How to Protect Your Car from Sun Damage in Visalia, CA

Getting into a hot car can be very unpleasant. The seats and dashboard are hot to the touch, you have to wait a few minutes before you can grip the steering wheel and the air conditioner can take a while to reach full blast. If you want to be comfortable and keep your vehicle’s interior and exterior in good condition for longer, then you need to take measures to minimize its exposure to the sun and heat. The thing to remember is that the sun is out year-round, every season, not just in the summertime. So, what’s a vehicle owner to do? Read on for ways to protect your car from sun damage in Visalia, CA.

Protect the interior

Even though the inside features of your car are made to stand up to the heat, they can weaken and fade with time. Below are some steps you can take to protect your car’s interior:

• Park in the shade: One of the easiest ways to protect your vehicle from the sun is to park in the shade. Avoiding direct sunlight helps keep your dashboard from drying out and cracking, and your steering wheel from cooking. If you can, crack the windows just a bit to circulate the heat trapped inside. This can help lower the interior temperature and balance the air pressure.
• Use a windshield sun shade: There are windshield sun protectors for every front windshield size and shape. Using one is a way to keep the inside of your car cool and minimize sun damage. The most common type of sun visor folds up easily for quick storage and unfolds easily to slide into place on your dash.
• Get seat covers: Not only are seat covers great for protecting factory leather or upholstery, but they help keep seats cool—especially during the hot summer months.
• Clean the dash with a microfiber cloth: Dust and dirt particles may be tiny, but they are strong enough to scratch dashboards. Make a point to wipe down the dashboard frequently to remove debris particles before they get the chance to scratch.

Protecting the exterior

The outside features of your vehicle take the brunt of the sunlight and heat. The paint job, the window glass and the tires all need your help to stay in tip-top shape:

• Wash and dry: UV light and heat from the sun can fade and crack the paint on your vehicle. While time will eventually take its toll, you can wash and dry the shell often to slow the process down. Hand washing and drying works because it removes dirt and other particles that can scratch and dull your vehicle’s finish.
• Wax: Add a layer of wax to clean car paint to create a protective barrier between the finish and the sun’s UV rays. Wax well, and wax often.
• Check the tire pressure: Underinflated tires and hot pavement don’t go well together. This leads to early wear, and can even cause blowouts while driving. Check tire pressure on a regular basis, particularly when it’s hot outside.

Tom’s Body & Paint, Inc. can take care of car damage from the sun in Visalia, CA. Call us today for service information!

Categorised in: Auto Body Repair

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