December is just around the corner and summer heatwaves are getting hotter each year. While you might be taking steps to protect yourself from the heatwaves, are you making sure your car stays protected as well? The summer sun can also affect your car whether you’re in heat-stricken Adelaide or cooler Brisbane. Direct sunlight coupled with intense heat can damage your car’s paint job, melt its wipers, over-inflate the tires, as well as mess-up its internal components. The sun might be unavoidable in the summer, but you can still take steps to ensure your car gets through the season without a glitch.
Stay Away from the Sun
The sun isn’t your friend during the summer. Leaving your car out in the sun can turn it into a veritable oven, with temperatures of over 70°C. Direct sunlight is the primary culprit and staying in the shade will keep your car safe and comfortable. Keep your car in the garage or build a carport to give it some shade. Intense sunlight can crack your dashboard and steering wheel as surface temperatures in exposed cars can easily reach 90°C — enough to give you a mild burn if you’re caught unaware. Carports and other structures that provide shade will ensure your car stays within comfortable temperatures and ready to drive at a moment’s notice.
Cover Up
If you can’t find a shaded parking spot, the best thing you can do is to cover your car with sun screens. Most of these visors are meant for the dash and rear windows but you can also find ones for your side windows. Screens can somewhat reduce the transfer of heat into your car as well as protect it from direct sunlight.
Get it Clean
Dust and dirt can bake in the sun and lead to micro scratches that can crack and damage your car’s paint. Frequent washing can get rid of dirt and dust. Just make sure to thoroughly dry your car to avoid watermarks. Waxing your car is also a good option as it provides the paint with an extra layer of protection.
Keep the UV Out
Heat and ultraviolet (UV) radiation might be damaging to your car, and they also make your drives unsafe. Daily commutes — even ones as short as 15 minutes — are enough to expose you to significant amounts of UV. Australians already have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and driving is one of the leading means of exposure to UV. Researchers in Australia and the UK have noted that the majority of skin cancers develop on the right side of the body, noting daily drives as the primary reason. A short trip to the car shop and a few sheets of UV film should be enough to protect you and your car’s interior from UV and make your drives a lot safer.
Summer is hard for both people and their cars. Protect yourself from the heat, but extend a bit of that protection to your beloved vehicle.
