Volcanic Ash – bad for your car’s paintwork

Volcanic ash on the back of our test Range Rover Sport

Who says we don’t do consumer advice at Cars UK?

We know that the Government claims every jet will fall out of the sky if they fly with even a cup full of volcanic ash in the atmosphere. The argument goes that all that dust and stone and rubbish will get sucked in to the engines, melt and then solidify to trash the engine. Sounds logical. Sort of.

But it does seem a bit too Elf ‘n’ Safety. The arguments are based on a BA jet in the ’80s that lost all 4 engines and fell 20,000 feet. What they aren’t saying is that that jet flew through a plume of volcanic ash as it came from the erupting volcano. It’s a bit like saying there’s a madman running round Iceland with an AK47, so lock your doors in London and don’t go out until Big Brother tells you to.

And now we’re being warned that volcanic ash is bad for the paintwork on our cars. Which I think we could work out for ourselves. Still, it gives Autoglym an excuse to shove their name in the press on a topical subject they know something about. And get some publicity. Like this.

But they have a point. Volcanic ash is unpleasant stuff and if you just wipe away you’ll inevietably scratch your paint. So as Autoglym have gone to the trouble of a ‘Do & Don’t’ list on volacanic ash and cars we thought we’d publish it in case you’re too daft to work it out for yourself.

By Cars UK