Acid-wash alert for dealers
Used imported vehicles that have undergone an acid wash in Japan will be sent to repair certifiers under a new rule being introduced from the start of October.
The extra check is part of an amendment being made by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to the vehicle inspection requirements manual (VIRM) for the border inspection of used imported vehicles.
It says that from October 1, a vehicle must be reported if signs of fresh repair, rust prevention, acid wash or under-sealing to any part of the vehicle structure are evident.
“Vehicles that have had acid wash treatment are to be sent to repair certifiers for assessment,” it adds. “This change will stop potentially weakened vehicle structures from being passed into service without proper assessment.”
Waka Kotahi’s technical bulletin on the acid wash process notes such methods are used to “treat corrosion in vehicles, in particular the underbody structure and components”.
The agency adds a number of basic steps should be followed to ensure an acceptable end result when using acid wash. These include:
• The area to be treated must be cleaned as much as possible back to bare metal.
• The acid wash mixture which is applied must be worked in without being allowed to dry.
• The area then needs to be thoroughly washed, rinsed off, and allowed to dry.
• Corrosion inhibitor and other topcoats are applied to complete the process.
It warns visible signs of a process that has not been carried out correctly include a white residue being noticeable in joints, seams, or coming through underseal/topcoats.
“An area of metal that has not been acid washed correctly will continue to degrade within a short time and can be detrimental to the vehicle structure,” the bulletin says.
“When visible signs of acid washing are observed by an inspector at an entry compliance inspection the vehicle must be failed and referred to a repair certifier for assessment.
“The repair certifier will assess the repair and decide if it requires remedial work and a light vehicle repair record of certification issued, or if the repair is acceptable a no repair certification required declaration – light vehicle issued.”
Daniel Wise, who works for used vehicle exporter Nikkyo NZ in Japan, alerted New Zealand car dealers to the changing requirements in a recent Facebook post and says up until now the use of acid wash has not been an issue for Waka Kotahi.
He recommends dealers contact their suppliers in Japan to make sure the correct procedures are followed in order to avoid vehicles receiving a repair certification.
“Suppliers in Japan regularly use acid wash to remove traces of rust before exporting vehicles due to NZ’s strict stance on underbody rust,” he adds.
“A lot of suppliers provide this service without informing dealers so it could affect you without your knowledge.”
