Arizona’s weather is one of our state’s biggest selling points. Not only is the hot, dry air a haven for people that can’t stand humid climates, but anyone who simply doesn’t want to be cold anymore has definitely found their place. Unfortunately, this same weather can be harsh on your vehicle, from multiple points of view. Car sun damage really isn’t a rarity for us, and it can affect your seats, your paint, and even your windshield.
Furthermore, it’s considerably hotter inside of your car than it is outside of oit when it’s been parked in the sun. Not only does this make getting into the car highly uncomfortable, especially if you have leather seats, but it can also cause lasting damage to the interior. Luckily, there are a few ways you can avoid sun damage to the inside of your car.
Avoid Parking in the Sun
This one is the most obvious to anyone who has lived in Arizona for a bit of an extended period. The spots with a bit on shade are a “hot” commodity on any street, and highly sought over. Finding a good place to park at home, work, or anywhere else you spend a lot of time should become a priority, for your own comfort. Even if you have to walk a couple of extra minutes, it can be worth it to reduce the toll our southern summers can take on your car’s interior. Aside from this, you won’t have to get into a burning hot vehicle anymore either.
Use a Windshield Sun Shade
Windshield sun panels are generally inexpensive, and they are well worth the price. As your windshield lets in more sunshine than any other window of your car, it’s naturally the most important auto glass to block off. Using a windshield sun shade dramatically cuts down on the light that gets into your car, and so it will help keep your car cooler. This will also help you slow down sun damage to your dashboard, steering wheel, and seats. Indeed, we can sadly only speak of keeping the damage in check, as gradually, yellow or white spots will still begin to form, as the desert’s sun is pretty unforgiving.
Put Cloth Covers on Your Seats
Seat covers eliminate the risk of car sun damage in this respect. If you have leather seats, cloth covers can also prevent you from burning yourself when you sit down. As an added bonus, your seats will be protected from spills and other mishaps while driving, making it that much easier for you when you want to thoroughly clean it. If you don’t take proper precautions for your leather seats, they can develop yellow-ish spots in time.
Get a Windshield Protection Film & A Car Sun Visor
This is one of the best solutions you can find when it comes to protecting your car’s interior. The protective film reduces the number of harmful rays that can get into your car. As such, you reduce car sun damage, and will keep your dash, seats, and steering wheel in a more or less pristine shape for longer. The tinted film can also keep your car cool in the sun. It can also act as a protector for your own self, as prolonged periods of time of exposure to the sun isn’t necessarily healthy. To that extent, you could consider purchasing a car sun visor as well, as there are a lot of modern ones to choose from, which ave additional features as well.
One thing you can’t do with a protection film however is to apply it on a damaged windshield. If you have a crack in your glass, you should get it repaired as soon as possible. Ignoring a crack will allow it to get worse over time, and “spider-web” to the corners of the windshield. In some cases, the glass can be too damaged to be repaired efficiently (so that the cracks don’t resurface), but all is not lost! We also offer full-scale windshield replacements, for $0 Out-of-Pocket cost!
How to Repair Sun Damaged Car Paint
If you consistently park your car out in the open, especially on sunny days, its paint is most likely going to pay a price. After a long enough exposure, you can notice white spots on it that almost look like the paint is “shedding” off, or flaking. This is an effect of car sun damage, but you can somewhat fix it. A necessary disclaimer: the only real way to have this addressed properly is to have your automobile re-painted, but you can take some action yourself.
Take a trusty, sharp razor, and grind away at those trouble spots. Pay attention at the corners, as you could scratch the surface under the sun damage. You’ll see that the sun damage is going to peel off, like you’d be removing away dry dirt. Afterwards, wipe the spot with a clean cloth, and apply a clear coating over it, making sure to avoid spraying it on your auto glass. That’s pretty much how to repair sun damaged car paint, but once again, don’t expect it too look too amazing.
