Contents: Maintenance work ⬇ Car underbody wash ⬇
Maintenance work
The protective layer on the underside of the car should be carefully checked and corrected where necessary. You can do this yourself if you have a reliable means for lifting the Vectra (lifting platform, ramp). It is best to buy underbody anti-corrosion coating from your Opel dealer. Not all underbody anti-corrosion coatings available in the trade are suitable for use on Opel models. For example, bitumen-based materials may have problems with adhesion.
Wash the underside of the vehicle thoroughly.
Look at the entire bottom with a bright lamp and find any defective areas.
Clean damaged areas of the anti-corrosion coating of the bottom with a spatula, scraper and wire brush until the metal is bare.
Sand down to bare metal as thoroughly as possible, removing any rust deposits.
Apply zinc dust paint to the cleaned surface as a primer.
Flat or larger areas are best treated with a spreadable underbody protector.
For work in hard-to-reach gaps and corners, it is better to use a sprayer with an anti-corrosion agent.
The best anti-corrosion coating is wax: it can be used as an additional preservation of the factory anti-corrosion coating of the bottom made of polyvinyl chloride, as well as for treating repaired areas.
Tip: When spraying anti-corrosion coating, cover the brakes with a sheet of paper or plastic film to avoid the grease cloud getting on them.
Tip: When spraying anti-corrosion coating, cover the brakes with a sheet of paper or plastic film to avoid the grease cloud getting on them.
Car underbody wash
An effective and inexpensive way to care for the underbody of a car, especially in winter, is to regularly wash the underbody with a strong stream of water. Salt in melt water and road dirt should not settle for a long time on the edges and corners of the underbody, as they bind moisture. The already hard-to-reach places never dry out completely, which ultimately greatly contributes to the appearance of rust. Thanks to the front fender liners in the wheel arches, the front fenders are well protected. A crust of dirt can form in the following places:
- In the metal fold along the edge of the rear wheel arch cutouts.
- In the rear wheel arches.
- In the area where splashes from the rear wheels hit, to the right and left of the trunk or body.
- Under the sides of the rear bumpers.
To wash the underside of your car, you need at least a hose sprayer. There are also curved sprayers (for example, the ARA company), from which you can spray the bottom of a parked car without getting too wet yourself. The best is some kind of steam jet unit, such as those available at petrol stations and car washes. Find out if there is such a self-service device near you.
Left: there are drainage holes at the bottom edges of the doors through which any penetrating water can drain.
Right: the photo shows where the left rear hose is located to drain water from the retractable roof.
Tip: Salt residue and moisture become especially aggressive as temperatures rise. Therefore, a car parked outside is less susceptible to corrosion than one parked in a heated garage.
Visitor comments