Advice For Preserving The Bodywork; Paint - Fiat Ducato Owner's Manual

VEHICLE BODY AND
DASHBOARD
UNDERBODY WARRANTY
AND CONTROLS
Your vehicle is covered by warranty against perforation
due to rust of any original element of the structure or
body.
SAFETY
For the general terms of this warranty, refer to Fiat
Warranty Booklet.
STARTING

ADVICE FOR PRESERVING THE BODYWORK

AND DRIVING

Paint

Paintwork does not only serve an aesthetic purpose, but
WARNING LIGHTS
also protects the underlying sheet metal. Touch up abra-
AND MESSAGES
sions and scratches immediately to prevent rust forma-
tion. Only use genuine spare paint products for touch-ups
(see "Bodywork paint identification plate" in the "Tech-
nical Specifications" section). Normal maintenance of paint-
IN AN EMERGENCY
work consists in washing the car: the frequency depends
on the conditions and environment where the car is used.
For example, it is advisable to wash the vehicle more of-
MAINTENANCE
ten in areas with a high environmental pollution or on
AND CARE roads sprinkled with salt.
To correctly wash the vehicle proceed as follows:
❒ remove the aerial from the roof to prevent damage
TECHNICAL
to it if the vehicle is washed in an automatic system;
SPECIFICATIONS
❒ wash the body using a low pressure jet of water;
INDEX
220
❒ wipe a sponge with a slightly soapy solution over the
bodywork, frequently rinsing with the sponge;
❒ rinse well with water and dry with a jet of air or
a chamois leather.
Dry the less visible parts particularly carefully, such as the
door frames, bonnet and the headlight frames, where wa-
ter may stagnate more easily. It is a good idea to leave
the vehicle outdoors for a while after washing it to give
water time to evaporate.
Do not wash the vehicle after it has been left in the sun
or with the bonnet hot: this may alter the shine of the
paintwork.
Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in the same way as
the rest of the vehicle.
Where possible, do not park the vehicle under trees; the
resinous substance released by many species give the paint
a dull appearance and increase the possibility of triggering
rust processes.
To protect the paint more effectively, polish occasionally
with special protective waxes; when the paint tends to
cloud because of a build-up of smog, polish with slightly
abrasive protective waxes.
IMPORTANT Bird droppings must be washed off
immediately and thoroughly as the acid they contain is
particularly aggressive.