Can Sandstorms Damage Car Paint?

Today’s car paint is tougher and more resilient than ever before. It can stand up to shopping cart dings, pet scratches, scraping branches and sometimes even hail damage. But that doesn’t mean it’s impervious to everything—Mother Nature wreaks havoc on cars each year in the form of sandstorms.

Sandstorms that roll from in the desert tear up paint, damage windshields, clog up grills and air filters and can mess with various other aspects of your vehicle. Continue reading to learn more about the dangers of sandstorms from your favorite car body shop in Visalia, CA.

Things to check after a sandstorm

We recommend always performing an inspection on your vehicle once a sandstorm has blown through. As mentioned above, sandstorms cause a variety of vehicular problems, and a quick check will let you know whether or not you need to be worried about anything. These are just a few of the things you should take a peek at:

• Paint: It stands to reason that billions of nearly microscopic sand particles flying through the air at 60 miles per hour could pose a problem for your car’s paint. All of that sand can chip away at your paint, and trust us—the damage will only get worse with each passing storm. We advise you to take care of any paint damage as soon as possible. Though it might just seem cosmetic now, your vehicle could begin to rust if its paint isn’t able to provide sufficient protection.
• Windshield: Those same particles that scratch your paint can also chip your windshield. Similar to the point above, it’s a good idea to take care of any windshield problems sooner rather than later, as chips and cracks in windshields will only grow and get more expensive to fix as time goes on. Additionally, we recommend taking a look at your windshield wiper fluid so you can rest easy knowing that you can have a clear windshield while driving down the road.
• Grill: Regardless of its size, anything clogging up the front of your grill could impact the radiator, which will lead to engine overheating. Before you start your car, take a second to ensure that the grill is as clean as can be. If there’s any sand, dust or dirt present, take a few minutes to clean it off with a rag or a brush. Doing so may save you from a huge headache down the road.
• Undercarriage: As you probably know, sandstorms don’t just blow sand and dust horizontally. All of that debris circles through the air, which means the undercarriage of your car is in just as much danger as your paint and windshield. Get down on your hands and knees and see if there’s a noticeably large amount of sand or dust stuck underneath your car. If there is, you should take your car in for a professional wash.

Whether your paint is damaged by a runaway shopping cart or a sandstorm, bring it into Toms Body & Paint, Inc. to have it fixed. We’re a trusted car body shop in Visalia, CA when it comes to fixing any problem with your vehicle. Give us a call today to learn about all of our services or to get a quote!

Categorised in: Auto Body Shop

This post was written by Writer