Body care

GENERAL INFORMATION

The condition of the vehicle body is an extremely important factor in determining its resale value. Repair procedures to restore damaged or neglected body components are considerably more difficult than repairing mechanical components. Hidden body areas, such as the wheel arches, frame and engine compartment, also require care, although they do not need attention as frequently as the other body components.

Once a year or every 20,000 km (12,000 miles) of mileage, it is advisable to steam clean the interior body surfaces. After all traces of dirt, oil and grease have been removed, the surfaces can be inspected for corrosion, damage to brake lines, wear of wiring insulation, damage to control cables and other faults. Upon completion of this work, lubricate the front suspension components.

At the same time, steam clean or wash the external surfaces of the engine and engine compartment with a degreasing solution.

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CAUTION

Attention must be paid to the wheel arches, since the protective coating may separate from the inner surfaces, and small stones and sand particles thrown up from the tires will cause damage to the paint and, as a result, corrosion of the panels. If traces of corrosion (rust) are found, they must be removed down to bare metal, and the surface coated with anti-corrosion paint.

The vehicle body should be washed approximately once a week. Thoroughly wet the body surfaces to soften the dirt, then wash it off with a soft sponge or a stream of water. Careless removal of caked-on dirt can damage the outer paint layer.

Tar or asphalt spots that get onto the body from a heated road surface can and should be removed with a rag moistened with solvent.

Wax the body and chrome trim elements every six months. Keep in mind that when using cleaners on chrome surfaces to remove corrosion, part of the chrome plating will also be removed, so avoid applying such solutions too heavily.