Park Under The Sun

Many places in Malaysia do not have covered car parks. Many cars are parked under the sun and the rain most of the time. How does this affect our cars? How can we protect the paintwork? Is there anything we can do without spending much?

Reply:
Anything parked in the open is subject to the effects of the elements. Sunshine, apart from heating up the interior of the car, also causes fading of the paintwork and fabrics through UV action. This is where vehicle tinted helps because good vehicle tints cut out most of the UV sunlight and reduce its effects. It is not necessarily the darkest tint that does the best job but the right material, so read the specs on the material before spending money on tinting.
The problem with rain is that it carries along with it all the pollutans in the air and particularly if the car is parked close to factories with chimneys emitting smoke. You can be sure that there would be by-products spewed out that would dissolve in the rain. A dizzle is the most corrosive and if the car is not washed for long period of time, this acidic rain will find itself into the gaps in the paintwork and start corrosion. The solution is to wash the car regularly, and even if you do not have the time togive it a good wash with shampoo, the minimum should be a hosing down every few days during bad weather. The paintwork can also be protected with a good waxing that would protected the paint from samll nicks and scratches and the effects of acid rain.