When summertime rolls around, your car needs care and protection against the sun and heat.
Taking care of your car with regular auto detailing services is a good practice year-round. However, it is especially important to give it the care it needs during the hotter months. Summer in San Diego means hot temperatures, frequent trips to the beach, more bugs to splatter your windshield, and a greater appreciation for a functional air conditioner. Make sure you do what you need to keep your car in good condition, retain its value, and get the most out of your summer.
Risks Of Sun Damage
Much like our own body, sun exposure can do some serious damage to your car. And it’s not just your vehicle’s exterior that’s at risk—the interior of the car, the engine, and the battery are all affected by a hot summer in San Diego.
Risks To The Exterior
Prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays compromises the condition of your car’s exterior coating. When harmful UV rays oxidize your car’s finish, your paint looks faded and dull.
Your once vibrant, high-gloss coat of paint loses its shine and your car starts to look old and worn out. Eventually it develops a chalky surface and the clear coat deteriorates. Then patches of paint start to dissolve and rust makes its untimely appearance. You’re either faced with an ugly car or an ugly price tag to get it repainted.
Risks To The Interior
When you get into a hot car that’s been baking in the sun, you can’t wait to roll those windows down or crank up the AC. Have you ever thought about what that kind of heat is doing to the interior components of your car?
High temperatures and UV radiation take a toll on your car’s internal components, especially the dashboard and steering wheel. These areas are susceptible to fading and cracking which are costly to fix or replace. Extreme heat and sun exposure deteriorate your car’s upholstery, compromising the integrity of the material.
Risks To The Hardware
Prolonged sun exposure also affects the electrical components and weatherstripping. Electrical connections and wires can warp, crack, or melt if the inside of the car builds up enough heat. The weatherstripping around the doors of your car that keeps a tight seal is susceptible to sun rot. If these are compromised, weatherstripping can no longer protect the inside of your car from outdoor elements such as water, dust, air, and debris.
The potential for damage doesn’t stop there. Under the right amount of heat, your airbags, battery, and engine are at risk. The brake fluid, power-steering fluid, transmission fluid, engine coolant, and motor oil are all expended quicker in the summer as they work to cool the engine down. Battery fluid evaporates faster in hot weather which leads to corrosion. If any of these fluids get too low, you’ll face serious consequences.
Auto Detailing For Summertime Protection
Your best bet to keep your car in good condition and retain its value is with professional detailing services. Not only does an auto detail maintain your car’s health, but it also employs protective measures to safeguard your car against the harsh UV rays and high temperatures during the summer.
Exterior Detailing
Your car’s exterior is especially vulnerable in the summer months. Ultraviolet rays are beaming down on your clean coat of paint, more bugs are out and about, and your car seems to be a prime target for bird droppings. More dust and pollen are in the air, leaving a fresh layer on your car each morning. While all of these things already serve as a minor annoyance, they’re a bigger nuisance than you realize once they bond with your car’s paint.
For San Diego summers, mobile auto detailing gives your car the attention it deserves and the protection it needs. In hot weather, you need to be diligent about removing minerals, dead bugs, and debris from the surface of your car’s exterior. The acid from bug guts, bird droppings, and pollen damage your car’s finish if left on too long. When it’s hot out, the time it takes for acid to inflict its damage is drastically shortened.
With a professional auto detail, your car undergoes reconditioning and treatment to protect your paint from the harsh conditions that come with summer on the west coast. A fresh coat of wax can help prevent fading caused by sun exposure and add an extra barrier between your paint and outside contaminants.
With this added layer, it’s also easier to clean bird droppings, tar, bugs, and more off your car.
Imagine how convenient it would be if you didn’t have to apply sunscreen to your skin every two hours? Automotive detailing with paint protection services is the long-lasting prevention you need to keep your paint in good shape. Apply detailing clay, wax, or paint sealant to your windows and windshield for the same type of protection and preserve the tint on your windows. Speaking of, anyone who lives in southern California should have their windows tinted!
Interior Detailing
The inside of your car is like an oven in the summer heat. Treat the interior of your car to a premium auto detail with UV protectant for all your car interior surfaces and upholstery. If it gets too hot, any dust and grime that settles will bake into the interior components of your car. Have it cleaned regularly so you can enjoy those camping trips and beach days without putting your car through the wringer.
Have you ever left food in your car in the summer? How about wet clothes? In hot temperatures, these amplified odors seep into your interior cabin. Trust us—clearing out your compartments and driving with your windows down will not air it out. Vacuuming, shampooing, and odor removal methods are a must. To truly eliminate the smell, you’ll need a thorough auto detail that deep cleans and rejuvenates your interior.
Be sure to jump on a mobile auto detailing service if you spill anything in your car that leaves a stain. UV rays and high temperatures can burn stains into the material so those should be professionally removed as soon as possible.
Ceramic Coating
Invest in a ceramic coating on your car for the ultimate protection against sun exposure and outdoor contaminants. With guaranteed protection anywhere from 1-5 years, ceramic coating effectively prevents your paint from oxidizing and fading.
During your next auto detail, you can get ceramic coating professionally applied to your car’s exterior, interior, and wheels. With a chemically resistant surface, ceramic coating will preserve the condition of your car and make it more resilient to etching and staining.
Engine Detailing
Metal corrosion, leaks, and other problems that can occur during the summer months are exposed when your engine is detailed. You need to pay extra attention to the condition of your engine since your car works harder in the summer to keep cool. It’s also added reassurance that a professional detailer is taking care of and examining your engine. They know how to spot signs that engine maintenance may be needed to prevent problems in the near future.
Build Good Habits To Enhance Your Protection in San Diego
A car detailing service will save your car from suffering through several months of sunny skies. Take your car’s protection a step further and incorporate these habits into your everyday life.
Park In The Shade
Park your car in the shade whenever possible. Truthfully, you should try to find a nice, shady parking spot no matter what time of year it is. When you’re always on the go, we understand that strategic parking is not a top priority. But when summertime hits, you should make it one!
Plus, you typically find shade along the perimeter of a parking lot where fewer people park. Parking in those areas also reduces the risk of your car getting dinged.
Use Sunshades and Seatcovers
Every layer of protection helps. Use sunshades on your car windows to reduce the temperature of the cabin. These can stay in their position whether you’re parked or driving to maintain lower temperatures and maximize your protection against harmful UV rays. Then put up a windshield shade when your car is parked to keep the interior car cool and block out sunlight.
Install seat covers for ample protection against more than just sun exposure. Seat covers are a smart choice for any driver as they keep your original seats clean, protect against wear and tear, and keep stains from settling into your seat’s material. Sunshades and seat covers are great, inexpensive ways to preserve and protect your car’s interior.
Crack your windows
Try cracking your windows to keep fresh air circulating through the inside of your car, especially when parked. It doesn’t need to be very wide—your finger should barely fit, if at all. This small habit helps the internal temperature of your car stay lower than it would if it were sealed tight.
Get Regular Detailing
First of all, getting your car professionally detailed by a detailer you trust means that it’s done right. There are many DIY auto detailing products on the market that do more harm than good.
What’s more, you could risk damaging your car by performing an at-home detail in hot weather. Proper UV protectants need to be applied to the various surfaces that exist on the inside and outside of your vehicle. Your car needs to be detailed more often, and every good detail should be done with care and attention to detail. It can’t be rushed and sealants must be applied correctly.
With discounted monthly detailing packages and the ease of mobile detailing, you save time and money going with a professional detailer that cares about the condition of your car.
If you do go with a DIY detail, here are a few important tips to follow:
Detail your car in the shade
Try to detail your car at the beginning or end of the day when the sun isn’t as intense
Wash the exterior in sections, drying quickly to avoid water spots
Make sure your car is cool to the touch, especially when applying any kind of sealant, wax, glaze, polish, or coating
Wear sunscreen
Stay hydrated
In San Diego, we’re already feeling the heat. Now is not the time to put your car at risk! Plan a day this week to give your car the detail it needs or give us a call. By following the good habits discussed here and keeping on top of your auto detailing, you’re all set to enjoy your summer and show off your premium ride without sacrifice.
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