Corrosion of metal
Approximately 70% of the value of the car is determined by the condition of the body. And it, in turn, depends on whether the car has been in an accident and, most importantly, on the degree of its corrosion damage.
The causes that cause accelerated corrosion are divided into two groups and are related:
- with design or technological features of specific models;
- with external influences.
The first group includes:
- the occurrence of high stresses and vibrations of the body metal;
- Availability "pockets" in load-bearing sections of bodies;
- use of thin sheet metal (0.7-0.8mm);
- the use of metal with impurities that increase the rate of corrosion;
- the presence of corrosion concentrates in the form of moldings and other decorations.
External influences include:
- sulfur compounds, carbon dioxide and chlorides contained in the environment;
- saline solutions used to combat ice.
Under our conditions, various salt solutions have the greatest impact, as they lead to the formation of conductive "bridges" between body parts, as a rule, having different electrical potential. This causes the fastest type of metal destruction - electrochemical corrosion. The bottom line is that all cars have a single-wire electrical circuit, and, therefore, on the body "walk" currents from one consumer to another.
We will not delve further into the theory, leaving it to specialists in the field of corrosion, and turn to practical issues. These results are based on the use of three types of instruments during the examination, which make it possible to evaluate:
- thickness change "alive" metal, that is, not exposed to corrosion;
- the degree of erosion of the metal from the inside, in other words, the degree of its loosening or destruction by oxides;
- thickness of cosmetic layers (paints, putties), which allows you to determine whether the body was under repair and attempts to hide it.
The results of the examinations carried out by experts allow us to draw the following conclusions:
1. In the conditions of our region, the rate of penetration of corrosion into metal for cars with winter operation is 0.2 mm per year and 0.1 mm per year for cars that have not seen salt.
2. Corrosion develops especially rapidly in areas subjected to body repairs, and very quickly if this repair was carried out using welding or soldering, since electrochemical pairs are created from dissimilar metals. For those who buy a car, especially a foreign car, this is fundamentally important. After all, it is not in vain that thrifty Europeans almost always sell even a slightly broken car (true, getting insurance) for nothing - $ 1-2 thousand. For how much they are then resold in our markets, the reader, apparently, knows himself. But if you were lucky enough to discover a hidden defect before making a purchase, you should know that the real cost of such a car is 25-50% lower than that of an unbeaten one. We must not forget that sooner or later you will sell a car, and without experts, expensive purchases are now made only by very naive people.
3. The most rapid process of corrosion occurs in cars operated in winter and stored in garages, especially warm ones, without preliminary dissolution of salts with running water. We emphasize not flushing, namely dissolution. Those who believe that by washing out the lower part of the car with a strong jet, they are doing a good deed are very mistaken. Salts dissolve easily and without strong pressure, but protective coatings from a powerful jet rather quickly "come off" from metal, sag, creating only the illusion of protection. In the cavities formed between the metal and the sagging mastic, corrosion develops much faster than on open metal.
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It is highly not recommended to wash the car with hot water, because due to different thermal expansion, protective coatings that warm up first of all "slide down" with metal, forming a negative effect.
Those who believe that the thicker the protective coating, the better, are wrong. Everything is just the opposite. The main thing is that there are no gaps in the coating, and therefore it must be updated regularly.
Finally, some practical advice. Of two cars, the better is not the one that "younger", and the one on which the process of destruction of the metal did not penetrate to a depth of more than 0.4-0.5 mm. In this case, no treatment can prevent the formation of holes in one and a half to two years. And vice versa, even an old car that has reliable protection from the beginning of operation will last for many more years. Under our conditions, it is possible to repair the engine and chassis in a foreign car, but it is not economically feasible to repair a heavily rotten body.
Car make-up
You have probably noticed how impressive a wet, freshly washed car looks. Covered with drops of water, it sparkles and shimmers in the light, like new. Unfortunately, this does not last long, the water dries up, the body fades and all minor risks and scratches become noticeable.
A wide variety of body and interior care preparations are produced, giving shine and radiance to both old and new cars. In movies and TV shows, you can often see how good-natured Americans or Europeans carefully rub their pets to a mirror shine.
With our dirt on the roads, especially in the off-season, it would seem unreasonable to spend money on special shampoos and polishes and polish in order to stain the car again in five minutes. Let's try to prove that we need car cosmetics not less, but even more than in other countries. If only because it is not only radiant purity, it is, first of all, protection from external harmful influences, of which there are plenty in our climatic zone: large temperature fluctuations, "salt cocktail" in winter, dust, sand, scratching the paint, like an emery cloth, stones, leaving small cracks in the enamel - in the summer. Add to this the acid rain that has already become a reality, ultraviolet radiation that burns out color pigments from the paintwork and makes your car faded and dull, the poor quality of painting domestic cars.
No one doubts the need for anti-corrosion treatment of the bottom and thresholds. And if you want to keep the appearance of the body and interior in its original form, you can’t do it without car cosmetics. This is especially true for new foreign cars. Enamels on some of them are made on a water basis - such a composition is less harmful in production (environmental requirement). However, they are not as strong as conventional synthetic ones, which means they are more vulnerable. Car processing begins with washing. Just clean water is unlikely to remove all ingrained dirt, oil stains or traces of wood resin, although it is still worth rinsing with water to remove small stones and sand that can scratch the paint. What to wash? Under no circumstances should you use washing powder, baking soda or household detergents, such as for cleaning tiles or dishes. They are dirty "eat up" excellent, but at the same time they destroy the paint no less actively and, penetrating through cracks, cause corrosion of the metal. So, "bathe" your pet needs only car shampoo and always a special finely porous sponge that traps grains of sand, preventing scratches on the surface of the body.
Remember, gentlemen, remember.
Car shampoos sold on the market can be divided into two groups: with a low and high wax content. The former contain dissolved surfactants, "pulling" (extracting) dirt from the surface. The shampoo rinses off easily with water, leaving a thin layer of wax. In the latter, the detergent composition includes a solvent, and the content of wax and polymers is an order of magnitude higher. Basically it's a shampoo and conditioner "in one vial". Such preparations are very popular in the Scandinavian countries, they are especially convenient to use in late autumn, winter and early spring, when it is difficult to apply a highly thickened polish due to low temperatures - the car has been washed and the body has already been processed. However, ease of use is inevitably reflected in the price - such a shampoo is usually 2-5 times more expensive than usual.
To prevent the formation of stains during uneven drying and to polish the wax, it is recommended to wipe the body with a soft cloth, and best of all with artificial suede, which is sold separately in a plastic case. It will serve you for more than one year. After washing, you can start processing the paintwork. If the car has not been treated for several years or never at all, then it probably makes sense to apply the so-called color restorer. The fact is that as the enamel ages, the top unprotected layer of paint softens and fades under the influence of the external environment. The color restorers contain a finely dispersed abrasive powder with a cleansing composition that gently removes the appearance "dead" layer and at the same time slightly levels the surface, helping to clean old stains of stubborn dirt.
If, having finally washed the body, you suddenly find traces of incipient corrosion, do not despair: small spots are easily removed with rust converters. They interact with rust, leaving a film resistant to further corrosion, they passivate the metal and, as a rule, do not require special surface preparation. Although the transformation process takes place right before our eyes, it all depends on the size of the spot and the depth of penetration of corrosion. For large stains, the treatment will have to be repeated several times with short breaks. After treatment, the damaged area will need to be touched up.
Now that the body is fully prepared, you can apply polish to give more shine to the car, and most importantly, to protect the body from aggressive external environment. What to polish? The question is quite complicated, since this part of cosmetics for cars is the most widely represented. Polishes for bodywork, plastic trims and bumpers, for chrome and rims, colorless and with a coloring effect, liquid and pasty, with and without abrasives - for every taste and wallet size. There are, of course, universal polishes that give shine to painted panels, bumpers, chrome parts, glass, and even tires. They are more likely to interest people who care primarily about the appearance of the car and their image. But the protective abilities of such preparations cannot be very high, because the surface properties of different materials vary greatly. Every material needs to be treated for perfect protection "their" a certain composition.
So the body. For new or nearly new cars, colorless polishes are ideal, they are relatively cheap and easy to use. Some of them contain Teflon and super slip polymers, which after polishing form very smooth surfaces that prevent dirt from sticking. If the car looked like a lot and its paint is dotted with scratches from sand and stones or improper washing, colored polishes are preferable. They are thicker, they are a little more difficult to apply than colorless ones, but they fill well and mask small scratches and scuffs on the enamel. However, do not forget that polish is not paint and, in the case of deep and wide scratches, cannot replace it. Polishes enter into an electrochemical reaction with the paintwork, for their complete "hardening" it takes about a day, so they are applied in the garage or in the open air in warm weather and, of course, not in the rain.
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And more about the usefulness of cosmetics in our harsh conditions. Agree, dirty, cloudy after winter, worn out "janitors" glass against the backdrop of a shining body look like "thorn in the eye", and besides, driving with such glasses is not safe: the road is hard to see through them, especially at night or when driving towards the sun. One thorough washing will not remove the countless scratches left by sand, windshield wipers, and when raising and lowering side windows. Waxes and silicones found in conventional polishes can cloud, so it's best to use a special glass cleaner with a polishing and protective effect. It cleans the surface well and at the same time smooths out small scratches, making the glasses more transparent. Well, if you treat the outer surface with a preparation from the series "anti-rain", and splash an all-weather cleaner into the washer reservoir, the outside world from the car’s interior will appear in a completely different light.
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There are other details that change their original appearance over time and spoil the appearance of the car, such as bumpers and wheels. Black plastic bumpers soon turn gray, dirt easily penetrates the porous surface of the plastic, and no shampoo can get it out of there. Especially for such cases, a cleaner is produced that returns the bumper "native" black color and at the same time covering it with a protective film.
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For chrome and aluminum parts, products containing a small amount of abrasives and polishing compounds are sold to add shine. Wheels can also be processed with them, although their own preparations have been developed for them. For special fans, there are even tire care products.
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Starting such "general cleaning", it’s a sin not to take care of the cabin, because we don’t drive on, but inside the car. One vacuum cleaner and a wet cloth can achieve great results, but everything has its limits. For example, the front panel, like black bumpers, tends to fade and fade in the sun and simply needs to be treated with some kind of polish. Washing fabric seats and fleecy upholstery with water and washing powder is possible, of course, if you have time and the opportunity to wait a few days until they dry without using the car. Aerosol upholstery cleaners are a good alternative. White foam is instantly absorbed, cleans the fabric and dries very quickly, leaving a transparent protective layer - it is enough to simply wipe up any spilled liquid. Perhaps the only drawback is the high consumption of funds and, accordingly, the high cost of processing.
At the end of the provocative question - is it worth it? Maybe that will do? Fortunately, the traffic police do not find fault with the appearance, and the cleanliness of the car has little effect on the technical parameters. But imagine that the car will have to be sold. What will the buyer pay attention to first of all? That's right, he will look at the appearance like the body - not "rotten" whether? It is worth spending 10-20 dollars a year on auto cosmetics so as not to worry at least about this, and, you see, driving in a clean, sparkling car is much more pleasant. By the way, according to statistics, such cars are less likely to have an accident. Why - I do not know, but the fact remains.
What's creaking?
One of the most important indicators of the comfort of the car is the level of acoustic noise inside the cabin. It is known that driving brand new, just off the assembly line, cars - if they are without serious defects - can be a pleasure at first. But how long does this idyll last? Some time later, the vehicle, in the figurative expression of the readers, turns into a rattle. Sometimes - quite quickly, to 15-20 thousand kilometers. In other words, an active, hard-driving motorist can face this sad fact, not "having skated" and years.
The car gets old quickly. The filling of his interior is deteriorating even faster - from seat mechanisms, their upholstery, door and ceiling trim elements to various keys, buttons, plastic levers, handles. All this, to use formal terminology, wears out: driving a car, even on quite decent roads, begins to be accompanied by extraneous noise. The motorist hears squeaks, knocks and even grunts. What is the root cause of the sad metamorphosis? It seems that the possibility of the degeneration of a car into a mobile noise orchestra, first of all, is determined by the culture of its design - what is called a school. But schools, as we all understand, are different.
At the same time, the transition of the car to this state can be accelerated (slow down) actions of the owner himself, and they, the owners, are also different! One takes care of the car, follows its every whim, the other treats it like an enemy who has been taken prisoner.
But back to the design school. Removing the upholstery of the old door -"Saab", for example, - you will see all kinds of levers, rods, cables, etc. The details are flimsy, and they are fixed "Just" or "very simple"! It seems that the designer took care that the mechanics did not rattle on the day the car was sold.
One of the most common causes of extraneous noise in the cabin is the loosening of the connected parts due to their vibrational wear. In moving units, wear from the relative movement of parts is added to this.
Why, for example, "itching" any decorative panel, if it is tightly, fixedly connected to the base of the body or door? In fact, both the panel and the base vibrate, and often in different ways. This means that vibrational movements occur in their contact, which wear out the material. Further - a vicious circle: more vibration - more wear, stronger noise.
Evidence of vibrational wear of some plastic parts may be characteristic dust at the points of contact, traces of mutual abrasion. Eliminate vibration movements - wear will disappear.
Vibratory movements of parts, such as the interior decorative panels of doors, can often be minimized with the help of additional fasteners, such as self-tapping screws. It happens that they do it differently: a gasket made of foam rubber, sponge rubber, latex is installed between the panel and the door - materials that dampen vibration well.
How to deal with this has already been said. There is another way, tested by experienced motorists: the panel on its inner side is pasted over with an additional layer of sound insulation - even with an old blanket. It is a laborious task, but the one who decides on it will be rewarded: the knocks are almost completely silenced.
In general, when you have to fight with the noise caused by the vibration of any panel, you should not treat this as a deliberately simple, easy matter, especially if the vibration of a rigid panel is not damped by anything (i.e. not extinguished). Here, even additionally strengthening it with self-tapping screws, you can not achieve the desired results - stopping "itch" at one speed, the panel can make an even more obnoxious voice at another. The use of soft pads usually gives a positive effect.
So many times mentioning the word "vibration", it’s not a sin to say which ones we are talking about. Unfortunately, various parts in the cabin, with different sizes, weights, stiffness, etc., have corresponding "favorite" vibration frequencies to which they readily respond "itching", tapping, rustling, etc. The vibrations themselves are caused by the operation of the engine, gearbox, transmission, the rotation of the wheels, and finally, the roughness of the road. The frequency spectrum is so rich that any detail, given illegal freedom to vibrate, "my" find the frequency.
This freedom has to be limited in one way or another. Does a switch vibrate? Glue a thin strip of foam rubber to it or press it with an additional spring. Is the rod rattling inside the door? They support it with a pad of the same foam rubber... or lightly tie it with an elastic band to the door frame.
Looking under the dashboard, you will see a picture of complete chaos: wiring harnesses and individual wires, numerous electrical connectors, cables. Appliances and switches nearby. There is also a collection of ownerless bolts-nuts that got here during the assembly of the car. All this rattles, rattles, especially in winter, when the wire harnesses are hard as a stick from frost, and just like it, they hit the details of the structure. That is why many motorists literally fill the space under the instrument panel with foam rubber or latex.
By the way, amazing results are obtained by additional sound insulation of the engine compartment and at the same time the space under the dashboard. This is done with a piece of foam glued to cardboard, which is laid from the pedals up to the edge "Torpedo". It is clear that such "muffler" must be securely fastened and not interfere with control.
Noise in the car interior is largely due to the properties of the materials used. Unfortunately, parts are often made of plastic, which is not resistant to wear, brittle, etc. Naturally, "loosening" a node assembled from them can happen very soon.
If the parts work at even slightly elevated temperatures, it is important that they do not warp or shrink. In fact, we see this process in any of our cars.
A special kind of noise is squeaks. The causes of a creak can be very different, but they are all united by the root cause - the movement of one part relative to another in a pressed state and the work of friction forces. Why not, for example, creak the edge of the dashboard if the door is pressed tightly against it when closed? The whole body on bumps in the road "breathes", the parts move mutually, causing a creak. It will disappear if you manage to eliminate "illegal" contact. Most often, this loosens the mounting screws and shifts the dashboard as needed.
The seat springs at the points of contact with the frame have "anti-creak" coating. But its layer is rather fragile, it wears out. And here is a script for you. You can eliminate it in different ways. One puts a plastic tube on the spring, the other winds the insulating tape, the third lubricates with graphite grease. All methods are rather frivolous - these measures do not last long.
Squeaking in swivel joints is best eliminated precisely by the periodic use of graphite grease.
Another kind of squeak is an extremely unpleasant sound that occurs when the heater fan is turned on, when the motor shaft rotates in the stator bushings without lubrication. There is one way out - disassembling the engine, cleaning it from dirt and replenishing the lubricant.
As you can see, there are two ways to get rid of creaking - either eliminate the mutual movement of tightly pressed parts, or lubricate the rubbing parts.
Luke
"Keep your feet warm and your head cold", - this popular expression is known to many, but not everyone adheres to it. But doctors strongly recommend that motorists take useful advice into service and justify their recommendations from a scientific point of view: the air temperature at the driver's head should be 6~7°C lower than at the feet. Thus, thermal comfort is achieved, in which the driver is less tired, responds better to changes in the environment.
In principle, it is not difficult to achieve such a temperature difference; it is enough to install an air conditioner in the car. But the device is not cheap, and it is somewhat whimsical in maintenance. You can manipulate the glass windows, but it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve the optimal result. There is no effect from a small crack, but a wind rushes into a well-opened window - it’s hard not until the temperature difference is 6-7 degrees, especially in winter.
A compromise solution could be a sunroof. It is thanks to him that you can significantly improve the microclimate of your car.
When driving, the speed of the air flow over the car is quite high. Inside the cabin, it is practically absent. Accordingly, the air pressure in the cabin is greater. But one has only to slightly open the hatch, as the air from the inside begins to be drawn out. This is easy to check by smoking in "hatched" car. The smoke from the cigarette will begin to come out in a trickle, not even leaving a smell in the cabin. And this cannot but affect the microclimate inside the car (both literally and figuratively), especially when there are smokers and non-smokers in it.
Due to the fact that there is an intensive exchange of air in the passenger compartment of a car with a sunroof, the heater also works more efficiently here in winter, providing the necessary temperature balance.
In addition to all of the above, one more important thing can be noted. In the event of an accident, when it is difficult or impossible to get out of the car through regular doors and windows, the sunroof can be used as an emergency exit.
By the way, have you noticed? Strange, in the opinion of linguists, the word "hatched-bathroom" entered the lexicon of motorists quite thoroughly and no longer causes bewilderment. As, however, the sunroof itself in the roof of the car, which was considered at first the ultimate luxury and belonging only to very expensive foreign cars.
What are the hatches?
Conventionally, they can be divided into two classes. The first is the hatches that are installed on the car at the factory. They are usually opaque (although there are exceptions), and in the open position the cover is hidden under the headlining. There are especially "fancy", consisting of two halves and providing several modes of operation: air intake, exhaust, reinforced exhaust. The drive they have in most cases is either mechanical (manually), or already electrified.
Mortise hatches belong to the second class. They can be seen on most of both imported and our cars. They are usually different from "branded" a transparent cover and one position in which the vehicle is exhausted from the interior air. (Although there are models that allow you to completely remove the cover and enjoy the open sky above your head. But more on that later.)
What are good mortise hatches? An indisputable advantage is that they are unified: you can install this miracle on any car, from Cadillac to "Zaporozhets". The installation process does not take much time, of course, if you have the skills. It takes an hour and a half to two hours for a specialist. The hatch kit includes a paper template, according to which a window is cut out in the ceiling. Psychologically, the procedure, of course, is not pleasant - on a new car they open the roof like a tin can. However, not even on the new (namely such "democracy" mortise hatches differ). But mental discomfort should overcome the anticipation of the merits of this simple device.
After being taken off "foam", the roof reinforcement is removed, more precisely, that part of it that got into "window" opening He is replaced in the future by the hatch frame, which does its job just as well. The penultimate action is to remove part of the upholstery of the ceiling. And in conclusion - the installation of the hatch, vaguely reminiscent of the assembly of a hoop for embroidery on fabric. After that, it is not recommended to use the hatch for three days: the sealant, which is used during installation, must harden. (If you have had to deal with "lids" - this is how hatches are called in slang, - which flow, then this is precisely due to the fact that the last requirement has not been met.)
What are mortise hatches? The choice here, however, as well as the range of prices, is great: from the simplest, opening in one position and costing their owners $ 180 with installation, to "fancy" electric for $700 with the same setup.
But the best option, in our opinion, is to install a hatch that opens discretely, in several fixed positions, and provides the most suitable open angle in a particular case. Usually these "lids" have from two to four fixed positions or a mechanical drive in the form of a rotating handle.
Most hatches are made of tinted glass. Sometimes even such protection is not enough, especially when the sun is at its zenith. In this case, sun shades, which are included with some "lids".
There are hatches that not only provide air exhaust from the cabin, but are also removable / This option will suit safari lovers. You can lean out into the open hatch either with a gun or with a camera. Only in the car you need to prepare a place in advance for filmed / "lids". Although it is made of tempered, and sometimes reinforced with microwire glass, it still requires careful handling.
The most expensive and time-consuming installation is considered to be an electric sunroof. If it is not sliding, then the principle of its operation is no different from others, just the opening process is entrusted to the electric motor. By and large - pampering, but in the presence of a proprietary alarm (ensuring locking of all windows when arming) you will not forget to close the hatch, he will do it himself.
The sliding sunroof provides the owners with much more opportunities. We can say the sum of all combined. That's just in the shifted state, it remotely resembles a fairing on the main tractor. Although this can be a handy addition for a car that often needs to tow a caravan. The car is not hot, and fuel economy is evident. Press the button and you're done. True, the price of $ 700 bites a little. However, everyone is free to choose. Moreover, a healthy microclimate in a car is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Hatch options
Name | Manufacturer country | Design features | Price with installation (USD) |
Nakita | Hungary | 2 positions open-closed | 180 |
Nakita Extra | Hungary | 3 fix, positions, removable glass | 220 |
Air Light | Italy | 4 fix, positions, removable glass | 260 |
Iceland | France | 4 fix, positions, removable glass | 270 |
Galileo | France | rotating handle, removable glass | 280 |
Galileo | France | rotating handle, removable glass, curtains | 300 |
Brezza | Italy | electric drive | 700 |