Care of your E30 Paintwork
Part 1
BMW high-quality car paint finish is chosen not only to appeal to the owner's personal colour preferences, but also to provide maximum body protection. The bodywork consists of several layers for reliable rust-proofing; the body cavities are not only primer coated by cataphoretic dipping, but they are also treated with materials specially developed for this purpose in lengthy tests. The entire floorpan is given a resilient PVC sprayed-on coating followed by complete wax based undersealing.
During the Annual Check, it is advisable to have the body, including the floorpan examined by a BMW Service Station every 12 months. Full details will be in your Service Booklet.
Regular car and maintenance make a large contribution to your car's safety, as well as it's resale value.
In today's environment, external factors influence the affect on the car's paintwork. Some of them purely local in origin. They govern the amount of care the paintwork needs and how often it should be maintained.
Road, dust and dirt, tar stains, dead insects, animal excretions - birds (contain a high level of alkali formation), as well as tree and plant materials (resin, pollen) all contain chemicals, which, if allowed to remain on the car for any period of time, can damage the paintwork by causing patches, blisters, corrosion, flaking of the top layer of the paintwork etc.
In industrial areas, the horizontal panel of the body, in particular, may suffer from deposits of fly ash, lime, oily soot or substances containing sulphur dioxide ("acid rain"), as well as other deposits. Only regular care of the paintwork can avoid damage in such circumstances.
In coastal regions where the high salt content and humidity of the atmosphere greatly increase the risk of body panel corrosion
In tropical climates, ultra-violet radiation where the sun can be very strong, the air is often very humid and temperatures can exceed 40°C (104°F) in the shade. Light paint finishes may heat up to 80°C (176°F) and darker colours, as high as 120°C (248°F). Prolonged exposure could cause the paint finish to develop cracks, particularly on horizontal surfaces.
In the event of mechanical damage caused by sand, road salt, grit etc, the paint surface may be damaged or penetrated and rust may then spread across the panel under the paint.
Since the car's paintwork is exposed to so many potential external environmental factors, vehicle manufacturers and paint suppliers are constantly working on further improvements to the strength and durability of modern paints, within the EU Guidelines. The composition of the paints used by BMW and the manner in which they are applied are in accordance with the very latest standards in this specialised area.
Part 2
To protect your car's paintwork right from the start against gradual deterioration in areas of high atmospheric pollution, or where external environmental substances could damage the paint finish (industrial regions, railways, sap and resin from trees, pollen, bird droppings), it is advisable, where possible, to wash your car at least once a week. In severe cases, wash the car whenever the paint finish is seen to be dirty or contaminated.
Remove spilled fuel, oil, grease or brake fluid at once, as they can attack the pain and change its colour.
Bird dropping should also be removed without delay, or they will damage the paintwork.
Do not wash the car if the engine compartment lid is still hot, or if the car has been standing in strong sunlight, or else patches may form on the paint surface.
During the cold season of the year in particular, it is advisable for the car to be washed more frequently, since heavy dirt deposits and salt from wet roads are more difficult to remove and will damage the entire car if left on for long periods of time.
