Owner's Manual for the vehicle. With a quick reference ... - E38.org

Caring for your car
151n
Exterior finish
To provide effective corrosion protection,
multilayer paintwork is applied at
the factory. Cataphoretic immersion
priming techniques are supplemented
using special body-cavity protectants,
with the application of specially-developed
and extensively tested materials.
A layer of flexible PVC is first applied to
the undercarriage. Following this, a
comprehensive undercoating treatment
with a wax-based protectant is applied.
Regular maintenance makes an important
contribution to maintaining the
safety and value of your vehicle.
Increasing awareness of the effects of
harmful environmental factors on a vehicle's
exterior finish have led paint and
vehicle manufacturers to initiate programs
designed to further improve the
durability of their finishes. Despite this,
environmental factors that occur locally
or regionally can have negative effects
on the finish of your vehicle. These
should guide you in determining the frequency
and extent of your efforts to
maintain the vehicle finish.
Depending upon material and type of
impact (perforation of paint layer), physical
stresses from sand, road salt,
gravel, etc., can cause corrosion to
start extending beneath the finish, starting
at the point of impact.
Road dirt, tar spots, dead insects, animal
droppings (strong alkali effect) and
tree excretions (resins and pollen) all
contain substances capable of causing
damage when allowed to remain on the
finish of your car for any period of time
(spots, etching, flaking, separation in
the top coat).
In industrial areas, deposits of flue dust,
lime, oily soot, precipitation containing
sulfur-dioxide (acid rain) and other environmental
pollutants will damage the
car's finish unless adequate care is provided
– even though this is generally
limited to the outside horizontal surfaces.
In coastal regions, high levels of atmospheric
salt and humidity promote corrosion.
In tropical zones, temperatures of over
1057 (406) in the shade prevail, in
addition to heavy ultraviolet radiation
and high humidity. Under those circumstances,
light exterior finishes reach
temperatures of up to 1757 (806) and
dark finishes up to 2507 (1206).
Index Data Technology Repairs Car care Controls Overview