It should be remembered that the main factor determining the selling price of a used car is the condition of its body. Body panel care procedures are extremely simple, but should be performed on a regular basis. Neglecting the smallest mechanical damage and paintwork defects can lead to the rapid development of corrosion and the need for costly body repairs. It is also important to regularly check the condition of hidden surfaces and parts, such as wheel arches, the lower part of the bulkheads of the engine compartment, etc.
The basic procedure for caring for a car body is washing it, preferably with copious amounts of water supplied under pressure from a hose. A sufficiently powerful jet easily softens and knocks down dried dirt and, importantly, avoids damage to the paintwork when individual grains of sand and other abrasive particles are rubbed against it. Do not forget to wash also the wheel arches and the bearing elements of the bottom of the car. Oddly enough, the best time to wash the suspension and underbody of the car is in wet rainy weather, when most of the accumulated dirt deposits are washed off automatically while driving. Try not to miss the opportunity and, taking the opportunity, make an external inspection of the components located under the car.
Once a year, or every 20,000 km (12,000 miles) mileage, it is necessary to check the condition of the anti-corrosion coating on the bottom of the car. The bottom of the car, including the engine compartment, should first be subjected to steam cleaning, during which multilayer oil deposits, sticky sludge and dense dirt are especially well removed. If steam cleaning is not possible, use a brush to treat the surfaces of the components to be cleaned with one of the many solvents currently available. Note: The latter method should not be used on vehicles with a wax based underbody anticorrosion coating. Such an annual inspection of the car should be carried out before the start of the winter season after a good soaking of mud and oil deposits in conditions of high humidity, typical for the autumn season. Damaged anti-corrosion coating must be repaired without delay. Ideally, once a year, a complete anti-corrosion treatment of the car should be carried out, in which the protective composition is pumped into the cavities of door panels, thresholds, box sections of load-bearing body elements and other available volumes. Note: The latter does not apply to panels and sections that have undergone full anti-corrosion treatment and are sealed at the factory.
After completely washing off the dirt from the paintwork, wipe the surfaces of the body panels with soft suede, returning the polish to its original shine. Surface treatment with wax-containing polish provides additional protection of the paintwork from atmospheric influences and allows you to restore locally lost polish. Remember that tarnishing of the paintwork is most often associated with a neglect of regular car washing.
Wax polishing of body panels should be done approximately once every six months. Coating type "metallic" need special care with the use of special, non-abrasive polishes. Try to regularly check the patency of the drainage and ventilation openings of the body panels. Do not forget to wipe the glass from time to time, using special cleaning compounds to remove the road film from their surface. Never use polishes containing wax or care products for chrome trim on glass.