The car's underbody, sidewalls, roof and rear fenders are welded together. Repairs to major body damage are best carried out in a workshop.
The hood, bumpers, tailgate and front fenders, as well as some other body parts most susceptible to damage in accidents, are bolted on for ease of repair and replacement and can be easily replaced. When installing, it is necessary to maintain the correct gaps between body parts (width of seams), otherwise, the doors may bang when closing or there will be increased noise from the oncoming wind when moving. The gaps must be parallel, i.e. the distance between the parts must be the same along the entire length of the gap. The deviation allowed is no more than 1 mm.
Caution: Minor glass damage from stone should be repaired as quickly as possible in a specialized workshop, unless the crack goes through the entire glass.
Caution: If bodywork requires work on electrical system components, be sure to disconnect the negative battery cable. To do this, you need to read the instructions in the section "Removal and installation the battery". Even disconnecting or connecting electrical wires is considered work on electrical system components.
Precautions when working on the body
If welding is required on the body, spot welding (SW) is required. If connecting a welding machine is difficult in your environment, MIG welding should be used.
When welding or performing other work that may produce sparks, be sure to disconnect both cables from the battery. After disconnecting, the ends of the wires must be insulated. When working near a battery, it must be removed.
Caution: Please refer to the instructions in the "Removing and installing the battery" section in the "Electrical equipment" chapter.
- It is prohibited to carry out welding or soldering work on parts of a filled air conditioner. This also applies to welding and soldering work on other components if there is a risk of heating up the air conditioner parts.
- Remove the underbody protection and sealing compound using a rotating metal brush or heat it with a hair dryer to a temperature of +180°C and separate it with a spatula.
- When repainting, the vehicle can be heated in a drying chamber to a maximum of 80°C. Otherwise, the electronic control units in the vehicle may be damaged.
Caution: Do not open the air conditioner circuit.