Maintenance - upholstery and carpets

Mats and carpets should be brushed or vacuum cleaned regularly to keep them free of grit. If they are badly stained remove them from the vehicle for scrubbing or sponging and make quite sure they are dry before refitting. Seats and interior trim panels can be kept clean by wiping with a damp cloth and upholstery cleaner. If they do become stained (which can be more apparent on light coloured upholstery) use a little liquid detergent and a soft nail brush to scour the grime out of the grain of the material. Do not forget to keep the headlining clean in the same way as the upholstery. When using liquid cleaners inside the vehicle do not over-wet the surfaces being cleaned. Excessive damp could get into the seams and padded interior causing stains, offensive odours or even rot. If the inside of the vehicle gets wet accidentally it is worthwhile taking some trouble to dry it out properly, particularly where carpets are involved. Do not leave oil or electric heaters inside the vehicle for this purpose.

    See also:

    Thermo-time switch - removal and refitting
    Removal 1 Disconnect the battery negative lead. 2 Drain the cooling system as described in Chapter 1. 3 Raise the front of the car and support it on axle stands (see “Jacking and Vehicle Support ...

    Bumper - removal and refitting
    Front bumper Models up to 1987 1 Remove the radiator grille panel. 2 Disconnect the battery negative lead, then disconnect the wiring plugs from the indicators, and where applicable the foglamps ...

    Rear suspension lower arm (Saloon and Estate models) - removal and refitting
    Removal 1 Raise the rear of the car and support it on stands (see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”). 2 On cars equipped with the anti-lock braking system, refer to Chapter 9 and remove the load appo ...