Unfriendly Environment

The moment a new car is driven away from the dealership, it is attacked by the world around it. As the vehicle sees the first light of day, ultraviolet (UV) radiation bombards the paint. If the road on which the car is being driven was recently repaired with asphalt, those particles will be thrown up off the surface against the finish like pinballs. And that’s just the first day.

What about that acid rain washing over the car during a thunderstorm? Worse yet, the salt used to melt snow in many parts of the country can change the color of any car to various shades of off-white. How about those summer road trips that leave a band of bugs, flies and insects smashed against the edge of the hood and across the windshield? And the list goes on.

Just how does the exterior of a vehicle defend itself from this onslaught? How does it survive all these attacks? Paint fades; lenses become scratched; plastic windows yellow. Fortunately, the parts department at your local Chrysler, Jeep® or Dodge dealer has the car care products to help protect a vehicle’s exterior, and in many cases repair environmentally-caused damage that has occurred.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS

Let’s look at some of the more common environmental effects in a little more detail. Probably the most common environmental effect that no one can escape, regardless of where you live, is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation, the same radiation that gives you a suntan, can be devastating to plastic. Not only does it fade the color in plastic material, it can also damage the plastic. For this reason, special UV protectants are mixed with plastic pigment or paint. UV also damages and fades paint colors, the most obvious being the color red.

Acid rain is another common environmental hazard. Fortunately, acid rain is not found everywhere. Unfortunately, the source of the pollutants that make acid rain can travel hundreds of miles downwind from the source to cause acid rain in unsuspecting areas.

Acid rain contains airborne contaminants from manufacturing processes, chemical industries and power stations. The main culprit is sulfur from high-sulfur coal used in power-generating plants across much of the country. The contaminants become acidic when combined with rain (for example, sulfur combines with water to make sulfur dioxide).

Related to acid rain is industrial fallout. The difference between fallout and rain is that fallout is airborne contaminants that fall out of the sky without rain; almost like dust. Fallout of iron and steel dust from steel mills and foundries are a major source of this contaminant. Industrial fallout from rain often leads to water spotting on the surface of a car as opposed to just a layer of dust.

Other environmental contaminants include road salt, bird droppings, tar and asphalt, along with various types of dirt, stones and gravel that are scattered across roads.

MOPAR® CAR CARE PRODUCTS

Let’s start with the top of the car. For convertible models, such as the Sebring, Mopar® Cloth Top Cleaner (P/N 05012245AA) will do the trick to restore the top to like new condition. And to restore the water repellant properties of that ragtop, Mopar Cloth Top Treatment (P/N 05012246AA) is what you need. Finally, for vehicles with vinyl tops or whitewall tires, Mopar has just the product with its Whitewall and Vinyl Top Cleaner (P/N 04856593).

For windows, Mopar Glass Cleaner (P/N 04897623AB) is a good overall glass cleaning product. But when it comes to plastic windows, such as those found on some of the Jeep models, Mopar Jeep Soft Glass Cleaner (P/N 05012248AA) is tops. Not only does it protect soft windows, but this versatile product can restore this type of window. As we mentioned above, UV radiation is very hard on anything made of plastic. Regular use of this glass cleaner cleans and shines the window, while providing UV protection to prevent yellowing. In addition, it can be used to remove fine scratches to improve visibility.

Now when we get down to the body of the car, Mopar has two products that will keep that finish looking showroom new. First, there is Mopar Finish Enhancer (P/N 04796238AB). It maintains and protects the gloss finish between car washes. Simply mist it on and wipe it off to renew the gloss and shine. It can remove dust, fresh contaminants, bird droppings and bug splatter without scratching the surface. And to top it all off, it is safe on all paints, chrome, plastic, glass and vinyl.

Now if the car gets some really nasty stuff on the finish, Mopar Super Kleen (P/N 04886330AB) will take care of it. This is the bug, tar and spot remover. It is formulated to remove tough, gummy substances such as bugs, tar, asphalt, oil and undercoating materials. And you can use it in the paint booth, too, as it is recommended for removing overspray.

The last product we want to review is Mopar Dust Inhibitor (P/N 68049692AA). It is ideal for protecting chrome and polished wheels by leaving a protective coating on those surfaces that repel disc brake dust. Also, it provides protection from winter salt and other road chemicals.

REJUVENATING HEADLAMP LENSES

Plastic headlamp lenses, on vehicles such as the PT Cruiser and LH models, are subject to hazing and scratching over the long haul. After a car has been driven for an extended period of time, perhaps more than 75,000 miles, the effects of acid rain and UV radiation, as well as abrasive material takes its toll. So much, in fact, that the brightness of the headlight is severely diminished. An example of this damage is seen on the PT Cruiser headlamp shown above.

But all is not lost. A new lens costs some money, but this lens can be restored to a crystal clear look with some wet sandpaper, polishing compound and window cleaner. Here’s how it’s done.

Spray the lens with Mopar Glass Cleaner and begin to lightly sand the lens with 600 grit wet sandpaper. After sanding for a couple of minutes, you’ll see what looks like the edges of a film on the lens. Spray window cleaner on the lens and keep sanding until this film is removed. Wipe the lens dry.

Next, apply a light coating of polishing compound to the lens. Using a power buffing wheel (it can be done by hand with a polishing cloth, but it will take more effort), polish the lens until all the fine scratches are removed. Wipe off any excess polishing compound. Now the lens should look brand new with a clear, shiny finish just like the refinished lens shown above.