How to Protect Your Car from Sun Damage
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Do you find the Malaysian sun too hot to stand under for long periods of time? Your car might be feeling the same way.
We all know that UV rays can be harmful to our skin, but what about our cars?
Well, the answer is yes, UV rays can damage our car’s paintwork and interior. But not to worry, here are seven ways to protect your car from the blazing hot Malaysian sun.
1) Park Under Shelter
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This is the most obvious solution. Our cars often spend more time stationary than on the move, and the onus is on us to park our cars under shade as often as possible, regardless of whether it is a sheltered structure or under a tree.
Parking under shelter is the best way to protect your car's paintwork and reduce any damage to your car's interior due to heat.
2) Tint Your Windows
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Recently, Malaysia passed a regulation that motorists now can tint their rear windshields and passenger windows as dark as they want. It is advisable for you to do so, especially if you often park under the sun, to protect your car’s interior.
But do note, front windshields, driver and front passenger side windows are still required to let in 70% and 50% light in respectively.
3) Get Car Windshield Sunshades
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Sitting out in the sun for too long will slowly but surely damage your car’s dashboard and steering wheel, not to mention damage and heat your seats hot enough to cook your butt when you sit down. This problem is much worse with leather-clad car interiors.
An effective protection against the sun rays would be car windscreen sunshades to block the rays from entering your car. You could get a set of two, for both your front and rear windscreens.
4) Protect Your Car’s Paintwork
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While taking precautions to protect your car’s interior, you must not forget the exterior. While it may seem like a lost cause, they are actually measures for you to take to slow down the degradation of your car’s paintwork under the sun.
To protect the car’s paintwork from the sun, you could get a paint protection coating for your car, or even just a simple wax job, which is cheaper. These invisible layers of protection, apart from protecting the car from UV rays, can also fend off dust, dirt, moisture, minor dents and scratches.
5) Top up Your Coolant
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In warm weather, the liquids in your car, especially the coolant, gets used up faster compared to cooler climates. Do remember to top up your coolant regularly to prevent your car from overheating.
But only do this when the engine is off. The coolant cap can get extremely hot when the engine is running and burn your hand.
6) Clean Your Car
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Your car’s interior can deteriorate faster than usual if a lot of dirt and dust is present under the hot sun. Thus, to protect your interior and seat upholstery, clean your car regularly.
Don’t forget to clean the outside of your car too! Leaving dirt and marks left by rain on your car might cause your car’s paint job to wear out faster-than-usual. Also remember to use cleaning products that are meant for use on cars so as to not damage your vehicle.
7) Monitor Your Tyre Pressure Numbers
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When driving in a hot climate, like in Malaysia, tyres tend to inflate due to the high road temperature expanding the air in them. On top of that, when your over-inflated, more delicate tyres turn on the hot road surface, the high speeds might cause your tyres to blowout easily.
Thus, you should perform monthly checks on your tyre pressures to make sure they are inflated correctly, to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Do you have any other methods for keeping our cars safe from the brutally hot sun in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments below!
