Service News
	Copyright By FCA Italy S.p.A. - Printed 30/07/2013

Cancels and replaces SN 70.09.10 of 09/04/2005 for validity extension to Panda (319), 500L and Freemont models.

As an addition to the instructions on the Service manuals, for cleaning the following components: seats, door panels, pillars with trims, roof, steering wheel/gear lever knobs and trims as a whole, the procedure below, described in the special Operating Cycle, must be performed, according to the type of material used.

A. Interior trims - used material: cloth, velvet or microfibre

B. Interior trims - used material: Alcantara®

C. Interior trims - used material: leather

D. Roof interior trim - used material: unwoven cloth or knitted fabric

E. Interior trims - used materials: vinyl material such as imitation leather, laminate, etc.

E. Interior trims - used materials: fabrics for passenger compartment mats and luggage compartment

OPERATION CYCLE

General information

Please note that to preserve for a long time the features of all materials used for seats, door panels, roof, steering wheel/gear lever knobs and trims as a whole, they should be treated with extreme care, in particular while cleaning them.

In case of doubt, test the cleaning product on a small, hidden part of the trim.

If cleaning products must be used, it is recommended to use only neutral pH natural soaps (such as mild Marseille soap) and not to use alcohol and/or solvent-based products as these would irreparably damage all trims, in particular leather, fabrics and Alcantara®.

Inform the Customer that when a glass cleaner (alcohol-based) is used for cleaning (e.g. the windscreen), if drops of the cleaner fall on the trims of seats/roof/steering wheel/gear lever knob and other surfaces, they should be immediately removed and the area involved should be washed with water and neutral pH, natural soap foam.

Inform the Customer that, when arranging a mechanical steering wheel locking devices, he should be careful not to scratch the leather upholstery.

For the use of chemicals closely follow the instructions and warnings on the safety sheet submitted by the supplier to the final user in compliance with the regulations in force in the area (for Italy in accordance with Law Decrees 52/97 and 285/98 and subsequent modifications and additions).

A – INTERIOR TRIMS - USED MATERIAL: CLOTH, VELVET OR MICROFIBRE

The procedure below concerns fabrics for seat upholstery, door panels and other interior trims.

1. Fully clean with a household vacuum cleaner the whole surface of the component, to remove dust and foreign bodies deposited on the fabrics interstices (as an alternative, a deep brushing can be made with a brush for clothing with soft, natural and non-abrasive bristles).

2. Clean the external surface with a microfibre cloth or soft sponge dipped in a solution of water and mild Marseille soap, treating the entire surface, including the areas where cleaning is not needed, to prevent staining or dull areas that can create shades on the surface.

3. Rinse the treated area with a microfibre cloth or a soft sponge cloth, dipped in water and well wrung, preventing any drops from falling on the fabrics, as they could cause deposits and high absorption of the expanded sandwich layer behind fabrics.

4. Possible stains resistant to the above cycle can be removed using common, car care mild stain removers (or dry-cleaner's solvents, such as perchloroethylene) (*). Apply by blotting (never rubbing) directly on the area of the stain.

After blotting, let the product dry for about 30 minutes and repeat the operation of point 3.

5. At the end of operations as per point 3 or points 3 and 4, complete the cleaning by vacuuming or brushing, according to the instructions of point 1.

Operations to be strictly avoided:

• Use of "hard" synthetic brushes that could damage the fabric beyond repair.
• Partial, localised restorations that could cause "aesthetic" faults between treated and untreated areas.

Remember that:

• To treat hard stains (such as grease, food, sweetened liquids), if the above operations get no results, special stain removers must be used (as per above point 4), by slightly rubbing. Please note that this could cause the stain to expand as indelible ring.
• for velvet, the possible generation of fluff is not a fault/wear condition; it is caused by electrostatic phenomena and can be removed by a careful brushing.

For microfibre fabrics, note that:

• to remove stains such as: coffee, chocolate, fruit, pen or mud, blot the seats with a cloth dipped in clean water or ammonia-based solution (two teaspoons per litre).
• to remove stains such as: grease, pencil, etc. use special products available on the market (such as dry cleaner's products), paying special attention to the utilisation instructions.

B – INTERIOR TRIMS - USED MATERIAL: ALCANTARA®

The procedure below concerns Alcantara® for seat upholstery, door panels and other interior trims.

1. Fully clean with a household vacuum cleaner the whole surface of the component, to remove dust and foreign bodies deposited on the fabrics interstices (as an alternative, a deep brushing can be made with a brush for clothing with soft, natural and non-abrasive bristles).

2. Clean the external surface with a microfibre cloth or soft sponge dipped in a solution of water and mild Marseille soap, treating the entire surface, including the areas where cleaning is not needed, to prevent staining or dull areas that can create shades on the surface.

3. Rinse the treated area with a microfibre cloth or a soft sponge cloth, dipped in water and well wrung, preventing any drops from falling on the fabrics, as they could cause deposits and high absorption of the expanded sandwich layer behind fabrics.

4. Possible stains resistant to the above cycle can be removed using common, car care mild stain removers (or dry-cleaner's solvents, such as perchloroethylene) (*). Apply by blotting (never rubbing) directly on the area of the stain. After blotting, let the product dry for about 30 minutes and repeat the operation of point 3.

(*) In any case, the above products should be free of alcohol, ketones and alcoholic solutions.

5. At the end of operations as per point 3 or points 3 and 4, complete the cleaning by vacuuming or brushing, according to the instructions of point 1.

Operations to be strictly avoided:

• Use of "hard" synthetic brushes that could damage the fabric beyond repair.
• Partial, localised restorations that could cause "aesthetic" faults between treated and untreated areas.
• Use of alcohol or ketone-based solvents.

Remember that:

• To treat hard stains (such as grease, food, sweetened liquids), if the above operations get no results, special stain removers must be used (as per above point 4), by slightly rubbing. Please note that this could cause the stain to expand as indelible ring.

After each restoration operation, when the lining is completely dry, delicately brush with a soft brush for clothing to restore the Alcantara® smooth surface.

C – INTERIOR TRIMS - USED MATERIAL: LEATHER

The procedure below concerns leather for seat upholstery, door panels and other interior trims.

Inform the Customer that leather is a natural product and, as such, traces of its origin shall always be visible. Leather surface aspect, with its "blemish" effects, is the best proof of authenticity and should not be considered as a fault, rather a peculiar feature. All seat cushions upholstery is in true leather; minor "blemish" should not be considered as faults, rather peculiar features due to the origin of the raw material, in particular in case of "full grain" leather upholstery for some special versions. Leather trims on the seats and the grip areas could become glossy in time; this effect is not a fault, rather it is due to the leather tanning process. For possible doubts on how to interpret leather "blemish" contact Te.Se.O. Market Product.

1. Fully clean with a household vacuum cleaner the whole surface of the component, to remove dust and foreign bodies deposited on the structure interstices. Remove all dust particles and foreign bodies with a buckskin or a wet cloth, rubbing slightly (without pressing).

2. Remove liquid or grease stains with a dry, absorbent cloth, without rubbing; then wipe with a wet buckskin dipped in water and mild soap foam.

3. If the stain cannot be eliminated, the use of special products available on the market is recommended, taking special care to follow the utilisation instructions.

under no circumstances use alcohol, alcohol or ketone-based products to clean seats or other interior trims with leather upholstery.

D - ROOF INTERIOR TRIM - USED MATERIAL: UNWOVEN CLOTH OR KNITTED FABRIC

• Remove dust particles and foreign bodies with a vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, adhesive roller brushes can be used to remove any foreign bodies.
• To remove stains such as grease or black dirt, use special products available on the market (such as dry cleaner's products), paying special attention to the utilisation instructions.

Inform the Customer to rub the roof trims delicately, as they are made of "Unwoven cloth" and/or "knitted fabric" and could result in pilling effect because it can be easily damaged by rubbing.

E – INTERIOR TRIMS - USED MATERIALS: VINYL MATERIAL SUCH AS IMITATION LEATHER, LAMINATE, ETC.

The procedure below concerns vinyl materials (imitation leather, laminate) for seat upholstery, door panels, sun blinds and central consoles.

1. Clean the external surface with a microfibre cloth or soft sponge dipped in a solution of water and mild Marseille soap, treating the entire surface, including the areas where cleaning is not needed, to prevent staining or dull areas that can create shades on the surface.

2. Rinse the treated area with a microfibre cloth or a soft sponge cloth, dipped in water and well wrung, preventing any drops from falling on the fabrics (especially on vertical surfaces), as they could cause deposits, rings or visible ribs.

3. Wipe dry the whole treated surface with a dry soft cloth.

4. Possible stains that cannot be removed can be treated with alcohol or alcohol-based cleaning products, fully cleaning the area concerned with a wet soft cloth.

Operations to be strictly avoided:

• Use of hard and/or abrasive brushes or sponges that could damage the surface finish lacquer of vinyl materials, creating irreversible localised abrasions. These surface damage points can degenerate in unacceptable wear condition for the Customer if they are concentrated in frequently rubbed areas.

F - INTERIOR TRIMS - USED MATERIALS: FABRICS FOR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT MATS AND LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT

The procedure below concerns fabrics for passenger compartment and luggage compartment interior mats.

1. Fully clean with a household vacuum cleaner the whole surface of the mat, to remove dust, foreign bodies and soil deposited / mechanically held by the velour fabric.

2. Treat the external fabric surface with steam cleaner equipped with a brush on their end, repeating the procedure in the areas more involved in walking over and/or featuring visible stains, resistant to the vacuuming process as per point 1.

3. Dry at air for about 1 hour (minimum, binding time 40 minutes), leaving all doors and the tailgate open.

4. Possible stains that cannot be removed can be treated by blotting with special, no-foamy cleaning products, as follows:

• Blot the undiluted product on the stain.
• Let it work for about 1 minute.
• Remove the cleaning product with a dry and clean sponge or cloth.
• Brush the area with a soft brush.

5. At the end of operations as per point 3 and/or 4, complete the cleaning by vacuuming, according to the instructions of point 1.

6. Mat covers and relevant plastic components should be separately treated with a microfibre cloth and/or a soft sponge, dipped in water and Marseille mild soap; after treating, rinse and dry with a dry microfibre cloth.

Operations to be strictly avoided:

• Use of "hard" synthetic brushes that could damage the mat surface beyond repair, with possible breakage/removal of the velour fabric.
• Using a large quantity of water for the above operations; water left under the mats, while drying up, could cause unpleasant smells in contact with the sound insulation mats.
• Using products with surfactants that develop foam, hard to be removed and that could cause visible white rings on the mat if it is not completely removed.