Protect or not?

In our climate, a new car protected from corrosion will last longer than a car that hasn't been rusted.

A common dilemma for car buyers is whether or not to protect a new car from corrosion. When properly prepared for driving in our climate, it will last longer than a car that has not had such work.

When buying a new car, the cost of additional corrosion protection in relation to its price does not seem high, as it is about a few hundred PLN. That is why it is worth securing our vehicle, because despite the progress in the production technology of components, manufacturers do not guarantee their durability. The rule is a six-year warranty on the body, with the exception of cars built from non-standard (by today's times) materials. So the good-natured Trabant with a body made of all sorts of plastics is more likely to rot

Poland, like a number of other neighboring countries, is still in its infancy, so many citizens cannot afford to swap cars as often as in the West. Therefore, the problem of corrosion in older cars is a serious problem for their owners. Unfortunately, in most cases, used cars imported from abroad do not have any additional warranties other than those provided by the manufacturer. Their previous owner often got rid of the "old man" because there was corrosion.

Imported from overseas, they have typically been used in somewhat better climates, so protection usually results in slower and more advanced corrosion. However, if there are pockets of corrosion, it is very difficult to deal with them. As a rule, he attacks hard-to-reach places, sheet metal joints (more precisely, welding points), which - if someone wants to protect - must first be cleaned well, which, however, is difficult. That is why it is worth buying a new car straight from the dealership. It should also be remembered that manufacturers usually do not differentiate the protection of cars sold in different European markets, and the same protection will be given to a car sold in Spain and in Poland, despite the obvious climatic differences.

“In the early 90s, when each of us thought that the car would serve him for several years, and then we would buy a new one, few people paid attention to anti-corrosion protection,” says Krzysztof Wyszynski from Autowis, to deal with, among other things, anti-corrosion protection cars. – At present, in the conditions of constantly falling prices for cars, it turns out that it is unprofitable to sell them, and they are given, for example, to children. But such a vehicle must be properly fixed in order to last beyond these 6-7 years. Vehicles of this age are serviceable but show signs of corrosion. Therefore, the interest of buyers in anti-corrosion protection has returned. However, prices became a problem - since a car costs 2-3 thousand for several years. PLN, a few hundred PLN as collateral seems like a disproportionate amount. Many people even regret that they did not secure the car when buying it, but they did not expect such a long use of the vehicle. If they got down to business at once, then then there would be no problems, or they would arise much later.

In Polish conditions, the main problem is chemical corrosion due to the use of potassium chloride and calcium chloride by road workers in the winter season to sprinkle the streets. So, after the winter, be sure to thoroughly wash the car and its chassis. Sometimes such a wash is required, as indicated in the appropriate section of the vehicle owner's manual and warranty.

older = worse

Car brands cannot be divided into more or less aggressive. Current production technologies are similar, so the only possible division of cars according to susceptibility to corrosion depends on the age of the car. Cars made a few years ago are less stable than cars made today. Interestingly, the most important thing is not the special preparation of metal sheets for the production of car bodies, but progress in the production of paint and varnish coatings and the technology of their application.

There were and are places in the car body that were deprived of a full set of coatings for various reasons (mainly technological). Therefore, often the only way to protect them is to apply an anti-corrosion coating after they are installed. In addition, it may happen that the security offered by the manufacturer is insufficient. So, in a specialized workshop, special works are carried out to protect closed profiles, fenders, floor panels, etc. Appropriate preparations are used for various elements - different means are used to protect the chassis, for closed profiles, galvanized elements - different, different for internal combustion engines , spare parts, fenders, sills and wheel arches.

The car cannot be effectively protected from electrochemical corrosion. After a certain fashion for such protection in the early 90s, it turned out that it was not effective, since the car body is constantly energized. This method is used almost exclusively for the protection of metal structures and pipelines.

A few days in the workshop

Anti-corrosion agents can be applied after the vehicle has been properly prepared. First, the car is pressure washed (both the chassis and the bodywork). It then dries thoroughly, which can take up to 80 hours. The next step is to spray the agent into closed profiles, which guarantees that the aerosol obtained in this way gets into the most inaccessible places. Spraying continues until the product flows out of the profiles through the drainage holes. The drug is applied to the floor slab in a hydrodynamic way - the product is not sprayed with air, but under a high pressure of 300-XNUMX bar. This method allows you to apply a fairly thick layer.

Coatings applied in this way dry from 6 to 24 hours, depending on weather conditions. After drying, the car body is cleaned and washed, and the previously removed upholstery elements are also collected.

The effectiveness of such protection is at least 2 years and the mileage is about 30 thousand. km.

After 2 years, as a rule, it is enough to carry out the restoration, and a complete re-preservation will have to be done 4 years after the first conservation.

Why should you protect your car from corrosion?

– Aggressive corrosion of car bodies in our climate is caused by chemical pollution and a humid environment, a large amount of salt on the roads in winter, mechanical damage to the chassis and paintwork as a result of poor road conditions (gravel and sand on the roads).

– Factory safety measures are usually sensitive to mechanical factors and break down after a while as a result of body work, which makes the sheet especially susceptible to corrosion.

– The cost of body and paint repairs is many times higher than the cost of systematic maintenance.

– Coating rusted body surfaces with adhesive materials such as wax, bitex, etc. does not neutralize and does not stop the centers of corrosion, but even accelerates it.

– High prices for new cars in Poland and at the same time low prices for used cars oblige to extend their service life as much as possible. A significant extension of this period is ensured by the use of modern security technologies.

Based on Rust Check materials