Table of contents: Car wash ↓ Care of varnish coating ↓
Car wash
Environmental protection laws prohibit washing cars in unauthorized places. If the car is washed frequently in automatic car washes, the rotating brushes of the car wash leave marks on the varnish coating. This can be avoided by washing the car manually in an appropriate car wash.
Bird droppings, dead insects, tree resin, traces of tar, salt and other aggressive deposits must be washed off immediately, as they contain substances that corrode the varnish coating.
Use plenty of water for washing. Avoid spraying the car with a strong stream of water at a sharp angle. This will damage the paintwork. Wash the car with a soft sponge or glove, starting from the roof and moving from top to bottom, applying gentle pressure. Squeeze the sponge frequently.
Use detergents only to remove hardened dirt. Then rinse off the detergent residue with plenty of clean water. Regular use of detergent requires more frequent preservation. A preservative can be added to the water used to wash the car.
Do not direct the water jet towards the air inlet openings.
Use a chamois cloth to wipe dry. Use different types of chamois to wipe the varnish and glass, because the remains of preservatives on the glass lead to a deterioration in its transparency.
Traces of salt used on roads in winter are especially dangerous for all folds and bends, flanges and joints of doors and hood. Therefore, such places should be thoroughly cleaned with a sponge at each car wash, including even after an automatic car wash, then rinsed with water and wiped dry with a dry chamois cloth.
Never wash or dry your car in the sun. This will inevitably cause water spots.
Attention! After washing the car, dry the brake discs by lightly braking while driving.
Care of varnish coating
Conservation
The clean, dry-wiped varnish coating should be coated with a preservative at such intervals and as often as necessary to provide protection of the surface from the weather with a water-repellent and pore-closing wax composition.
Any fuel, oil, grease or brake fluid that gets on the paintwork must be removed immediately, otherwise it will cause the paintwork to become discolored.
Preservation of the paintwork surface must be repeated if, when washing the car, it is clearly visible that water flows off the paintwork not in the form of droplets, but as a solid mass. Regular use of the preservative helps to preserve the original paintwork.
Another way to preserve the varnish is to use wax compounds used during washing. However, they provide good protection only if they are used at each car wash, provided that the time interval between two washes does not exceed 2-3 weeks.
Polishing
Polishing is necessary only when the varnish coating has lost its original shine due to insufficient care or exposure to dust, industrial emissions, sun and rain, and even the use of preservatives does not restore it. Do not use highly abrasive polishing agents or polishing agents with increased chemical aggressiveness for this purpose, even if the first attempt at such polishing was successful.
Before each polishing, the car must be washed thoroughly and wiped dry. Subsequently, follow the manufacturer's instructions for using the polishing agent.
Avoid treating a large area at once to avoid premature drying of the polish. Most polishes require the application of a preservative after use. Do not polish in direct sunlight!
Plastic and matt lacquered parts must not be treated with polishing and preservative agents, as this will usually result in stains.
(The original publication in its entirety is posted on the website «AUDIMANUAL.ru»)