Bodywork - Fiat Ducato Owner's Handbook Manual

BODYWORK

PROTECTION FROM
ATMOSPHERIC AGENTS
The main causes of corrosion are the fol-
lowing:
❒ atmospheric pollution;
❒ salty air and humidity (coastal areas,
or hot humid climates);
❒ seasonal environment conditions.
Not to be underestimated is also the abra-
sive action of wind-borne atmospheric
dust and sand and mud and gravel raised
by other vehicles.
On your vehicle, Fiat implemented the
best manufacturing technologies to effec-
tively protect the bodywork against cor-
rosion.
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These include:
❒ Painting products and systems which
give the vehicle particular resistance
to corrosion and abrasion;
❒ Use of galvanised (or pretreated)
steel sheets, with high resistance to
corrosion;
❒ Spraying the underbody, engine com-
partment, wheelhouse internal parts
and other parts with highly protective
wax products;
❒ Spraying of plastic parts, with a pro-
tective function, in the more exposed
points: underdoor, inner fender parts,
edges, etc;
❒ Use of "open" boxed sections to pre-
vent condensation and pockets of
moisture from triggering rust inside.
BODY AND UNDERBODY
WARRANTY
Your vehicle is covered by warranty
against perforation due to rust of any orig-
inal element of the structure or body.
For the general terms of this warranty, re-
fer to Fiat Warranty Booklet.
ADVICE FOR PRESERVING THE
BODYWORK
Paint
Paintwork does not only serve an aesteth-
ic purpose, but also protects the under-
lying sheet metal.
In the case of deep scrapes or scores, you
are advised to have the necessary touching
up carried out immediately to avoid the for-
mation of rust. For touching up use only
original products (see "Bodywork paint
identification plate" in section "Technical
specifications").
Normal paint maintenance consists in
washing at intervals depending on the con-
ditions and environment of use. For exam-
ple, in highly polluted areas, or if the roads
are sprayed with salt, it is wise to wash the
vehicle more frequently.