It’s summer now, but in Hawaii, the warm weather can last year-round. While all this sun and heat help make Hawaii a beautiful paradise, it can also do a number on your car.
How Sun and Heat Damage Your Car
Hot and sunny weather impact your car in numerous ways – some of which you can see, and some of which you can’t.
- The sun can damage your car’s paint, making the vehicle look older than it is and decreasing its value.
- Heat can impact your tires, which can cause damage and even cracking, and temperature changes can impact your tire pressure, which can put you at risk for a tire blowout.
- High temperatures can damage your battery, decreasing its life.
- Heat can cause your car to overheat, causing major damage to the engine.
How to Protect Your Car
You can’t control the weather, but you can take steps to protect your car from it.
- Keep your car covered if possible. A garage offers the best protection. If you can’t keep your car in a garage, at least try to park it in the shade. If even that’s not possible, consider purchasing a car cover designed to protect your car from heat and sun damage. At the very least, use a windshield shade reflector to protect the interior of your car, but remember that this won’t help your tires or engine.
- Change the oil regularly. Don’t skimp on the oil changes. Doing so can result in major damage to the engine over time – and that’s going to cost you a lot more than a simple oil change would. Follow the schedule recommended for your vehicle.
- Do preventative maintenance. Prevention is the best medicine – it’s as true for cars as it is for people. Take your car in for regular checkups. Have the belts and hoses inspected, replace the coolant, and look for any problems. If the heat causes any damage, you want to catch the problem before it gets really bad – and really expensive.
- Take care of your tires. Temperature can impact tire pressure, which can increase the risk of damage and even a blowout. Damaged tires can increase your risk of a crash, so taking care of your tires is essential for safety. Keep an eye on your tire pressure, and make sure your tires aren’t over- or underinflated. Keep your tires clean and inspect them for wear and damage.
- Watch the temperature gage. If your car is overheating, you need to let it cool down. After the engine cools down completely, check the coolant level and look for leaks.
- Wash and wax your car. This will help protect the paint from sun damage, so not only will your car look nice and clean immediately, but it will also stay looking nice for much longer.
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