Protect Your Car from Arizona Summer Weather: Preventing Discomfort, Damage and Danger

If you live in Arizona, you must be familiar with its hot and dry weather. Being one of the aridest states in the US, Arizona has an almost unbearable summer. Besides affecting your health, the harsh sun rays can damage your vehicles. Therefore, unless you are willing to spend a considerable amount every year on repairs and maintenance, you must take some preventative steps to protect your car from the harsh weather.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways in which you can keep your car cool and prevent both exterior and interior damage. Read on to know more about how the Arizona weather can affect your car and what you can do to combat it.

The Effect Of Arizona’s Climate On Your Car

Along with the extreme heat, the lack of cloud cover also contributes to car damage in Arizona. The most noticeable damage is to the car’s exterior – the harsh sun can lead to discoloration and fading. While the sun shows its wrath on cars of all shades, those painted in darker colors are the worst affected. Moreover, sun exposure may also cause a problem to any unpainted car parts.

The interiors are not spared either. Being the area receiving direct sun exposure, the car’s dashboard is the first to be affected by the harsh Arizona weather. The car’s windshield isn’t capable enough to actually shield it from the sun’s rays – on the contrary, it intensifies it further. As a result, your dashboard will eventually fade or crack, although the material may play a role in delaying the damage.

Depending on the material, the car’s upholstery may also show signs of damage. Leather upholstery can not only heat up quickly, making it impossible to sit on but are also more prone to drying out, resulting in cracks. Cloth is a better choice, although it may show some discoloration with time, especially in the areas more exposed to the sun rays.

In addition, keeping your car parked in the sun can heat up the steering wheel and dashboard, making it impossible to drive or even sit inside the car.

The damage isn’t restricted to the appearance of the car, though. It can actually affect its functioning too. Exposing your car to direct sunlight for long hours can not only heat the interiors and damage the upholstery but lead to engine problems too. And this, as per Scottsdale Car Accident Lawyers, can be a major cause of car accidents.

How To Protect Your Car From Damage?

Protecting your car from unfavorable weather may seem difficult unless you know the right way of doing so. For starters, make it a habit to clean your car regularly. This will prevent the build-up of dust and dirt that assist the sun in corroding the vehicle’s exterior. You can also opt to wax your car. The coat of wax does much more than ensure your car looks as good as new – it adds a protective layer that prevents the sun’s UV rays from damaging the paint.

Tinted windows are great for keeping your car’s interiors safe from the harsh sun. These help decrease the amount of sunlight reaching the dashboard and upholstery, keeping them in good condition for longer.

But, you need to be aware of the amount of tinting considered legal in the state. The driver’s window needs to allow more than 33% sunlight to be termed legal, while there is no such level specified for the back windshield and the rear windows. As for the front windshield, you can go for any amount of tinting, as long as it is above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.

If you are worried about the sun rays heating the car’s interiors while it’s parked, getting a heat-reflecting windshield screen is a good idea. You can fit it into your car’s windshield to block out the sun rays, ensuring you come back to a comparatively cooler car. By following the above tips, you can help protect your car from sun damage, thus saving up on repairing costs.