Protect you and your car from monsoon

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By Krishna Gowdaman, Manager-Application engineering, Automotive Aftermarket Division, 3M India

‘Why now?’, ‘waste of money’, ‘unnecessary’. These are the standard responses to a car service during the rainy season. Is it wise to service your car during the monsoon? Well, those who know will say ‘yes’, the naysayers will learn ‘yes’ the hard way.

Maintaining the interior and exterior of your car during the rains is an absolute requisite for your health as well as your car’s. Firstly, the presence of microbes and fungal growth inside your car can be prolific during monsoon affecting everyone using the car, especially regular users. Secondly, the exteriors and interiors of your car can be significantly compromised owing to the increased presence of water, muck, stone splinters, etc. leading to rust, corrosion and underperformance of the car. We recommend adequate car care measures during rainy season to protect not only your car but also your own health.

What are the necessary car care measures during the damp season? From the point of protecting the health of the car users, the car needs to be adequately shielded from moulds and germs. Regular cleaning methods cannot eliminate microbes lodged in unreachable corners, upholstery, ducts and a/c vents. Currently, there are specialised cleaning methods available, for instance, the anti-microbial plastic cleaner for plastic/vinyl surfaces and the anti-microbial upholstery cleaner for fabrics and similar surfaces.

Coming to the health of the car itself, a two-pronged approach can be taken. One, the steps necessary to protect the exterior from heavy showers, and the underbody, silencer and engine of the car from muck and water splash. Two, internal panel protection to ensure that the door panels, frame panels, and unreachable inner cavities are adequately protected from extreme humidity and rust.

During heavy rain, flowing as well as stagnant water comes in direct contact with the underside of the car, resulting in rust and corrosion. In addition to dirt and stone hits, even salt water can trouble the silencer, engine and other parts of the car.

A good corrosion protection technology-based underbody coating offers protection to the underside of the car, especially the small parts, the engine, and the silencer. The process involves cleaning of the engine compartment with water, and degreasing. Later, engine coating is sprayed in even thickness. The silencer, likewise, is coated. The treatment prevents the engine from coming into direct contact with dirt, preventing its ageing. The silencer gets shielded from corrosion. The Underbody coating offers excellent corrosion protection with tough chip resistance to the under body of the vehicle.

Internal panel protection is often done for the new cars. The main purpose of it is the prevention of the door panels from rusting, especially for when water gets trapped inside the doors through drain holes. Internal panel protection should be given enough consideration as rusting in these parts aren’t usually noticed till the very end.

Conscious of the appearance of their car, most people do not ignore the maintenance of the exterior. Every exterior protection method offers protection from rain and scorching sun, and elimination of scratches while providing a ‘shiny’ look to the car. However, one needs to be careful with the choice of brands and service providers. Spare some time, ask, and understand the brands and the processes involved; and then take a conscious decision. It’s always good to stick to the very best even if the cost involved is marginally higher.

Just because some people shy away from doing the right thing, you need not; indulge your car a bit this monsoon, and save a lot of inconvenience in the future.