2006 Toyota RAV4 Owners Manual - Page 360

'06 Rav4_U (L/O 0601) 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 covered with water or snow, your garage may be so damp as to 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 Hand- washing your Toyota Work in the shade and wait until the vehicle body is not warm to the touch. The following cases may cause weakness to the paint or corrosion to the body and parts. Wash your vehicle as soon as possible. CAUTION D When cleaning under floor or chassis, be careful not to injure your hands. D When driving in a coastal area D When driving on a road sprinkled with antifreeze D Exhaust gases cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot. When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has cooled sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns. D When exposed to coal tar, tree sap, bird droppings and carcass of an insect D When driving in areas where there is a lot of smoke, soot, dust, iron dust or chemical substances D When the vehicle becomes remarkably dirty with dust and mud NOTICE When the front wiper arms need to be lifted away from the windshield to wash the vehicle, raise the arm on the driver side first. Conversely, when returning the wipers to their original positions, fold down the arm on the front passenger side first. Failure to perform the operations in the correct order results in damage. 347 2005 RAV4 from Jan. '06 Prod. (OM42620U)