Extending the life of your car body

Life time car is determined by the service life of its main components. This is the power unit, transmission, on-board equipment and, of course, the body. In its modern form, this is a complex structure that often plays the role of a supporting part of the car. The body withstands vibration and impact from the road, serves as a basis for fastening units, provides the driver and passengers with comfort and safety. However, current manufacturers are not very interested in a long service life of the body: the more cars they manage to sell, the better! Therefore, the responsibility for the safety of this part of the car falls on the shoulders of its owner. How to care for the body?

Washing

It is best to clean the car from dirt and dust with the help of special tools - car shampoos. There is quite a selection on the market. When buying, pay attention to the recommendations (they are on the label): some shampoos are designed for a new body, others are suitable for cars with an average mileage, and still others are used when washing old cars. Here are some cleaning options.

LIQUI MOLY Auto-Wasch & Wachs

The composition of the shampoo includes wax, which “makes” the paintwork (LCP) shine for some time. The product is economical - ten liters of water will require from 50 to 150 ml ml of the product.


The more you dissolve the shampoo in water, the stronger the shine will be. The peach flavor is a bonus. Directions for use are on the label.

FILL INN FL045

This tool differs from the previous one in the first place by a more affordable cost. Its feature is the rapid removal of organic contaminants: for example, stains of oils or insects. For washing, it is enough to dissolve 3-4 caps of the product in a bucket of water.


The manufacturer claims a long shelf life of FILL INN FL045 - almost 6 years. Each detergent has instructions on how to use it. If for some reason it is not there, you can use the general rules:

✅ apply the product on the surface of the body
✅ wait 5-10 minutes until the shampoo eats away the dirt
✅ wipe the paintwork with microfiber, rinse with water
✅ repeat the procedure again

And what if the car shampoo does not help? For example, on the body - stains from bitumen. In this case, you can not use solvents, unless, of course, you want to extend the life of the paintwork. For such cases, pick up a special tool in the store (see later in the “Bottom” section). They need to treat the contaminated area, then rinse with water. When using professional sinks, choose those where there are no hard brushes that scratch the paintwork.

Body protection with wax polish

This is a tool that not only adds shine to the body, but also fills in small scratches that inevitably appear during the operation of the car. Wax polishes differ in the strength of their effect on the paintwork. There are ordinary ones that “make” the body sparkle, and there are those that remove the microscopic upper part of the paintwork.

Runway RW6134

A tool that is considered professional. This is a nano-polish made from carnauba wax. Runway removes microscopic scratches on the body and gives it, in addition to shine, water and dirt-repellent properties. The agent forms a protective film on the paintwork that protects the body from an external aggressive environment in the form of UV rays, winter anti-icing reagents and other harmful substances.


The manufacturer claims that RUNWAY Pro NANO Wax is not afraid of car washes: the product will last on the paintwork for at least eight months.

RUNWAY liquid

The same manufacturer offers a budget option for wax polish. Its feature is the fast processing of the car body. The liquid consists of several types of wax and cleaning components.


The agent forms a protective film and does not leave white streaks on the body after application.

Before using wax polish of any type, it is necessary to inspect the paintwork and eliminate chips, treat cracks. Otherwise, active development of corrosion is possible in these places. The machine is treated with wax polishes once every couple of months (more often if the operating conditions are harsh).

Corrosion control

It is important to regularly inspect the car body for rust. It’s good if you notice a source of corrosion at the initial stage: then it will be more difficult to deal with the problem. First of all, it is necessary to process hidden cavities. To get to them, look for technological holes, for example, in thresholds. If they are not there, which is typical for cars of older years of manufacture, drill yourself. For processing, use the aerosol version of the product with a long tube. At the end of the procedure, do not forget to close the hole with a rubber plug (you can pick up the right one at any car shop).

KERRY

Aerosol is a bituminous mastic in liquid form. After application, it forms a protective film that prevents oxygen, road anti-icing agents, moisture, sand, etc. from affecting the metal.


The manufacturer claims that this product can be applied to a rusty, wet, unprepared surface and other anti-corrosion coatings.

Bottom

Its processing is required without fail, because this part of the body is closest to the road surface and therefore is exposed to maximum exposure to reagents, moisture, dirt and sand. Before processing it is necessary to wash the bottom first with water. If there are oil stains, they must be removed (it is better to use steam cleaning). If necessary, use compounds to combat traces of bitumen, tar.

astrohim

An inexpensive product containing special substances that can penetrate deep into pollution. ASTROhim successfully fights not only with bitumen and tar stains, but also with poplar buds. It also helps to eliminate traces of old anti-corrosion agent.


ASTROhim has an affordable cost and does not contain aggressive substances that can damage body metal.
After the bottom is cleaned, apply a layer of protective mastic on it. The market offers a large number of funds, here is one of them.

PolyComPlast Cordon

Bitumen-based anti-corrosion compound. Other components include polymers, rust converter, inhibitors.


It is recommended to apply with a brush on the surface in three layers with drying of each during the day.

Protective films

Another way to extend the life of the paintwork. We are talking about nano-coating, which protects the body from minor damage, moisture and dirt. The film is transparent, does not change the color of the car (there are also colored ones), firmly adheres to the body and has dirt-repellent properties. The cost of the procedure depends on the material used. The film can be chrome, vinyl or polyurethane. The first option is the most expensive: depending on the brand and model of the car, the average cost of work is 150 thousand rubles.


However, among car owners, the most popular procedure is pasting with inexpensive films. For example, wrapping a body with vinyl will cost from 15 to 45 rubles. If expensive, you can limit yourself to pasting individual parts of the body.

Conclusions

The condition of the paintwork must be monitored from the very beginning of the operation of the car. Late detection of corrosion centers is fraught with large expenses for their removal. In particularly difficult cases, you will have to change the body part, and this is much more expensive than regular processing.