How to Weatherproof your Car

Outside of car accidents and not changing your oil, the weather is going to take the most considerable toll on your vehicle. If you want to keep your car looking and functioning at its best for years to come, you must learn how to protect it from all of the debris, moisture, and temperature changes nature may throw at it.

In this article, we will cover some of the best ways to protect your car from the rain you’ll find no matter where you live. After that, we will spend some time looking at how you can prep for the cold and hot weather found in different regions of the country. By the end, you should have a general idea of some basic steps you can take to better prepare your car for the weather you may face.

Note: These tips are assuming you can’t park in a garage, which will always be your best bet for weather damage prevention.

3 Ways to Weatherproof Your Car for Rain

Rain is everywhere—hot locales, cold climates, everywhere. Learning to protect your car from the rain is paramount for preserving it.

As a general rule of safety when dealing with the rain, always ensure your windshield wipers and tires are operating at peak condition.

Invest in a Quality Car Cover

A good car cover is one of the easiest and most effective purchases you can make for protecting your car. A good car cover will both keep rain from hitting your vehicle, as well as stopping moisture from building up (you want a cover that can breathe).

Rain isn’t the only thing a car cover will stop. Dirt and debris can build up and cause considerable damage -luckily; car covers prevent dust and dirt from collecting on the car surface. This is why covers are useful even when in a garage. That bit of extra padding can go a long way in stopping most storage-related damage as well.

Get an All-weather Floor Mat

An all-weather floor mat is an upgraded mat designed to gather all of the dirt, salt, and mud your shoes may have collected on the way in. These mats are made to be easily washable and incredibly durable so you can rely on them to be an effective bulwark for the floor of your vehicle.

Stopping water and mud from collecting and staining your car floors can significantly help preserve the smell and look of your interior.

Wash and Check Your Surfaces Regularly

You don’t want to let rainwater sit too long, and you don’t want to have any leaks. Check all the seals on the doors and windows of your vehicle to ensure no water is leaking in. If it does rain, even the water on the outside should be removed in case it contains any contaminants that will wear away at your paint or rubber seals.

Winter (Cold) Proofing Your Car

Cold weather brings with it a whole ton of possible problems for your car. From your battery losing power to your radiator cracking -improperly preparing for the winter can take a true toll on your car.

• Make sure to replenish the fluids in your engine -especially the anti-freeze.

• Make sure your tire’s tread depth can handle the snow in your area. You probably want to switch over to snow tires well before the first snows begin to hit the roads if you live in an area with large snowstorms.

• Road salt is horrible for your paint, engine, and everything else. Get a wax coat on your car to keep the worst of it off, and get regular washings to make sure the salt that does stick doesn’t stick around.

• A nice trick for all that snow on the windshield in the mornings? Put a piece of cardboard (weighed down) on the windshield overnight. Simply remove it with all the snow the next morning.

• Install Improved Wiper Blades and Check the Fluid. Essential for both the rain and cold weather. Keeping your wiper blades in tip-top shape will ensure that you are reducing the risks from driving in the rain -and in many ways, better protecting your vehicle from the damage such risks imply. If you live in an area where sudden torrential rains are to be expected, ensure your wiper blades are replaced at the first sign of malfunctioning.

Be sure to check your owner’s manual or website for the full range of cold-weather maintenance suggestions for your vehicle.

Ways to Weatherproof Your Car for the Heat

The heat is one of the many overlooked dangers facing cars. If you are new to a hotter region, you may be surprised to find that the heat can take a toll on tires, battery, and your paint job.

Take the time to follow these tips and keep your car protected from the worst of the sun, and you should be fine.

• The hotter roads will typically mean that the rubber on your tires is going to wear away faster. Be vigilant about the air pressure and structural integrity of your tires and be sure to examine them every few times you stop to get gas. A blowout on the road is incredibly dangerous.

• Exposure to the sun will cause your paint to fade and chip and will even do damage to the interior. Any part of your car sitting in direct sunlight for hours a day is not going to stay in its best shape long. Invest in a car cover and/or a windshield cover in order to keep the sun off.

Like with the rain, a good layer of wax will go some ways towards protecting the exterior from the worst of the elements.

• If you live in an area that regularly gets in the mid 90’s F, then you can expect your car battery to break down faster. Very hot temperatures will cause an increase in the corrosive build-up and will also evaporate away a portion of your batteries’ fluids. Whenever you get a chance, have the mechanic check the state of your battery.

Protecting Your Vehicle from the Weather

Preventing direct exposure is really where you will want to start, no matter the weather you will be facing. If you can’t get the car into an indoor parking spot, then you really should invest in some form of high-end car cover. Just by parking inside or getting a good car cover, you will prevent the vast majority of the wear and tear your vehicle faces outside road damage.

Proper investment of time and money into maintenance and prevention will keep your car looking and running better for years, and will ultimately save you large sums of money on repairs or a replacement.

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