How to Prevent Sun Damage to Your Cars Paint

Last Updated on 4 weeks by Ollie Barker

Car owners experience all sorts of problems when they take their vehicles into the sun. Sunlight continues to be a major source of oxidation to vehicles, and it can cause fading, cause paint to peel, or just cause the paint to look horrible.

It’s a good idea for car owners to protect their car’s paint, plastic trim, headlights, and other vehicle components from sun damage. There are several things you can do to help protect your vehicle’s finish.

Sun protection for automobiles has been a hot topic for several years. Below, I’ve compiled everything you need to know about it, from what causes sun damage to how to prevent it.

How Does the Sun Damage Car Paint?

Those who are fair of skin (like me) deal with sunburn every day, trying to find products that are safe for them to use. Sunburn is caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It’s produced when sunlight passes through the atmosphere and strikes the earth. Similar things can happen to your car’s exterior, the same cause of sunburn is also the root of the problem over time.

For those who are not fully aware, the sun’s ultraviolet rays or UV light are invisible but incredibly powerful. There are many different types of radiation that are emitted by the sun, some of which include visible light (light that can be seen), ultraviolet light (light that doesn’t damage the eyes), and x-ray (which damages cells). The light that gives us color is one form of electromagnetic radiation. We see red when there are more electrons in an atom than protons, blue when there are more protons than electrons, and green when the number of electrons equals the number of protons.

Paint chips aren’t all bad, but over time, it breaks down the molecules found in the paint and clear coat. It starts to become duller and less reflective than its original color, so we see less brilliance in the “color” that our eyes see. This is a well-documented fact in automotive history, but most people don’t know it. UV light plays an important role in the degradation of automotive paints, plastic trims, headlights, even automotive glass, tires, and wheels.

Does UV Light Cause Some Car Colors Fade Faster?

It’s true that some colors of automotive paints are more susceptible to becoming damaged by ultraviolet rays. You see, every color that we see has its own wavelength that it creates. Each automotive paint color is designed to absorb all the visible light in the visual spectrum except for the one wavelength that corresponds with that color.

Red paint ‘fades’ more quickly because it has molecules that are more likely to get broken apart by ultraviolet light than the other colors.

Tips To Protect Your Car From The Sun Lights?

The sun and heat can be very harmful to a car. Your dash, seat, and the entire interior of your car are important to keep safe from the sun’s harmful rays, but your dash and seat are often overlooked. Your car’s finish and engine are also at some risk. There are plenty of reasons to be prepared year-round, including protection against the sun’s harmful rays.

Interior

A windshield sun protector is necessary if you want to prevent wrinkles and other interior damage from the sun. Protecting your car’s interior is one way to keep it cool, and it also helps you prevent sun damage.

Installing a seat cover is one of the best things you can do to prevent damage to your car seats. Leather and fabric seats are the most vulnerable things in a car.

Leather seats require protection, so you should use a leather conditioner to protect them once in a while.

Exterior

Wax your car. A layer of wax between your car’s finish and the sun’s ultraviolet rays is a great way to help protect your car from fading. Well, period!

It’s best to wax your car every once in a while. Cars with a lot of miles or bad weather are best waxed more frequently, and if you plan to drive your car a lot, waxing should be done frequently.

It’s not uncommon for tires to have low air pressure, so check your tire pressure frequently to avoid any problems. There’s nothing worse than getting a flat tire on hot pavement and finding yourself stuck in the middle of the road.

This might help you avoid the problem that might happen. It’s very important to check your tire pressure, especially when it’s hot because the rubber in your tires can lose about one pound of air pressure a month. You must make sure you follow your vehicle’s manufacturer recommended tire pressure.

Battery

Car owners must understand the most important thing about their battery: it can die if it’s not protected from extreme temperatures. It’s advisable to protect it by keeping it inside a vehicle with air conditioning.

The failure of the battery in the winter could be a result of the damage that took place during the summer. Every time you get your battery checked with your oil change you should also make sure to check it out carefully. Especially if you’re driving in summer.

Things To Keep In Mind To Protect Your Car From The Sun and Heat

If you’re a driver, you may want to check the temperature inside your car more often. It could easily reach the temperature of frying an egg in just a few hours. If you need to leave your car outside for a long time, make sure to protect it with a cover.

Cars are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures.

Whether it’s a new or used car, both cars need care and protection against the sun and heat.

A heatwave might not be the first thing to come to your mind when thinking about a car. But it may be a good idea to check the engine and the battery before you start your next trip. When the sun becomes hyperactive, it causes sunburns and freckles.

Cars don’t just use UV protection, they also use a variety of materials to prevent heat and harm. You can do the same for your car by using the right products to protect it.

And since we care for our cars just like we care for ourselves, it makes complete sense to prepare ahead for the scorching heat of summer.