BMW serie 7 1999 Manual Do Utilizador

152

Caring for your car

Caring for the vehicle finish

Regular washing is a preventive mea-
sure against long-term effects from
substances that are harmful to the vehi-
cle's finish, especially if you drive your
vehicle in areas with high levels of air
pollution or aggressive natural sub-
stances (tree resins, pollen).

Nevertheless, you should immediately
remove especially aggressive sub-
stances. Failure to do so can lead to
changes in the paint's chemical struc-
ture or to discoloration. Gasoline spilled
during refueling, oil, grease and brake
fluid should always be cleaned away
immediately, as should bird droppings.
All of these substances cause damage
to the finish.

Any contamination remaining on the
surface of the vehicle will be especially
conspicuous after washing. Use clean-
ing fluid or alcohol with a clean cloth or
cotton pad to remove. Remove tar
spots with tar remover. After cleaning,
the affected areas should be waxed to
ensure continued protection.

A full range of car-care products is
available from your BMW center.

Waxing your car

Protect the finish using carnauba or
synthetic-based waxes only.

The best way to determine when the
finish needs to be waxed is by noting
when water stops beading on the sur-
face.

You can use a glass cleaner to remove
any wax or silicone that may have been
left on the windows during waxing.

A full range of car-care products is
available from your BMW center.

Paint damage

You can touch up small areas of dam-
age with BMW spray paint or a BMW
touch-up stick.

The color code of your vehicle is lo-
cated on a tag near the vehicle's data
plate and on the first page of the Ser-
vice and Warranty Information Booklet
(US models) or of the Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide Booklet (Canadian models).

Damage caused by flying stones,
scratches, etc., must be touched up
without delay to prevent rust from form-
ing.

If corrosion has started to form in an
area with paint damage, remove all rust
and clean the area. Then prime the area
with a BMW Primer Stick. Finally, apply
the finish coat. Wait a few days, then
polish the repaired area. Finish by ap-
plying a wax preservative.

More extensive paint damage should be
repaired professionally in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions.
Your BMW center uses original BMW
finish materials in accordance with ap-
proved repair procedures.