The hood, trunk lid, doors and front fenders are bolted and can be replaced. When installing body elements, it is necessary to maintain a uniform gap along the line of their mating, since otherwise the doors will knock or increased wind resistance will occur during movement. The gap should have the same value along the perimeter of the body elements. Deviations in the width of the gap of no more than 1 mm are allowed.
Caution: If any electrical work needs to be carried out as part of the bodywork, it is essential to disconnect the negative battery cable (-). To do this, you need to read the materials in this Section Replacing the battery. Even disconnecting an electrical wire from any terminal should be considered as work with electrical equipment.
Warning: Many covers and trims are secured with clips. Damaged or missing clips must be replaced. Removal and installation of expander and locking clips are discussed in the appropriate section.
Safety precautions when performing bodywork
When repairing the body, spot welding should be used. Only if electrodes cannot be brought to the welding site, welding in an inert gas environment should be used.
- When welding or performing any other work involving the formation of sparks, be sure to disconnect the battery (positive and negative cables) and carefully insulate both terminals (-) and (+). When working near the battery, it must be removed.
Warning: When the battery is removed, the data from the electronic memory units is erased, in particular the radio receiver code. Without the code, the radio receiver can only be switched on by its manufacturer or service station. Read the notes in Section Replacing the battery.
- Models with air conditioning: It is not permitted to weld or solder air conditioner elements filled with refrigerant with soft or hard solders. This also applies to the production of welding and soldering of car elements if this may lead to heating of the air conditioner elements.
- When welding galvanized sheets, toxic zinc oxide is formed. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation of the workplace.
- Increase the welding current by 10, maximum 30%.
- Use solid copper electrodes with high thermal resistance (above + 400°C).
- Clean the electrodes more frequently and treat them to a contact surface diameter of 4 mm.
- Increase the pressure on the electrode.
- Increase the welding time. The time is correct if the welding spots are placed without spatter.
- Do not open the air conditioner cooling circuit, as the refrigerant may cause frostbite if it comes into contact with your skin.
- If the refrigerant accidentally gets on your skin, rinse the affected area with cold water for at least 15 minutes. The refrigerant evaporates at outside temperatures. The refrigerant is colorless and odorless, and is heavier than air. Since the presence of the refrigerant is not felt, there is a risk of suffocation in the area of the bottom of the car and in the inspection pit.
Drying of paint coating: When carrying out painting work during repairs, drying in ovens should not be carried out at a temperature above + 70°C. Otherwise, the electronic devices of the car may be damaged. In addition, this may increase the pressure in the air conditioner, which will lead to the destruction of the system.
Removal PVC protective coating from the underbody of a car: To protect against corrosion, a polyvinyl chloride protective coating is applied to the bottom of the car and wheel arches. The protective coating is removed with a rotating steel brush or hot air at a temperature of up to + 180°C using a spatula. As a result of heating the PVC coating to a temperature above 180°C, a chemical reaction occurs and hydrochloric acid is formed, which promotes active corrosion, in addition, harmful vapors are formed.