Car wash
Environmental protection laws prohibit car washing in non-designated locations. If the car is often washed in automatic car washes, the rotating brushes of the sink leave marks on the varnish. This can be avoided by washing the car by hand at 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 hitting the car with a strong jet of water at a sharp angle. This will damage the lacquer. Wash the car with a soft sponge or glove, starting from the roof and moving from top to bottom, applying light pressure. Squeeze out the sponge frequently.
Use detergents only to remove hardened dirt. After that, rinse off the remaining detergent with plenty of clean water. Regular use of detergent requires more frequent maintenance. You can add a preservative to your car wash water.
Do not direct the jet of water at the inlet vents.
Use a suede cloth to wipe dry. When wiping lacquer and glass, use different types of chamois leather, because preservative residues on the glass lead to deterioration of its transparency.
Traces of salt used on roads in winter are especially dangerous for all folds and folds, flanges and joints. Therefore, such places must be thoroughly cleaned with a sponge at each car wash, including even after an automatic car wash, and then rinsed with water and wiped dry with a dry chamois cloth.
Never wash or dry your vehicle in the sun. In this case, spots inevitably remain, formed by the lime contained in the water.
Attention! After washing the vehicle, dry the brake discs by light braking while driving.
Lacquer care
Conservation
Cleanly washed and wiped dry lacquer should be coated with a preservative at such intervals and as often as to ensure that the surface is protected from the weather by a water-repellent and pore-closing wax composition.
Any fuel, oil, grease or brake fluid that has come into contact with the paint must be removed immediately, otherwise the paint will discolour.
Preservation of the paint surface must be repeated if, when washing the car, it is clearly visible that the water flows from the paint coating not in the form of droplets, but in a continuous mass. Regular use of a preservative helps preserve the original lacquer finish.
Another possibility to preserve the lacquer is the use of wax compositions used in washing. However, they only provide good protection when used at every car wash, provided that the time interval between two washes does not exceed 2-3 weeks.
Polishing
Polishing is necessary only when the lacquer coating has lost its original luster due to insufficient care or exposure to dust, industrial emissions, sun and rain, and even the use of preservatives does not ensure its restoration. Do not use polishing agents with high abrasiveness or polishing agents with increased chemical aggressiveness for this, even if the first attempt at such polishing was successful.
Before each polishing, the vehicle must be washed clean and thoroughly dried. In the future, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions for using the polishing agent.
Do not treat 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 when exposed to direct sunlight.
Plastic and matt lacquered parts must not be treated with polishes and preservatives, as this usually leads to staining.
Removal of tar/tar stains
Resin-containing substances eat into the paintwork in a short time and cannot be completely removed. Fresh stains can be removed with a cloth soaked in washing gasoline. If necessary, petrol, kerosene or turpentine oil can also be used. A lacquer preservative also works very well against such stains. When using it, you can refuse the subsequent washing.
Insect removal
Insects contain aggressive substances that damage the lacquer coating. Therefore, the affected areas must be washed immediately with warm soapy water or a detergent solution, because insects that have hardened on the surface are difficult to remove by ordinary rainfall. There are also special means for removing insects.
Care of plastic parts
Clean plastic parts, leatherette seats, upholstery of the headlining, matt black parts only with water and shampoo. Plastic parts can be cleaned with a suitable plastic cleaner. Do not use solvents such as nitro thinner. cold cleaning agents or gasoline.
Glass cleaning
Wipe the glass outside and inside with a clean soft cloth. In case of severe pollution, alcohol or ammonia and warm water or a special glass cleaner will help. When cleaning the windshield, move the wiper arms forward. When cleaning the windshield, also clean the wiper blades.
Attention! When using products containing silicone, brushes, sponges, rags and towels used to clean the lacquer coating should not be used to clean glass. When spraying paints containing silicone, the windows must be covered with thick paper or other material.
Caring for rubber seals
Seal surfaces and surfaces of rubber gaskets from time to time dust with talcum powder or spray with silicone compound. Thus, it will be possible to avoid creaking when closing the doors. Rubbing said surfaces with liquid soap also reduces noise.
Tire cleaning
Do not wash tires with a jet of water from a washer. If the washer nozzle is brought too close to the surface of the tire, its inner rubber layer is irreversibly destroyed within a few seconds, especially when cold water is used. For safety reasons, tires washed in this way should be replaced.
Light alloy rims should be brushed and treated with a suitable product, especially in winter, but do not use aggressive, acidic, highly alkaline, abrasive cleaners or a washing machine with a water temperature above +60°C.
Clean seat belts only with a mild soapy solution without removing them. Do not use chemical cleaners as they destroy tissue. Wind up automatic belts only after they are completely dry. Do not dry the seat belts at temperatures above +80°C or in the sun.
Underbody protection and cavity preservation
The bottom of the car, including the wheel arches, are covered with a protective PVC layer. Particularly endangered areas of the front end in the wheel space are protected by a plastic coating against stone impacts. In addition, parts of the body that are at risk of corrosion are made of galvanized sheets. Before the onset of the cold season and after each washing of the bottom, check the condition of the protective layer of the bottom and, if necessary, eliminate its defects
Dust, clay and sand can accumulate in some areas of the bottom. Remove accumulated dirt, which in winter may also contain salt.
Washing and preservation of the engine
To prevent corrosion on car front parts (e.g. on the side members of the transverse beams), as well as the power unit, the engine compartment, including all parts and assemblies located in the engine compartment, must be covered with a high-quality preservative. This should be done first after washing the car.
Attention! Before washing the engine under running cold water from a washing unit or a steam generator, cover the generator, the gel protection unit, and the brake fluid reservoir with plastic bags.
Seat upholstery care and cleaning
Fabric cases
Clean the covers with a vacuum cleaner or a fairly stiff brush. If heavily soiled, they can be cleaned with foam.
Grease and oil stains can be removed with washing gasoline or stain remover. At the same time, do not directly moisten the place of contamination with the stain remover, because in this case stains will necessarily appear on the fabric around the place that was wetted with the stain remover. Treat the stain in a circle, moving from outside to inside. Other contaminants are usually removed with warm soapy water.
Leather cases
In case of strong exposure to sunlight and long-term parking, remove the covers so that they do not fade
Use a lightly dampened knit or woolen cloth to clean the leather surfaces without soaking the leather or seams through. Finally, wipe damp skin with a dry, clean cloth.
Heavily soiled leather surfaces can be treated with mild detergent solutions without bleach (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water). Carefully remove grease and oil stains with washing gasoline without wiping them.
Treat lacquered leather seats with a commercially available leather cleaner after cleaning.
Such funds can be purchased at a specialized store or at an auto shop. Shake well before use and apply a thin layer with a soft cloth. After drying, wipe the surface with a clean soft cloth. Perform this treatment once every 6 months if the external influence is normal.