Classification:

Reference:

Date:

BT19-004B

ITB19-008B

April 16, 2021

VEHICLE EXTERIOR AND WHEEL CLEANING INFORMATION
This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page.
Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

APPLIED VEHICLES:

All Infiniti Vehicles

SERVICE INFORMATION
When cleaning the exterior or the wheels of an Infiniti vehicle:


ALWAYS refer to the Appearance and Care section of the related owner’s manual.



Exterior damage may occur when using a cleaner with a high alkaline concentration.



Wheel and wheel cover damage may occur when using acidic (harsh) cleaners.



DO NOT use Chrome Wheel Cleaner on Infiniti Wheels. Many chrome wheel cleaners have acidic
ingredients.



Not all cleaners are created equal.



Many cleaners come in concentrated form.



Alkaline cleaners (cleaners with a high pH value) can cause spots on paint and trim when not used as
directed.



Some commercial car washes use cleaners with a high pH value.



When using cleaners that meet the conditions defined in the Appearance and Care section, be sure to
carefully follow the cleaner’s directions.



When finished cleaning/washing, rinse thoroughly with clean water.

IMPORTANT: Damage to wheels, paint, glass, bright metal, or any other exterior surface caused by using
improper cleaning products is not covered under warranty. Always refer to the Paint Incident Identification
Manual (PIIM) and Assurance Products Reference Manual (APRM). Follow the guidelines in the PIIM and
APRM for non-warrantable exterior body, glass, or painted surface quality issues.
To access the PIIM and APRM, login to nnanet.com:


For the PIIM, select: MY LINKS > Warranty > Paint Incident Identification Manual



For the APRM, select: MY DOCUMENTS > Warranty > APRM

See additional information in this bulletin.
Infiniti Bulletins are intended for use by qualified technicians, not 'do-it-yourselfers'. Qualified technicians are properly trained
individuals who have the equipment, tools, safety instruction, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. NOTE: If you believe that
a described condition may apply to a particular vehicle, DO NOT assume that it does. See your Infiniti retailer to determine if this
applies to your vehicle.

1/5

Examples of Exterior Damage Caused by Harsh Cleaners
Painted surfaces and glass

Figure 1
Exterior trim

Figure 2
Wheels

Stains/spots
caused by acidic
cleaner

Figure 3
General Cleaning Information:





Wash dirt off the vehicle and wheels with a wet sponge and plenty of water.
Clean the vehicle and wheels thoroughly using a mild soap, a special vehicle soap, or general
purpose dishwashing liquid, mixed with clean lukewarm (never hot) water.
Nissan recommends that the road wheels be waxed to protect against road salt in areas
where it is used during winter.
Make sure to follow all instructions in the Appearance and Care
Section of the Owner’s Manual.
2/5

ITB19-008B

Wheel Mask Residue


New vehicles are delivered to the dealer with wheel masks.



When the wheel masks are removed, some adhesive residue may remain on the wheel. Sometimes
this residue is not visible.



When wheel masks are removed, the wheel must be cleaned to make sure there is no
residue left on the wheel (even if there is no visible residue).



To remove adhesive reside, use 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, P/N08984
(quart) or a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water. Gently remove the residue, using
care not to scratch the wheel.
 For chemical availability, refer to the manufacturer’s website.



Failure to clean adhesive residue leads to dirt collection on the residue, and possible wheel
scratch when customers clean their wheels.



Dirt collected in adhesive residue may lead to misdiagnosis that a wheel is
damaged, when in fact, it is only dirt and residue that needs proper cleaning.

Wheel mask
residue

Figure 4

3/5

ITB19-008B

Cleaning Product pH Information


Exterior surfaces are susceptible to damage from alkaline cleaners with a high pH value.



Cleaners should have a pH that is close to neutral (pH of 7). Cleaners with a neutral pH include mild
soaps and general purpose dishwashing liquids.

The pH scale is from 0 to 14:
0

1

2
3
 Acidic

4

5

6

7
Neutral

8

9

10

11
12
13
Alkaline 

14



The more a cleaning product deviates from a pH of 7 (or neutral) the harsher the cleaner is, and the
more likely it is to cause exterior surface damage.



The pH of a product can usually be found on the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) for a given
product.



See examples of pH information from the MSDS on the next page.

4/5

ITB19-008B

Examples of pH Information From MSDS
Example 1

pH of 1-2:
This is acidic
(harsh cleaner)

Example2

pH of 7-8:
This is neutral
(mild cleaner – recommended)

Example 3

pH of 10-11:
This is alkaline
(harsh cleaner)

AMENDMENT HISTORY
PUBLISHED DATE

REFERENCE

DESCRIPTION

April 2, 2019

ITB19-008

Original bulletin published

February 12, 2021

ITB19-008A

Publication date updated to include the latest models and model
years

April 16, 2021

ITB19-008B

Added wheel cleaning information from ITB15-020,added latest
models and model years

5/5

ITB19-008B