What and how should the car body be treated in winter. Armored cosmetics: comparing protective polishes for the body Protection from the external aggressive environment and extreme temperature conditions is needed not only for your delicate skin, in winter they are also tested

In winter, the car body needs additional protection. Traces of stones and grains of sand, saline solution, icing - far from full list harmful effects on paintwork. How to minimize harm from an aggressive environment for body parts?

Types of protective coatings for car bodies

Let’s immediately agree that beyond the scope of this article will remain protective agents applied under specialized conditions - polyurea painting, vinyl film wrapping, professional polishing with body sanding and the application of durable multi-layer protective coatings on a ceramic or silicate base (“liquid glass”). It is better to entrust this work to a specialized workshop.

But even with your own hands you can do many useful things to improve the appearance of your car, as well as extend the life of the most expensive part - the body. We’ll choose a free day, clean the room, and prepare the front of the work. Before we get started, everyone necessary materials. There are many chemicals on sale for self-treatment of cars.

• Products based on – “quick wax”, “hot wax”;
• Teflon, polishes;
• Silicone liquids (silicon-containing pastes).

We protect the car body ourselves

To start work, you need to find a place without wind and dust. A garage with a dampened floor is perfect. We choose clothes without zippers and buttons on the front, so as not to scratch the machine during work. We wear safety glasses to avoid getting chemicals into your eyes.

• The first stage is quality until it is in perfect condition. Alkaline will help with a pressure washer. Our task is to remove all dirt and remnants of previous polishes from microscratches using. We thoroughly wash the body, not forgetting the wheel arches with the bottom.
• Chips down to metal, fill with soil and let dry. Then we apply it using a match, a toothpick, or a cotton swab (depending on the size of the chip).
• We clean the places where corrosion has started to bare metal and apply. We wash it off, dry it thoroughly, and then paint it in the same way as the chips.
• To restore minor scratches, we will use a wax pencil.
• We treat visible damage on the bottom.
• After all treated areas have dried, we polish the body using an electric polishing machine using wax, Teflon or silicone. The purpose of this operation is to smooth out the edges of scratches, fill microscopic scratches with a special composition to prevent the access of moisture and aggressive substances.
• We apply it - the body is ready for winter.

But what to do if you don’t have time to repair minor defects, but you still want to protect the body for the winter? In this case, after a regular wash with shampoo, we immediately use it - the car will shine like new.

Naturally, in terms of durability, such processing is inferior to professional and even garage ones. However, a positive effect is guaranteed. Dirt will not linger on your car's paintwork, and toxic deicing materials will not destroy the varnish layer.

In the harsh conditions of our winters, one month of car operation can be equated to a year of summer driving. From the famous sand-salt mixture of domestic utilities, it is the car body that suffers first of all - its service life is significantly reduced, this equally applies to both foreign cars and domestically produced cars. Even high-quality anti-corrosion treatment carried out by the manufacturer before painting the body will not be able to reliably protect the metal from the effects of chemically active reagents that are present in any deicing agent. Even if the winter turns out to be snowless, temperature changes will still do their evil deed. It is worth worrying about the question of how to treat your car for the winter, since protective coatings will not only extend its life, but will also ensure trouble-free operation in the frosty season.

Preparing your car for winter

Many car enthusiasts mistakenly believe that before the winter months it is enough to do a number of procedures, which everyone probably knows about:

• replacement summer tires for winter, possibly equipped with spikes;
• checking the condition of antifreeze in the engine cooling system;
• service battery or replacing it if necessary;
• filling the windshield washer reservoir with “anti-freeze”;
• Inspection of wipers or replacing them with winter ones.

It would seem that the list is exhaustive. No, something is missing - you need to change the summer soft floor mats to rubber “troughs” with high sides and put a snow scraper in the trunk! What is forgotten in all this trouble is that your four-wheeled friend will have to experience first-hand all the delights of the impact low temperatures, ice, snow and chemically active substances that fall so abundantly on our roads in winter time. Protection from external aggressive environments and extreme temperatures is not only necessary for your delicate skin; in winter, external parts of the machine are also tested:

• glass– susceptible to freezing both inside and outside;
• paintwork– microcracks can turn into swellings and hidden pockets of corrosion;
• side mirrors– even when equipped with a heating option, they do not always effectively provide sufficient visibility in case of heavy icing and snow accumulation;
• car bottom- perhaps the most vulnerable spot your vehicle;
• body– there is plenty of room for the winter elements to roam here: wheel arch liners, sills, aprons – all these parts are at risk;

• wheel disks– road “porridge” of ice, snow, sand, salt and chemicals quickly damages both steel parts and those made from light alloys;
• plastic elements– moisture entering technological gaps expands when freezing, which can lead to rupture of plastic joints;
• rubber door and trunk seals– unlike products for the chassis and engine, they have a porous structure and are able to absorb a certain amount of moisture, freezing at subzero temperatures, it can completely destroy such a gasket;
• optics– the accumulation of snow on the headlights and their icing can cause complete “blindness” of the driver; you must agree that it is completely inconvenient to stop every five hundred meters to clean the headlights and turn signals;
• locks– moisture getting inside the mechanism turns into ice in cold weather, preventing the door or trunk from opening;
• internal cavities– snow, ice and water usually treacherously accumulate there, which leads to increased corrosion, which cannot be immediately detected during external inspection.

In general, our list of works turned out to be quite impressive. Don’t despair; it’s quite possible to prepare your car body for winter in a couple of days.

Body protective coatings

These funds can be divided into the following groups:

• paint protection;
• anti-corrosion preparations for the underbody and fender liners;
• corrosion protectors in internal cavities.

Naturally, before treating the car body for the winter, go through a thorough wash. It is necessary to get rid of all layers of dirt and active chemicals that are present in large quantities on our asphalt concrete pavement. The presence of oils and fuel drips on body parts that are subject to treatment is also unacceptable.

The underbody of the car is most exposed to external aggressive environments. To protect it, bitumen mastic is usually used. There are many options for drugs based on it. To use such a tool, a number of requirements must be met:

• after washing, the bottom of the car must be dried; mastic cannot be applied to a wet surface;
• degreasing of surfaces is mandatory - the protective layer may simply fall off the untreated metal;
• let the mastic dry - do not leave the garage for 24 hours.

Typically this protection is applied to the bottom using a brush. Modern means allow use as a spray. In any case, you need to use a car wash before treating the underside of your car for the winter.

Please pay Special attention on the fenders. Even if your car is equipped with plastic protection for these parts, this is not a 100% guarantee of complete safety. You can use the same mastic that was useful for treating the bottom. Coat the inner surfaces of the wings twice - this will be enough. The crumb rubber included in its composition, in addition to anti-corrosion properties, will add soundproofing to your car.

For the internal cavities of the body, it is best to use products with a more liquid consistency. They are poured into such areas using a spray gun. The most common remedy is Movil. They usually treat cars older than four years. The slightly unpleasant odor will go away in a few days. If your car is two to three years old, then this procedure is not mandatory. To use the product, you will have to thoroughly wash the car and dry the body with a stream of warm air.

Hard wax is highly recommended for car body treatment. Treatment with liquid wax is more cosmetic than protective. Hard wax protects the paintwork of a car well, much like an apple during long-term storage. Despite quite high cost procedure, its effectiveness in winter has been proven by practice. This treatment is worth paying attention to, if only because ice does not linger on the body, drops of water flow down without stopping.

Your mobile first aid kit

There is no doubt that for daily use of the car in winter, you will have to create a small supply of funds, which will be partly in the car, partly at home. The home kit should include:

• lock defrosting agent– it is sold in the form of a spray in every car store and costs mere pennies;
• warm boots– you won’t always be able to start the car quickly; sometimes it takes some time.

If you were able to open the car, then the following accessories will be useful to you inside:

• snow and ice scraper brush;
• broom - snow must be swept away;
• shovel - sometimes you have to dig out;
• spray for defrosting glass.

In order to prevent freezing of the rubber seals of the doorways and trunk lid, you should treat them with silicone in advance. This product is sold at any auto store and will protect the rubber bands from possible damage.

Should you wash your car in winter?

With the onset of cold weather, many motorists stop visiting a car bath, citing the fact that in half an hour the car will still be dirty again. Such a decision will not lead to anything good. The fact is that the “porridge” of wet snow, sand and salt, sticking to the body, dries out and freezes tightly to it. Through microcracks in the paintwork, active reagents enter metal parts and provoke corrosion. So you need to wash your four-wheeled friend not only for hygienic reasons - you need to wash off salt deposits from the body regularly to prevent it from rotting. When visiting a car wash in winter, take into account a few tips:

• Do not use hot water - sudden temperature changes can cause glass to crack;
• pay special attention to cleaning the fender liners, they are most susceptible to clogging with road debris;
• use special car shampoos - these products effectively dissolve oil films and help get rid of heavy dirt;
• after washing is completed, the body should be dried with a stream of warm air and wiped dry;
• the door seals will need to be re-treated with silicone grease.

It is especially important to visit the car wash during the thaw period and after heavy snowfalls - at this time the body is most susceptible to attacks by chemical reagents that abound on our roads.

Winter car care

To summarize, we cannot fail to mention the quality of the materials used. Attempts to save on the cost of anti-corrosion agents can lead to expensive body repair. You should only purchase time-tested mastics from well-known brands. This way, you can eliminate the use of low-quality counterfeits and confidently protect the body of your car from the effects of aggressive winter environments. The same applies to coolant, oils and other consumables. “A stingy person pays twice, and a stupid person pays three times” - this proverb is very relevant in this case.

One of the Moscow services that has been using these products for many years helped us understand the nuances of protective polishing. various types. Many machines have already passed through the hands of masters, and some of them return after some time to update their protection. Let us note that the manufacturers of auto chemicals from two Japanese brands (Soft99 and Beautiful G’zox) are also working closely with this service, studying the behavior of their products in rather harsh Russian conditions. Our climate and the rich composition of road reagents significantly reduce the service life of protection, by about one and a half to two times compared to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Epoxy polish FussoCoat

Epoxy polish is the simplest and cheapest option. The stated duration of protection is one year. Alas, in our conditions it averages only six months. In Japan itself, this polish is intended not for professional, but for household use. An ordinary person can easily apply and polish the composition. In general, this is similar to working with a regular wax-based polish. The only exception is that the body must first be thoroughly dried, otherwise the composition will not adhere well, and the car must be allowed to sit for at least an hour after its application. The restriction during the first week of operation is not to wash the car using active chemicals. This applies to absolutely all types of protective coatings!

Epoxy polish gives good shine and a hydrophobic effect (repels moisture and dirt). But it only protects against very minor damage. Basically it comes down to branches and light sandblasting. Its main purpose is protection during frequent washing, so that the paintwork does not wear off so quickly.

Liquid glass N7

H7 is one of the most common and oldest representatives of the liquid glass breed on the market. The hardness of this composition is 7H (mirror image of the name). This is the so-called Koh-i-nor scale. Many people remember this inscription on drawing pencils. It determines the hardness of the lead. Ceramic protective polish has the maximum hardness (9H) on this scale.

Liquid glass N7 is much tougher than epoxy polish and protects quite well even from rubbing. However, it has absolutely no hydrophobic effect. The coating appears to have a distinct shine, but to the touch it is as if it is not there.

The service life of N7 is up to one year. Before applying any kind liquid glass the body needs to be prepared. If this new car, then the entire body is polished with a machine using a special very soft paste. It erases minor damage that inevitably occurs when transporting cars on a car transporter. This stage costs from 2,000 to 4,000 rubles depending on the class of the car. Next, the entire body is treated in the same way with a special preparatory composition. It removes everything that liquid glass can reject: remnants of previous polish and dirt. If this is not done, the protective coating will come off the body during the first wash.

If the car is not new, the price of preparatory work will directly depend on the condition of the paintwork and the specific car. It makes sense to apply liquid glass only to a prepared and shiny paint coating. Accordingly, in most cases it will be necessary to use abrasive polishing. The more neglected the paintwork, the more expensive its restoration will be. And if its layer is already too thin, then abrasive polishing can only do harm, so it’s better to forget about liquid glass altogether. Additional difficulties arise with some German models that come with a ceramic-based varnish from the factory. It is much more difficult to refresh it, and therefore the payment for this stage of body preparation can be equal to the cost of applying the liquid glass itself.

Liquid glass is applied with an applicator, then polished by hand. The drying time of the composition depends on its specific type. In the case of H7, the master applies it to one part, then to the next, and then returns to polishing the previous one.

H7 is very water-resistant for the first 12 hours after application. Even one drop can leave a white spot on the surface. In ideal cases, the client brings the car in the morning, and during the day the service technicians prepare the body and apply liquid glass. The car is left overnight in a warm room and returned to the owner the next morning.

The second type of H7, called Quartz7, is the service’s own development. The manufacturer itself does not offer such a product. This is the same liquid glass H7, but a layer of hydrophobe is applied on top of it. And all because many customers do not like that the original product does not have this effect and is completely imperceptible to the touch. Application of this type of N7, excluding body preparation, costs from 11,000 to 18,000 rubles.

The hydrophobic solution is applied over the liquid glass with an aerosol and after 15–20 minutes it is lightly polished. It doesn't need time to dry.

When using Quartz7, periodic maintenance of the coating is possible. You can come back in six months and restore the hydrophobic layer. After all, as practice has shown, in our conditions, unfortunately, he does not live longer. The service costs from 1,500 to 2,500 rubles depending on the class of car.

Typical winter problems: as soon as the frost gets stronger, the windshield washer fluid in the reservoir freezes, corrosion “tests” the strength of the car body, the rubber seals stick tightly to the car doors. Plus, ice forms on car windows, alloy wheels become coated and deteriorate from exposure to salt, locks periodically jam and freeze...
How to revive your car when frost sets in and ensure comfortable movement throughout the winter? Here are 10 tips for choosing the right winter car care products.

1. Fill with antifreeze in advance

Standard winter situation: with the arrival of the first frosts, the liquid in the tank freezes, the hoses may even become clogged and the connecting fittings may rupture. As a result of these malfunctions, you can easily be left without a window washer system if you do not promptly replace the fluid in the washer reservoir with a high-quality anti-freeze solution.

Fill the glass washer reservoir with nanotechnology-based glass washer. Her competitive advantage- exceptional cleaning power with economical use. Thus, for high-quality glass cleaning, less windshield washer is required and, accordingly, fewer wiper cycles. After using anti-freeze, an invisible protective film on the glass improves further cleaning due to the fact that road dirt no longer sticks as strongly.

2. Protect the body

The body of your car in winter conditions more susceptible to corrosion. The most inexpensive anti-corrosion coating is wax. It should simply be applied to the surface of the body after washing and drying. For the best effect, we suggest using. Ease of application, perfect body shine, hydrophobic effect and long term protection (up to 6 months) distinguishes it from its competitors.

3. See clearly

For better review purchase one that needs to treat the glass from the inside: when there are temperature changes, they practically do not fog up, which has a positive effect on driving safety. Unlike similar products from competitors, anti-fog from SONAX does not have a negative effect on transparent plastic glasses and does not cloud them.

4. Take care of your defrost

Art.331200 and art.331241 will allow you to quickly, easily and effectively remove ice on glass and combat its subsequent formation. Enough before long-term parking treat the glass with the composition, and this will protect them from further freezing.

5. Save time

Even before the first frost, stock up on liquid for art. 331541. It will be useful to you for opening locks in bitter frosts and will serve as a preventive measure against freezing. Unlike cheaper defrosters, SONAX works more effectively in locks, lubricating them, thereby preventing further freezing.

6. Save rubber

Use special art. 499100 and art. 340200. Apply these compounds to the rubber seals of the doors, trunk and wipers - the composition will give them elasticity and protect them from freezing to the metal. Even after washing in severe frost, the rubber bands will not freeze to the body and will provide access to the car in any weather.

7. Preserve the discs

Alloy wheels can become coated and deteriorate from exposure to salt and other anti-icing chemicals that are sprinkled on roads. Therefore, it is advisable to treat light alloy wheels before the cold weather with art. 236100. The invisible film will prevent dirt and deposits on the discs. During the washing process, discs treated with this composition are better cleaned.

8. Help windshield washer fluid

Have you seen cars that are covered with a kind of “gradient” of mud, behind which you can barely discern the color? Who drives them: “economists” or ardent adherents of the “protective film” of salt and dirt? Let's figure out how to preserve paintwork in the winter so as not to count the "bugs" in the spring.

Snow removal

It would seem that what is so difficult here? In fact, there is nothing complicated, but the main thing is not to overdo it. It is enough to knock down the loose layer of snow, which blocks the view and so beautifully “blows away” while driving towards neighbors downstream. But you shouldn’t tear off the ice crust from the body by force - it will fall off on its own. Just as you should not pour hot water on it.

Another important point is the brush. The softer the bristles, the better, the less chance of leaving micro-scratches on the body. After removing snow, just remember to shake off the water and snow from the brush itself so that it does not freeze in the trunk or bring excess moisture into the interior.

IN last years Combined brush and scraper became widespread. When choosing such a tool, it is better to pay attention to the one whose working elements are at different ends. A tool with a scraper located immediately after the brush not only loses in convenience, but can also damage the body if handled carelessly.

Washing

It is a fact that you need to wash your car in winter. Moreover, with no less frequency than in summer, making exceptions only for the most severe frosts. Salt, reagents, and dirt literally stick to the body, filling all the damage to the paintwork. And they are on any car! We won’t talk about how salt affects the body.

Another question is how to properly wash a car in winter, when the thought of going outside without a hat does not even arise. Doing this in “yard” conditions is problematic: the body becomes covered with ice, and it is difficult to remove the adhering layer of dirt and salt. You can freshen up your car, but you can’t call it a full wash. The most desperate "economists" practice washing with hot tap water, but these are extreme measures. The advice of dentists not to alternate hot and cold is fully applicable to cars, and those with caries do not treat themselves. Therefore, it is better to turn to professionals.

Although the problem of temperature differences is to some extent relevant in professional car washes. Getting from the street to warm box, The car's paintwork also becomes vulnerable. Therefore, for its maximum safety, it is necessary either to make sure that the car is not poured with openly hot water, or to let the car stand in the box for at least some time so that the temperature of the metal is slightly equal to the environment.

Each type of washing - manual, contactless and tunnel - has its adherents. Those who prefer manual washing are confident in its quality - this is an indisputable fact. But the quality directly depends on the washer himself.

Contactless washing is carried out using active foam, which works instead of a washcloth. After a few minutes of being on the body, the foam is washed off, taking away all the dirt.

Perhaps the most controversial method is tunnel washing. Fast, quite high quality, but also somewhat risky. The risk lies precisely in brush rollers, which require timely replacement. If the frequency of replacement is not observed, after such a wash you can find new micro- or even macro-scratches on the body, which in no way add beauty and do not extend the life of the paintwork. The only difference is that portal sinks win in terms of entertainment: watching the process from the inside is practically meditation. And don’t forget to check if the “numbers” are in place!

After the wash itself, it is advisable to take care of applying wax to the body. With it, the salt porridge will stick much worse, but that’s all we need. Not that waxing is a panacea, but regular application will help preserve the paintwork. If you wash your car yourself, shampoos that contain wax will work for this purpose.

Another way to preserve the body is to use polish. Not the abrasive one, but the protective one, with Teflon in its composition. The idea and purpose are essentially the same as waxing, but the polish lasts (and applies) longer. When polishing a car, there are no problems with this at the car wash. If the choice is made in favor of DIY care, then this must be done in advance or look for a warm garage or parking lot.

The final stage of any winter washing is drying and wiping. Door and window openings, seals, locks - these elements simply must be dry if you want to get into the car. And don’t forget about other places where water accumulates - it’s better to study them in the summer.

Here is what they say at one of the car washes: “It is important to have “your” car wash, in which you have developed trust. Motorists have one or two favorite places where they completely trust their car. If the car wash is unfamiliar, then on your first visit you need to take a closer look at it. Some washers may be “sloppy” when blowing and wiping the remaining water - in the cold season, these “little things” can play a cruel joke. Although even regular customers sometimes ask to blow out certain places, knowing where the water accumulates, workers change and cannot always remember their preferences. clients."

But the opinions of painters regarding body care are divided. So, one insists on regular washing and thorough drying, active use of wax or polish, as well as mandatory washing of the car before entering the garage at night. The second opinion is exactly the opposite: if the car is painted normally, there’s no point in fussing over it, at least in the worst cases. problem areas, sills and arches, apply protective film.