Car body and underbody components care (Opel Astra G)

It should be remembered that the main factor determining the resale value of a used car is the condition of its body. Body panel maintenance procedures are extremely simple, but must be performed on a regular basis. Neglecting the smallest mechanical damage and paintwork defects can lead to rapid corrosion and the need for expensive body repairs. It is also important to regularly check the condition of hidden surfaces and parts, such as wheel arches, the lower part of the engine compartment bulkheads, etc.

The basic procedure for car body care is washing it, preferably with plenty of water supplied under pressure from a hose. A sufficiently powerful stream easily softens and knocks off dried dirt and, importantly, prevents damage to the paintwork when individual grains of sand and other abrasive particles rub against it. Do not forget to wash the wheel arches and the supporting elements of the car bottom. Oddly enough, the best time to wash the suspension elements and the car bottom is wet rainy weather, when most of the accumulated mud deposits are washed off automatically while driving. Try not to miss the opportunity and, taking advantage of the occasion, carry out an external inspection of the components located under the car.

Once a year, or every 20,000 km (12,000 miles) mileage, it is necessary to check the condition of the anti-corrosion coating of the underbody of the car. Beforehand, the underbody of the car, including the engine compartment, should be steam cleaned, which is especially effective in removing multilayer oil deposits, sticky sludge and dense dirt. If steam cleaning is not possible, the surfaces of the components to be cleaned should be treated with a brush using one of the many solvents currently available.

The latter method should not be used on vehicles with wax-based underbody anti-corrosion coating.

This annual inspection of the car should be carried out before the start of the winter season after good soaking of mud and oil deposits in the high humidity conditions typical of the autumn season. Damaged anti-corrosion coating should be restored without delay. Ideally, a complete anti-corrosion treatment of the car should be carried out once a year, during which the protective compound is pumped into the cavities of door panels, thresholds, box sections of load-bearing body elements and other available volumes.

The latter does not apply to panels and sections that have undergone full anti-corrosion treatment and are sealed at the factory.

After completely washing away dirt from the paintwork, wipe the body panel surfaces with a soft chamois, restoring the polish to its original shine. Treating surfaces with wax-containing polish provides additional protection of the paintwork from atmospheric influences and allows you to restore locally lost polish. Remember that dulling of the paintwork is most often associated with a neglectful attitude to regular car washing.

Wax polishing of body panels should be done approximately once every six months. Metallic paintwork requires special care using special polishes that do not contain abrasives. Try to regularly check the patency of the drainage and ventilation holes of the body panels. Do not forget to wipe the glass from time to time, removing the road film from their surface using special cleaning compounds. Never use wax-containing polishes or care products for chrome trim elements to treat glass.