how to independently maintain your carhow to independently maintain your car


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how to independently maintain your car

One of the most difficult adjustments I had to make after my divorce was learning how to maintain and repair my own vehicle. That was one thing that my husband had always taken care of for me. Since the divorce, I have learned quite a bit about maintaining a car myself. I have picked up a few tidbits of information that has helped me avoid being overcharged for simple things that I can quickly do myself - like jump-starting my dead battery and changing a flat tire. If you need to learn how to independently maintain your vehicle for the first time, take a moment and visit my site.

How To Repair Paint Chips On Your BMW

Over time your BMW might acquire paint and rock chips. Small chips can be very annoying to get fixed. It might seem wasteful to take your BMW to an auto body shop for small chips that are hardly visible. However, even small chips can lead to rusting and serious corrosion on your car body. This is why it is very important to fix chips as soon as possible, even if they seem too small to be harmful. This article will explain how to repair small paint chips on a BMW.

Preparing the Chipped Area

The first thing you need to do is prepare the chipped area to be patched and painted. To do this you will need to sand around the area. If you lightly sand around the hole, you can remove the shiny overcoat. This will create a slightly rougher surface that the auto body patch will stick better to. Use wet sandpaper that is designated for auto body work. You can often find this sandpaper at a normal home improvement store or auto repair shop. Wet sandpaper needs to be moistened before you rub on car paint. It lubricates the sandpaper so it does not scratch the paint too deeply. Just sand a small area around the perimeter of the chipped area. The more you sand, the more you will have to patch and paint.

Applying the Patch

Applying auto body patch is simple, but you do need to work carefully. The patch is stick and dries quite quickly. Wear latex gloves to protect your fingers and keep some rags nearby to clean up spills. For small chips you probably don't need to bother using a putty knife. Just spread the patch into the hole with your fingertip. Wipe away any excess and try to make the patch as smooth as possible before it dries.

Sanding and Painting the Patch

The final step is to sand the patch after it dries. Use the same wet sandpaper technique and make sure you try to match the curves of the car body as you sand. Painting is also very easy if you have the right paint. Get replacement paint cans from the BMW dealership to ensure it matches perfectly. Most BMW dealerships will have all of the standard colors for easy replacement. They come in small cans that even have a brush built into the lid. This makes touch-ups very easy and clean.

As you can see, repairing paint chips on your BMW is not too difficult. For more information on BMW repair, contact a company like August European.