Auto Body Maintenance Tips from Auto Body Repair Expert in Seattle

Due to economic conditions people are keeping their vehicles longer. Proper maintenance will prolong the quality of your car’s paint job and prevent rust and corrosion. Keeping your car looking new also helps when you decide to sell or trade in your car. Here are some tips for maintaining your vehicle:

Wash the Car Regularly

Wash you car at least once a month to remove dirt, salt, dust, bird droppings and bugs that leave permanent stains and cause rust and corrosion over time. Dirt holds moisture which causes damage to the paint job. When a car is clean moisture dries quickly. Pressure washing your car removes the dirt from difficult to reach areas like behind moldings, under the bumper and inside the wheel wells. Take care not to hold the pressure wash jet too close or too long in one area.

Salt build-up in the winter time is especially corrosive; pressure washing the under-body helps remove salt build-up. Pay extra attention to the windshield to remove debris caught by the wiper blades which can scratch the glass when wipers are operating.

Wax the Car

Waxing your car regularly maintains a shiny look and helps to shield the paint from the hot sun and harsh environment. A good quality car wax will protect the car for three to four months. Don’t be fooled by products that claim to last longer; a car should be waxed 3 to 4 times a year to protect and maintain the quality of the paint.

Undercoating and Rust Proofing

In areas where the climate is very humid or where salt is used on the roads in the wintertime, undercoating and rust-proofing helps prevent rust and corrosion. This is not only important maintenance for the paint, but for other areas like the brake system and steering parts that we often take for granted. Excessive rust can cause deterioration of brake parts causing brake lines to burst. Undercoating and rust-proofing prolongs the life of your vehicle.

Repairing Stone Chips, Small Dents and Scratches

Stone chips and scratches can lead to corrosion if they are not repaired quickly. Touch-up paint can be ordered from the dealership to fill in small scratches and stone chips.

Some abrasions will require a multi-step process to repair. Being careful to avoid damage to the clear coat, gently sand the marks with wet sandpaper until they are gone. Use the polishing compound to restore the shine then buff the area with car wax.

Use the same method for minor scratches. First, use the polishing compound; be sure to choose the one with the finest abrasive. Using a circular motion, buff the area until the scratch disappears. Now, apply a think coat of liquid wax onto the area; allow it to haze, then buff with a soft towel.

Professional Auto-Paint Restoration

No matter how hard you work at it, you may not be completely satisfied with the results you get when you attempt to repair scratches or abrasion on your vehicle, but whatever you do will be better than neglecting the damage and allowing it to get worse. Eventually, you will want to take your vehicle to an auto body shop for an exterior make-over and paint job…or will you?

A Convenient, Time-saving Option

How convenient would it be if you could have the auto body shop come to you and fix your car right in your driveway or in the parking lot of your work place? Guess what? You Can! New trends in the auto body collision repair business include a mobile auto body shop that completes these repairs in just a few hours. It is no longer necessary to leave your car at the body shop for a few days just for minor repairs.

Mike Tompkins owns and operates Collision on Wheels in Seattle, Washington. Collision on Wheels is a mobile auto body shop that comes to your home or workplace to perform minor collision repairs, dent repair, scratch repair, paint repair and more. Mike Tompkins serves consumers and business in the Greater Eastside and Seattle area, Bellevue, Redmond, Kent, Renton, Woodinville, Lynnwood, Kirkland, Bothell and neighboring cities and communities.

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