So of you are one of those handy types, perhaps you get involved with brake fluid. If you do, perhaps you might spill some on the paint. That’s not good. It could be a real problem.

Length of Time Needed to Cause Damage

The good news is that if the brake fluid is cleaned off right away, your car probably won’t have any problem. As it sits on the paint, however, the fluid can quickly cause harm. Here’s a guide to the effect it typically has on car paint as time passes.
•Less than 5 minutes: usually no damage is done.
•5 minutes: dull marks are made; the clear coat may be compromised in those spots.
•10 minutes: visible stains are made; the clear coat will be ruined.
•30 minutes: stripes can be seen from a distance; paint damage is evident.

In just five minutes, brake fluid can wreck the car’s clear coat and cause irreversible damage to the paint. Older cars, cars that have been touched up with low-quality paint, or which don’t have any wax protection are more at risk.

How to Clean off Brake Fluid

If your car is newer, has quality paint and has recently been waxed, simply wiping the brake fluid off should prevent any damage. Now that you know it’s important to act fast, here’s what you should do:

1. Blot up the Fluid

First, use a towel or paper towel to soak up as much of the brake fluid as possible. Try to avoid wiping it. This would only spread the fluid around and expand the area which has been affected. Place the towel on the spot and press lightly to blot it up.

2. Wash the Fluid Off

Next, clean the spot on the car off as soon as possible. To wash your car, it’s best to use a car wash detergent, but in this emergency grab any soap that you have handy. Apply the soap and wash with a clean, wet rag or sponge.

3. Rinse Well

Finally, flush the area thoroughly with lots of water. This will help to neutralize the brake fluid and stop its corrosive effects.

How to Fix Damage Caused by Brake Fluid

If the brake fluid left visible marks on the car or dulled the paint where it dripped, you should get the damage assessed by a reputable body shop. If left unaddressed, the damaged area could spread and worsen as it’s exposed to the elements. This leads to rust and other permanent problems. Fixing the paint job may just require a careful touch up with expert color matching. Having this kind of repair work done by professionals is an important part of preserving the value of your vehicle.

In the future, consider hiring a pro. Preventing this paint damage may be as simple as relying on a professional mechanic change the brake fluid for you. Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.

Most people have opinions about car insurance. Personally I wonder why Liberty Mutual does so many commercials about Emus. Lots of people will tell you things about car insurance. Some of them may not be true – like the ones below.

1) The color of a car affects insurance rates
Absolute myth! Somewhere along the way people got this crazy idea that cars or specific colors were targeted more often for speeding and the like, which thus raised insurance rates on those colored cars.

That is not true at all. The myth probably got started because sports cars are typically seen in red and yellow, and thus people assumed those colors were more at risk and thus had higher rates. The fact of the matter is that sports cars have higher rates, but the color has nothing to do with it.

2) All new cars are automatically added to the insurance that is already in a persons name
Myth! Car insurance companies do not have a crystal ball so you will need to inform them when you purchase a new car.

In some states, like New York, a car can not be registered without insurance, but the owner of the car and insurance must still call the company to get the car insured.

3) Males under 25 pay more for car insurance, no matter what!
Technically this is a myth with some truth behind it. Males in the under 25 bracket have a tendency to be more dangerous drivers, so insurance rates can be higher.

However, the group as a whole does not penalize the individual driver. A driver with insurance for several years and a clean record will pay less than someone without an insurance record or with a blemished record, period. It depends on the person, not only the age.

There is some truth to this, but its not an insurers rule to charge more, each person is considered on an individual basis.

4) Minimum coverage is good enough and will cover theft or other issues.
This a a big myth and a costly one at that. Minimum coverage only covers accidents while driving, it does not cover theft, vandalism or acts of god.

In order to be safeguarded against theft, vandalism, or a random falling — tree full coverage is necessary. Even then it is necessary to read through the contract to see what is and is not covered.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.