers, fertilizers, salt, etc; these should be transported in proper containers. If a spill or leak should occur, immediately clean and dry the area. Use mud shields on your wheels. If you drive on salted or gravel roads, mud shields help protect your vehicle. Full −size shields, which come as near to the ground as possible, are the best. We recommend that the fittings and the area where the shields are installed be treated to resist corrosion. Your Toyota dealer will be happy to assist in supplying and installing the shields if they are recommended for your area. Keep your vehicle in a well ventilated garage or a roofed place. Do not park your vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated garage. If you wash your vehicle in the garage, or if you drive it in covered with water or snow, your garage may be so damp it will cause corrosion. Even if your garage is heated, a wet vehicle can corrode if the ventilation is poor. Washing your Toyota Keep your washing. vehicle clean by regular Soft −top models-For washing instruction for the soft −top, see "Soft −top". 1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Remove any mud or road salt from the underside of the vehicle or in the wheel wells. The following cases may cause weakness to the paint or corrosion to the body and parts. Wash your vehicle as soon as possible. D When driving in a coastal area D When driving on a road sprinkled with antifreeze D When having stuck of coal tar, tree sap, bird droppings and carcass of an insect D When driving in the areas where there is a lot of smoke, soot, dust, iron dust and chemical substance D When the vehicle becomes remarkably dirty with dust and mud Hand−washing your Toyota Work in the shade and wait until the vehicle body is not hot to the touch. CAUTION When cleaning under floor or chassis, be careful not to injure your hands. 2000 RAV4 (OM42479U) 187