Car wash
Body care is based on regular washing and treatment with special protective compounds. You can wash the body at a specialized car wash (better by hand, without the use of mechanical brushes) or independently in places specially designated for this purpose.
For self-washing, you will need a bucket and two brushes - a large one with long soft bristles (better with long handle) for washing the body and a small one with stiff bristles for washing the front and rear body panels and wheel rims, as well as a few rags.
Warning: To prevent environmental pollution, wash your vehicle in designated areas equipped with sewerage or local treatment facilities.
Helpful Hints: Before washing your car, clean the drain holes in the doors and sills.
Do not wipe dust and dirt from the body with a dry cloth, as this may scratch the paintwork.
Do not use gasoline, kerosene, soda and sea water for washing in order to avoid damage to the paintwork, rubber and plastic parts of the body.
You can’t wash the body in frosty weather and drive in frost in a car with a wet body: when water freezes, microcracks can form on the paint surface.
1. We recommend washing the body in the shade, as if the paintwork dries quickly in direct sunlight, light spots will remain on the body. If possible, wash the bodywork with a hose and a soft sponge.
2. Thoroughly wash the joints of the body parts and welds, the places of the rolling of the door panels and the hood.
3. When washing the engine compartment, water should not fall on the elements of electrical equipment. We recommend using special engine cleaners. After washing, blow with air or wipe dry the elements of electrical equipment.
4. It is better to wash the glasses with a soft cloth moistened with water with the addition of washer fluid.
5. Wash wheel arches either with a jet of water under pressure or with a hair brush. Wash the bottom with a hair brush at least once a year, preferably before the start of winter operation, before restoring the anti-corrosion coating. Periodically wash the bottom and wheel arches in winter to clean them of anti-icing agents.
Washing the engine compartment
Warning: To prevent contamination of the environment, wash the engine and engine compartment in designated areas equipped with sewerage or local treatment facilities.
During the operation of the car, deposits of dirt and oil accumulate on the outer surfaces and engine elements. In the area of the engine crankcase, they worsen the cooling of the oil, as a result of which its viscosity decreases, engine parts wear out intensively. Abrasive particles accumulated near the engine oil dipstick can enter the engine crankcase with each oil level check. Dirt and oil on the engine control system components, electrical equipment and high-voltage ignition wires in the engine compartment create unwanted electrical circuits, especially in wet weather, which make it difficult to start the engine and create interruptions in its operation. And finally, with a heavily polluted engine, it is impossible to pass inspection.
They wash the block head, cylinder block and engine oil pan with special detergents that remove all types of contaminants. Detergents purchased in the store can be divided into two groups:
- engine wash shampoos;
- universal products, for example, for washing the engine and removing bituminous stains from the body paintwork.
From improvised means, you can use washing powder or dishwashing liquid dissolved in water.
Warnings: Do not use gasoline to wash the engine, as any spark (even a discharge of static electricity between your clothes and the car body) may cause a fire in the engine compartment. It is forbidden to use open fire. Do not smoke or start the engine until all detergent residues have been removed from its surface.
If it is not possible to dry the engine after washing with compressed air, try to avoid getting water on electrical equipment, high-voltage wires, ignition coils.
It is forbidden to start the engine until the detergent composition or water is completely removed from its surface: in this case, the risk of failure of electrical equipment increases sharply.
It is preferable to wash the engine at special car washes. This is a standard service of most car washes: the engine is first treated with a special compound, then washed by hand, after which it is rinsed with pressurized water and dried with compressed air. After washing, check the serviceability of electrical equipment and engine operation.
Warning: When washing the engine compartment, do not allow water to get on the generator, starter and engine control system elements.
When washing the engine compartment in «domestic» conditions you will need a small scraper, paint brush, toothbrush (for hard to reach places), water container or garden sprayer. Significant deposits of dirt and oil must first be removed with a scraper. If a scraper is not at hand, then a long-handled screwdriver, or better, a wooden spatula, is well suited to remove deposits of dirt and oil. After washing, blow the engine with compressed air.
Helpful Hint: If you don't have a compressor, you can use a vacuum cleaner to blow compressed air through the engine by connecting a hose to its outlet.
Caring for trim panels made of polymer materials
Do not use detergents, caustic soda, or gasoline-based cleaners to clean upholstery. Ordinary soap with warm water is perfect for this purpose. Stubborn dirt is well removed with a soft brush (with water and soap).
Carry out the cleaning of the panels with the same frequency as washing the rest of the surfaces of the car body. After cleaning is complete, the panels can be coated with protective compounds for rubber and plastics to prevent oxidation and cracking. The same compositions can also be used to treat body door seals, rubber hoses, which are often destroyed by the environment. These protective agents are also suitable for tire treatment.
Upholstery and carpet care
Every three months, clean the floor mats and interior panels of the car (if necessary, this work can be done more often). You can use a stiff brush to remove dust and debris, and to clean rugs. After that, the mats and interior upholstery should be thoroughly vacuumed, especially along the seams and folds.
Stubborn dirt can be removed from carpets by treating them with aerosol household or car shampoos, following the manufacturer's instructions.
Part of the interior panels of the cabin are upholstered in vinyl. To care for such upholstery, many special cleaners and shampoos have been released. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and test the new compound on a hidden area of the upholstery to determine if the cleaning agent is capable of discolouring the upholstery before proceeding with a global cleaning.
After cleaning, treat the vinyl upholstery with a protective compound.
Warnings: Before treating seats, read the instructions for use of the product: not all compositions are suitable for treating seats, as they make them too slippery. Do not treat the steering wheel with protective compounds.