How To Protect Your Car in Summer?

The good weather has arrived and summer will soon be on its way. Although summer rhymes with sun, beach, swimming pool, aperitifs and holidays… it is also synonymous with inconvenience for your cars….

Cover Company has compiled in this article the tips to prepare your car and protect it from heat and UV during the hot summer months.

1- Mechanical

It is important to prepare your vehicle for the summer. Many people devote a lot of time to winterizing, but preparing your car properly for the summer season is just as important. Here are the elements to take into account on the mechanical side.

Coolant: Check your coolant regularly and top it up if necessary. Indeed, it could decrease rapidly following the evaporation caused by the heat.

Other fluids: Brake fluid, transmission fluid, oil: make sure that all fluids are at an adequate level, which will allow your vehicle to run smoothly and will protect it in hot weather and prevent you from breaking down.

Battery: Heat has very detrimental effects on the life of your battery. Indeed, it can accelerate the evaporation of the liquid and cause the corrosion of the terminals and the connections.

Air filter and air conditioning: check that it is not clogged because the spring/summer period is conducive to dust and pollen. Also test your air conditioning to make sure it is working properly.

Belts: check that your belts are in good condition before entering the summer period. Indeed, heat can accelerate the signs of wear.

2- Bodywork and tires

Wash your car well to remove all the aggressive agents encountered in summer: pine sap, bird droppings, insects and acid rain. And apply a paint protector (protective wax).

Be sure to inflate your tires to the correct level to avoid costly damage). The rise in temperature has an effect on the pressure of your tires. Check the correct pressure on the label on the door or in your car manual. Friction temperature also increases in hot weather, this mixed with underinflated tires can cause a blowout

3- Interior

Due to the greenhouse effect of the windows, the interior of your car can sometimes reach up to 60C... You must therefore provide suitable protection to keep plastics, leather, carpets and other materials from heat and UV rays. In fact, UV rays can quickly wash out carpets, leathers and fabrics, and heat can crack leather and plastics. Let us therefore avoid these irreversible phenomena.

Park your car in the shade (as much as possible). If this is not possible, try to park it so that the rear faces the sun (to protect the dashboard).

If possible, leave a window or the sunroof ajar to let some of the heat escape.

Clean the interior of your car and apply a protective product that will serve as an insulating barrier and protect your interior.

You can also apply a tinted film to the windows and the windshield. Many brands sell them at a reasonable price.

Sun visor or special outdoor/sun cover. The sun visor reflects heat and does not allow UV rays to pass through. It's a good solution! Unfortunately, this option does not protect the entire car... When you park in the shade under a tree, you can protect your car to some extent, but beware of leaves, needles, tree sap and droppings. bird ! The best answer for outdoor protection is the car cover which will protect not only the interior but also the bodywork of your car. There are also half car covers specially designed to protect your interior from the sun and your roof/soft top: these reduce the greenhouse effect and do not allow UV rays to pass through.

In addition, this type of protection will prevent you from burning your rear while sitting down and your hands while putting on the seat belt or grabbing the steering wheel!