What to Do About Car Paint Issues
It’s frustrating to discover that the healthy coat of paint that once covered your vehicle is now fading. Peeling and rusting paint is even worse. It’s often tough to pinpoint the exact cause of paint damage. Sun damage and dings/dents are common culprits. It’s best to protect your vehicle before the damage begins, but there are things you can do if car paint issues already exist. The following 3 tips are starting points to making sure your vehicle’s paint is in tip top shape.
#1 Prevent Damage if You Can
Not all damage to your vehicle’s paint is preventable, but there are some things you can do to try to avoid damage in the first place:
- Wash your car often—Cleaning your car of pollutants, dirt, and debris is the first step in preventing car paint issues. Bird droppings, in particular, can cause areas of dullness on your vehicle’s paint, so this is a car paint issue that should be resolved right away.
- Watch what you wash with—While washing regularly is important, you shouldn’t clean your car with just anything. The degreasing properties of dish soap can damage your vehicle’s paint. So, make sure that you’re always cleaning it with a product made especially for paint.
- Keep it Covered—
If you live in an area that is sunny most of the time, the UV rays from the sun can cause oxidation. Ever noticed a car that has paint peeling from the roof only? This is oxidation at work. Keeping your car in a garage or in a shaded area during the sunniest parts of the day can reduce this effect.
Wax On
Many people think of waxing as optional but applying a fresh coat of wax is one of the best ways to protect your vehicle’s paint from the elements. This is especially true in summer months.
#2 Be Proactive About Small Issues
There are three major issues that cause concern for vehicle owners when it comes to paint. They are fading, peeling, and rusting. In a previous blog, we discussed the reasons why you should always fix scratches, dings, or dents right away. The main reason being that not addressing these issues early on can lead to greater damage down the road. For example, a small scratch may seem like no biggie. But if any parts of the car are exposed, rust can occur. Once rust has taken over your vehicle, the cost of repairs will skyrocket.
So, if you see a piece of paint that is chipped due to a ding from a grocery cart, take care of it right away. Although it might seem like a pain to take your car to the shop over a simple nick, you can save thousands in the long run.
#3 Leave it to a Professional
Which brings us to our final point, cheap paint is a no-no. That’s right, of the main causes of car paint issues is a cheap paint job. It’s really not surprising since in this DIY world we often think it best to take care of repairs ourselves. It’s true. There are some auto body repairs that can be accomplished successfully outside of a shop. Your vehicle’s paint job isn’t one of them. Not only will you waste money and cause further damage by trying to fix your car’s paint issues yourself, you’ll end up having to take it to a professional anyway!
If you’re concerned about your vehicle’s paint, let the auto body professionals at Orlando Auto Body take a look. We offer free estimates and guarantee top-notch service. Just give us a call at 480-485-4653.
