Appearance Care; How To Minimize Environmental Paint Damage - Mazda MX-6 Manual

J94S.book Page 40 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
M aintenance and Care

Appearance Care

How to Minimize
Environmental Paint
Damage
T he paintw ork on y our M azda represents
the latest technical developm ents in
com position and m ethods of application.
Environm ental hazards, however, can
harm the paint's protective properties, if
proper care is not taken.
H ere are som e exam ples o f possible
dam age, w ith tips on how to prevent them .
▼ Etching Caused by Acid Rain or
Industrial Fallout
O c c u rre n c e
— Indust ri al pollutants and vehicle
em issions drift into the air and m ix with
rain or dew to form acids. T hese acids can
settle on a vehicle's finish. As the w ater
evaporates, the acid becom es concentrated
and can dam age the finish.
And the longer the acid rem ains on the
surface, the greater the chance is for
dam age.
P re v e n tio n
It is necessary to w ash and w ax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according to
the instructions in this section. T hese
steps should be taken im m ediately after
you suspect that acid rain has settled on
y our vehicle's finish.
8-40
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
▼ Damage Caused by Bird
Dropping, Insects, or Tree Sap
O c c u rre n c e
B ird droppings contain acids. If these
aren 't rem oved they can eat away the clear
and color base coat o f the veh icle's
paintw ork.
W hen insects stick to the paint surface
and decom pose, corrosive com pounds
form . T hese can erode the clear and color
base coat o f the v eh icle's paintw ork if
they are not rem oved.
Tree sap w ill harden and adhere
perm anently to the paint finish. If you
scratch the sap o ff w hile it is hard, som e
vehicle paint could com e o ff w ith it.
P re v e n tio n
It is necessary to have your M azda
w ashed and waxed to preserve its finish
according to the instructions in this
section. T his should be done as soon as
possible.
B ird droppings can be rem oved w ith a
soft sponge and water. If you are traveling
and these are not available, a m oistened
tissue m ay also take care o f the problem .
The cleaned area should be waxed
according to the instructions in this
section.
Insects and tree sap are best rem oved w ith
a soft sponge and w ater or a com m ercially
available chem ical cleaner.
A nother m ethod is to cover the affected
area w ith dam pened new spaper for one to
tw o hours. A fter rem oving the newspaper,
rinse off the loosened debris w ith water.