car body care

A stranger can be judged not only by the literacy of speech and the cleanliness of shoes, but also by how neat and well-groomed his car looks.

First of all, this applies to its most expensive part - the body. Any driver likes to see their car clean and shiny. And it's not just about prestige. Careful attitude to the body and regular care of it helps to keep the vehicle in proper technical condition. In addition, the good appearance of the car will attract a potential buyer if there is a desire to sell it.

What is the correct care of the car body? Car body care for a new (and used) car includes washing, polishing, corrosion control, and winter maintenance.  

Car body care: washing

Washing is the main and most frequent car body care procedure. Pollution often consists of several layers, each of which has to be dealt with in different ways.

The top layer is the classic dirt, which includes dust, sand particles, organic substances that adhere to the surface. All this is washed off with ordinary water.

Under it are soot, exhaust gas residues, oils, asphalt and bitumen particles. To remove them, you need a special car shampoo. The third layer is a mixture of oxides resulting from the oxidation of paint particles (LCP), polish and preservatives.

At the very bottom are particles of pigment and synthetic resins. Only the top two layers can be removed by washing in the classical sense.

To remove the lower layers, you will have to use abrasive pastes or special chemicals.

If you do not have time for this type of car body care, then you can stop by a car wash. Just keep in mind that the brushes of portal sinks can leave quite serious scratches on the bodywork.

If you decide to wash the car yourself, then you need to remember some simple rules. First, remove the surface layer of dirt with a medium-pressure water jet. A weak jet may be ineffective, while a jet that is too strong may damage the paintwork.

Then wash the car body with car shampoo mixed with water. Do not wipe dirt with a cloth, especially a dry one, and do not use a sponge. Hard particles adhering to them can leave scratches. Use brushes and brushes.

Do not use household chemicals for cleaning. The degreasers they contain can damage the body finish. Let the car cool down after driving before washing.

Carry out the procedure in the shade or in the evening to avoid sudden temperature changes and the appearance of microcracks in the paintwork.

If you still wash the body during the day under the sun, do not leave drops of water on it. They are essentially lenses through which the sun's rays can burn through the varnish and leave point marks.

Wash the car body with car shampoo twice a month. Don't forget to also clean hard-to-reach and hidden areas, such as wheel arches and underbody. The easiest way to remove oil, soot and sludge is to use steam. Usually this is done at the service station. You can do the work yourself. To do this, apply the solvent to the surface of the bottom, clean it and wash off the residue with water.

Car body care: polishing

Proper body care should not be limited to washing alone. To protect and restore minor damage to the paintwork, polishing is used. Its necessity is caused by the fact that microcracks appear on any coating, even with careful handling, and corrosion can gradually occur under them.

Polishing allows you to prevent or slow down this process.

The polishing agent must be applied to the microfiber and polished with gentle circular motions. Do not be too zealous about this.

The thickness of the paintwork is only about 1/10 of a millimeter, and inept polishing can lead to the need for painting. Protective polishing should be done twice a year in the off-season using products that do not contain abrasive components.

The polish creates an additional layer that protects against harmful external influences, salt, UV radiation, and also gives additional gloss to the paintwork.

Wax polishes last 1-2 months.

More expensive polishes based on Teflon and urethane can last up to six months and are not washed off with car shampoos. In winter, such coatings are especially relevant and can protect against the damaging effects of anti-slip agents that are sprinkled on roads.

Protective polishing should only be applied to surfaces that are free from defects. In the presence of scratches or other damage to the paintwork, restoration (abrasive) polishing will be required.

It is produced with small defects, when there is no point in painting the body. This operation is quite expensive and time consuming. But ignoring the problem can lead to corrosion, and it is even harder and more expensive to fight it.

Car body care: fighting corrosion

Another procedure for proper car body care is the fight against corrosion. Water and oxygen inevitably cause corrosion of iron sooner or later. The process is accelerated by exhaust gases and salt, which is sprinkled on snow-covered roads in winter. The first victims are usually wheel arches, underbody and muffler. It is impossible to completely eliminate the appearance of rust, but to contain its spread and protect the body from destruction is a completely doable task.

The surface affected by corrosion must be properly prepared:

• remove loose coating and dirt;
• clean the rust with a metal brush;
• rinse with water and dry well with a hair dryer;
• degrease with white spirit;
• treat with a rust converter;
• after that, apply an anti-corrosion agent in 3-4 layers with intermediate drying.

To process the bottom, you can use a brush or spatula. Wax compositions penetrate well into crevices and pockets and provide quite effective, but not very long-term protection. They do not withstand shock and force loads.

The cheapest composition is bituminous mastic. It includes rubber crumb, which improves the vibroacoustic properties of the body. Bituminous mastic protects well from salt, but can be destroyed under the influence of gravel and sand impacts while driving, especially in frosty weather.

Therefore, after the mastic has dried (2-3 hours), one or two layers of Gravitex should be applied over it. Elastic anti-gravity will dampen the impact of stones and protect the body from damage.

Also in the car there are a lot of hidden cavities - racks, spars. Special preservatives for such cavities have good penetrating power and can displace water.

They are introduced into hidden cavities through special technological openings.

The most famous preservative is Movil. A composition based on Rust Stop mineral oil has a high penetrating ability.

Winter car care

Before the start of winter, it is imperative to treat the body with an anti-corrosion agent. This will help protect it from the harmful effects of road reagents.

To wash away these corrosive chemicals, it is worth stopping by the car wash from time to time. The machine must stand in a warm room for at least 10 minutes before washing.

At the end of the wash, the car must be thoroughly wiped and dried with a hair dryer. Otherwise, moisture residues can linger in microcracks and then freeze, causing the growth of coating defects.

Regularly clear snow and ice from the bodywork and fender liner. Avoid using plastic scrapers and other hard objects when doing this. Don't be stingy with a quality special brush that won't damage the paintwork.

Don't forget to do a protective polish. It will allow you to wash your car less often, as dirt and snow will stick to the body less.