Maintenance and repair
1. The condition of your vehicle's bodywork is very important because it has a large impact on its resale value. It is much more difficult to repair a run down or damaged bodywork than mechanical parts. Body cavities such as the wheel wells, frame and engine compartment are just as important, even though they don't require as much attention as the rest of the body.
2. Once a year, or every 20,000 km, it is very useful to clean the underbody with steam. All traces of dirt and oil will be removed and the area can then be inspected for rust, damaged brake lines, frayed electrical wires, damaged cables, and so on. At the end of this work, the front suspension components should be lubricated.
3. Clean the engine and engine compartment at the same time with a steam cleaner or grease remover.
4. Pay special attention to the wheel wells as the backing may peel off and stones and dirt thrown from the wheels may damage the paint and allow rust to form. If you find rust, clean the damaged surface down to the metal and apply anti-corrosion paint to it.
5. The body must be washed at least once a week. Wet the vehicle thoroughly to soften the dirt, then wash it off with a soft sponge and plenty of soapy water. If the dirt is not thoroughly washed off, it can wear off the paint.
6. Tar or bitumen stains should be cleaned with a cloth soaked in solvent.
7. At least every six months, polish the bodywork and chrome parts. If you use a chrome cleaner to remove rust from electroplated parts, remember that the cleaner also removes chrome tarnish, so use it with care.
Vinyl trim - maintenance and repair
Never clean vinyl trim with detergents, caustic soaps, or kerosene-based cleaners. Simple soap and water work just fine, and a soft brush can easily remove stubborn grime. Wash your vinyl trim as often as you clean your entire car.
After cleaning, the use of high quality rubber and vinyl protectors will help prevent oxidation and cracking. The protective agent can also be applied to glass seals, vacuum lines and rubber hoses, which often fail due to chemical degradation, as well as tires.
Upholstery and rugs - maintenance
1. Every three months, remove the floor mats and clean the inside of the car (if necessary, do it more often). Vacuum upholstery and rugs to remove any remaining dirt and dust.
2. Leather upholstery requires special attention. Stains should be removed with warm water and a very mild soap solution. Use a clean cloth to remove the soap, then wipe the upholstery again with a dry cloth. Never use alcohol, benzine, nail polish remover or thinner to clean leather upholstery.
3. After cleaning, treat the leather upholstery regularly with special wax. Never use car wax to polish leather upholstery.
4. Where the vehicle's interior is exposed to sunlight, cover the leather seats with sheets if the vehicle is left in the sun for any length of time.
Body repair - minor damage
Repair of small scratches
1. If the scratch is superficial and does not affect the metal of the body, the repair is very simple. Lightly rub the scratched surface with a fine polish to remove loose paint and wax. Rinse the surface with clean water.
2. Apply touch-up paint to the scratch with a small brush. Continue applying thin coats of paint until the paint completely fills the scratch. Let the new paint dry for at least two weeks and then blend it into the surrounding paint by buffing the painted area with a fine polishing compound. Lastly, apply a top coat of wax to the scratched surface.
3. If the scratch has penetrated the paint and damaged the body metal, causing rust, a different repair procedure must be applied. Remove rust from the base of the scratch with a pocket knife and then apply rust preventive paint to prevent future rust. Using a rubber or nylon applicator, cover the scratched area with glaze (glazing - translucent paint layer). Before the glazing in the scratch hardens, place a piece of smooth cotton around your fingertip. Dip the cloth into the thinner and then quickly run it around the surface of the scratch. This will help you make sure that the surface of the glazing is slightly sunken. Now you can paint over the scratch as described earlier in this section.
Attention! If necessary, glaze can be mixed with thinner to make a very thin putty, ideal for filling narrow scratches.
Dent Repair
4. When repairing dents, the first thing to do is straighten the dent so that the damaged area is as close to its original shape as possible. It makes no sense to try to completely restore the original shape, since the metal in the damaged area is stretched, and it cannot be restored to its original contour. It is best to level the dent so that it is approximately 3mm below the level of the surrounding metal.
5. If the dent is very small, there is no point in leveling it at all.
Attention! Hold a block of wood firmly against the back of the metal to absorb hammer blows and prevent the metal from stretching.
6. If the dent is in a part of the body that has a double layer, or something else makes it impossible to access from the inside, a different procedure must be applied. Drill several small holes in the metal inside the damaged surface, preferably in the deepest parts. Drive long, self-tapping screws into the holes so that they engage the metal firmly. The dent can now be straightened out by pulling on the protruding screw heads with pliers.
7. The next step in the repair is to remove paint from the damaged surface and from the surrounding metal by about 2.5 cm. This is done with a wire brush or a grinding disc worn on a drill, however, this can be done manually with sandpaper with no less efficiency.. To complete the putty preparations, scrape the surface of the exposed metal with a screwdriver or file, or drill small holes in the damaged area. This will ensure good adhesion of metal and glazing. To complete the repair, See the subsection on filling and painting later in this chapter.
Repair holes for rust or cracks
8. Remove all paint from the damaged surface and from the surrounding metal within a radius of approximately 2.5 cm, using sandpaper or a wire brush worn on a drill. If they are not available, this work can be done manually with several sheets of sandpaper.
9. After removing the paint, you can determine the extent of corrosion and decide whether to replace the entire panel or, if possible, repair the damaged surface. New body panels aren't as expensive as many people think, and it's often much faster to install a new panel than it is to repair a large surface damaged by rust.
10. Remove all trim pieces from the damaged area, except those that act as a guide to the original shape of the damaged vehicle body, such as the headlight housing, and so on. Using metal shears or a hacksaw blade, remove any damaged metal, as well as any other metal that shows signs of rust. Bend the edges of the hole inward with a hammer to create a small notch for the filling material.
11. Wire brush the damaged surface to remove powdered rust from the metal surface. If there is access to the back of the rusty surface, coat it with anti-corrosion paint.
12. Plug the hole in some way before final termination. This can be done with sheet metal riveted or screwed into the hole, or fitted into the hole with wire mesh.
13. When the hole is plugged, the damaged area can be filled in and painted over. See the next subsection for filling and painting.
Filling and painting
14. There are a lot of body repair fillers available these days, however, to be honest, a body repair kit that has filler paste and a tube of resin hardener is the best for body repair work. You will need a wide flexible plastic or nylon applicator to level the surface of the putty. Mix a small amount of putty mixture on a clean wooden plank or cardboard (saving hardener). Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging, otherwise the putty will not harden properly.
15. Using the applicator, apply the filling paste to the prepared surface. Run the applicator over the surface of the putty to achieve the desired contour and even out the surface of the putty. When the original level and contour are reached, stop working with the paste. If you continue, the paste will stick to the applicator. Continue to apply thin coats of paste at 20 minute intervals until the filler is level with the surrounding metal.
16. When the putty has hardened, the excess can be removed with a file. Next, you need to use sandpaper, gradually increasing its grit, starting with paper with a grit index of 180 units and ending with waterproof paper with a grit index of 600 grit. Always wind the sandpaper around a rubber or wood block, otherwise the surface of the putty will not be completely flat. When sanding the putty surface, waterproof sandpaper with a grit index of 600 units must be periodically moistened with water. This will help achieve a very smooth surface.
17. The repair area should now be surrounded by a ring of bare metal, which in turn should be surrounded by a good, undamaged bevel. Rinse the area to be repaired with water until all sanding dust has been removed.
18. Apply a thin coat of pound coat to the entire sanded surface. This will help to detect all defects on the surface of the putty. Correct the detected defects with fresh putty or lacquer and clean the surface again with sandpaper. Repeat the procedure for applying primer and putty until you are satisfied with the quality of the putty surface and paint edge. Rinse the surface with clean water and let it dry completely.
19. The repair area is now ready to be painted. Spray painting should be carried out in warm, dry, calm weather when there is no dust in the air. These conditions can be achieved if you have access to a large production facility. However, if you have to work outdoors, you need to choose the day of painting very carefully. If you are working indoors, spray water on the pop. This will help you nail down any dust that might otherwise fly into the air. If the repair area is on one body panel, close all surrounding panels. This will help you minimize the slight mismatch in paint color. Decorative trim parts such as chrome trim, door handles, and so on, also need to be masked or removed. For masking, use sticky tape and several layers of paper.
20. Shake the paint thoroughly before spraying, and then practice spraying it to learn how to do it correctly. Apply a thick coat of primer to the surface to be repaired. It is better to apply several thin layers than one thick one. Use 600 grit sandpaper to sand the surface of the primer until it is very smooth. During this operation, the surface to be treated must be thoroughly wetted with water. Sandpaper also needs to be periodically lowered into the water. Allow primer to dry before applying additional coats.
21. Spray paint on the top spy, increasing its thickness by applying several layers. Start spraying paint from the center of the repaired area, and then, using circular motions, treat the entire repaired area, as well as approximately 5 cm of the surrounding paint. Remove all masking material 10-15 minutes after applying the last coat of paint. Let the new paint dry for at least two weeks, and then use a very fine sanding compound to make the transition from the new paint to the original paint imperceptible. At the end of the work, apply a layer of wax.
Body repair - major damage
1. Significant body damage must be repaired at service stations that have body repair equipment.
2. If extensive damage occurs, the body geometry must be checked. They can also affect the handling characteristics of the vehicle or cause other components to wear faster.
3. Due to the fact that all the main components of the body (hood, fenders, etc.) are individual items that can be replaced, it is best to replace them rather than repair them. Sometimes the required parts can be found in used parts stores, which is much cheaper than buying new ones.
Care of hinges and locks
Every 5,000 km, or 3 months, the door and hood hinges and locks should be lubricated with a few drops of engine oil. Lubricate the lock latches with lithol.
Windshield and fixed body glass - replacement
Replacement of stationary glass of the body is carried out in a car service.