Is Your Car Really Protected When Not in Use?

We invest more and more money to make our cars safe when we are using them. We make sure to service them so they will be always ready when we have to use them. We spend more on keeping them clean and shiny. Now, why would we neglect our cars after we use them? Whether you park inside or outside, leaving a car unprotected is a sure way to expose it to severe long-term damage.

Actions such as parking it near a construction site every day or in a garage with an open window on it may seem harmless at the moment, but that is the exact problem. Excessive exposure to sunlight, dust or debris builds up damage up to the point that, when you finally decide to do something, it is almost certainly too late. This article will open your mind to common types of that silent menace.

Sunlight damage

The first cause of damage we are going to mention here is the prolonged exposure to sunlight. It is easy to think that it only consists of increasing the temperature inside the cabin and, as a result, we tend to think that all that matters is making sure not to leave children or pets inside. Unfortunately, sunlight can cause damage to your car in all the ways we mention in the paragraphs below.

• Upholstery cracking: The trim material that covers parts such as carpets, dashboard, seats, and steering wheel is prone to not only fading, but also cracking under intense sunlight.
• Paint fading: UV rays from the sunlight deliver a huge amount of energy to the paint. While much of that is wasted as heat, some ends up breaking the paint’s molecules. Over time, the paint becomes less reflective and duller as a result, which is commonly known as fading.
• Broken internal parts: When overheated, belts and hoses may detach from their adequate positions and/or simply break. It is known that, in some cases, even the airbag modules may suffer from excessive sunlight. All those issues imply high risks and are expensive to repair.
• Inefficient fluids: Antifreeze and other fluids have their properties changed under excessive heat. They work less effectively than they were intended, which can be harmful to the car.

Dust damage

It is easy to overlook this issue because dust is barely visible. However, that act of negligence allows dust to accumulate on the car’s body over time, and that is exactly why it becomes dangerous. Dust becomes mixed with the paint and eventually forces you to deep clean the car. The problem is that such action scratches the body and leaves even worse marks. The best solution here is prevention.

• Paint fading: While sawdust is one of the smoothest types, it may accumulate over time and make the body paint fade. It is necessary to wipe it using a dry cloth before washing the car.
• Scratches: Dust consists of having particles attached to the car’s body. Any attempt to clean it will always cause abrasion to some extent; it depends on its type. Brick dust is particularly harmful because it is colored. Wiping or deep cleaning the car will leave noticeable marks.
• Strong stains: Lime dust reacts with the paint and cement dust makes intense indentations on the body. In either case, wiping the sheetmetal will deeply scratch the region and make stains on the cloth you use because parts of the car’s paint will have been literally removed.
• Loss of visibility: Cement dust usually appears near construction sites and comes to the car in high amounts. It accumulates quickly enough to reduce outward visibility on the glasses.

Debris damage

Their definition explains a lot: debris are any hazard that is foreign to the roadway. They may come from nature, such as tree limbs; fall off vehicles, like appliances or construction material; appear as the result of an accident, such as killed animals, oil spills or assorted damaged auto parts; or simply come from people’s ignorance, like litter, blown tires, and small objects thrown out of the cabin.

• High-speed projection: If you park your car on a busy road, there will always be cars passing nearby and elevating particles. That is an unavoidable consequence of their very movement and literally pelts the car’s body. Both big and small particles can cause severe damage.
• Fallen objects: The rarer and worse variation of the previous topic is when a sizable object falls on your car. The damage will depend on its shape, on how it falls and on where it lands, but it is safe to bet that the impact of something like a piece of furniture will be harmful.
• Airbag deployment: Since strong vibrations may be enough to activate the car’s alarm, it is easy to figure that something falling on the car will be interpreted by its sensors as a safety hazard. You definitely will not want to pay to replace airbags because of the action of debris.

How can I keep my car safe?

Car covers are the best protection you can give your car when it is not in use. Our online catalogue has separate options for internal and external uses because we understand all those issues and worked hard to develop high-quality covers which can effectively offer the required protection. Take a look at our cover models; Automotive Prestige can keep your car intact regardless of where you leave it.