It's every motorist's nightmare: finding their car covered in bird droppings. Because in addition to the sickening spectacle and the smell, this droppings damage the bodywork. Even hours of washing do nothing: the acidity of the droppings can cause irreversible events.
To avoid this damage caused by droppings using birds, the blue mark is developing a new recipe for painting with synthetic droppings. Unable to quickly collect certain droppings for its tests, Ford mobilized a handful of engineers to artificially recreate the droppings. The brand's synthetic bird droppings will thus be used to test the various paint samples.
Many other tests were also performed on the body, such as exposure to salt, pollen, gasoline, humidity and other airborne pollutants. The goal is always the same, that is to offer the best long-term protection. The vehicles have been placed in containment, most of the cars are parked outside under the trees. Or, these present a certain level of acidity. If they are damage-free when cleaned quickly, they can cause irreversible damage to bodywork varnish and paint over time, not to mention the long hours spent cleaning.
The test procedure is simple: we spray the synthetic droppings on a body panel which will then be placed in an oven at 40 ° C, 50 ° C and 60 ° C, which will maintain a determined temperature for a certain temperature. The aim is to reproduce the effect of the summer heat which, in combination with the droppings, can create irreversible damage to the paint. In light of the data sent, corrosion protection is maximized so that the paint retains its long-term durability.
It's a bit the same kind of test Ford already performs with synthetic pollen or phosphoric acid mixed with soap, which mimics very sticky tree sap. In this case, the panels are heated in the oven for 30 minutes at 60 ° C and 80 ° C. Of course, the company also tests for resistance to ultraviolet rays (for a period of up to 6,000 hours), freezing temperatures and the rigors of winter road resistance. There is also a test with gasoline which would spread around the tank flap and could leave streaks.
Ford says the best way to protect your car in the long run is to wash it regularly and apply a coat of protective wax at regular intervals. So is the protection of the paint and the preservation of the luster, which tends to wear off over the years.
DOES RED COLOR ATTRACT BIRDS?
If the birds do not yet know how to distinguish Fords from other brands, it would seem that they are on the other hand sensitive to the colors of the cars!
A few years ago, researchers observed that brightly colored vehicles, and especially red ones, were more often targeted by bird droppings. This gives red cars an 18% chance of being targeted by birds. A number higher than those of other colors. Indeed, the rate is 14% for blue, 11% for black, 7% for white cars, 3% for those which are gray or silver. The most spared seem to be green cars, which are only affected by 1%. So while waiting for Ford to develop its miracle paint, in any case avoid dragging out too long to wash your car, if it receives one of those "poisoned gifts" that have fallen from the sky ...
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