Here’s how to protect your paint, upholstery, dash from super El Niño heat

With the dreaded El Niño rolling in, the Philippines is expected to get a lot of sun and heat even through the supposedly cooler -ber months. 

On that know, did you know that constant and consisted sun exposure can actually damage your car? Specifically, it can do a number on your vehicle’s paint and even its interior buts like its dashboard and upholstery. 

Well, here’s how the sun can damage these parts, along with some handy tips to prevent it or even avoid it completely. 

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Paint

If there’s one thing on the car that will be destroyed first by the sun, it is definitely the paint. It does, after all, coat most of the car’s exterior and is the one barrier (or many microscopic barriers) that shield the car’s metal or plastic body against the elements. 

The one that will go first is the clear coat, which, for the unaware, is the outermost transparent layer of automotive paint that basically acts as a shield against the color coat. 

Specific elements of sunlight that destroys cloar coat isn’t actually heat per se. Instead, it is the nasty ultraviolet rays, which are proven by science to be capable of breaking down the stabilizers that makes a clear coat layer functional.

Once these stabilizers are gone, the chemical bonds that make up the clear coat break down and it will start to fade. This process is called oxidation, and it causes the color coat to turn chalky, dull, or even lose color. 

UV rays can also penetrate the deep base coat layer once the color coat is gone. This is particularly bad for bright or very dark colors such as red or black - making them fade quickly. In this stage of damage, heat comes into play, causing thermal stress. 

WIthout a clear coat, the so-called thermal stress can also cause cracking and peeling. Painted parts made out of metal can also expand and contract - further adding cracks to the paint. 

Mind you, the things described above won’t happen to your car in just a day or two. It happens gradually over time. 

It usually takes up to two four years for the stabilizers in the clear coat to be ravaged by UV rays. Oxidation comes later, and in seven years, the clear coat is brittle and practically gone. This is when the faded spots, usually on the roof and hood, starts to appear. 

Upholstery

Apart from paint, constant sun exposure can also destroy your car’s upholstery, and even some types of interior trims. And yes, the main culprit here is UV radiation, with some involvement from intense heat. 

UV radiation, will, of course, penetrate car windows especially those with rather thin tint. Similar to how it acts with automotive clear coat, UV rays can break down the chemicals that makes the coloration (aka the dyes) on a car’s vinyl, leather, and fabric upholstery. Over time, one’s seats will become discolored and dull. 

In luxury cars that still use organic materials such as leather, heat can rob it of moisture. This causes the natural oils in leather to evaporate, causing stiffness, shrinkage, and in due time, cracks. 

When it comes to fibers, thermal stress damages them by outright wringing out their structural integrity. This applies to both natural and man-made (synthetic fibers). In due time, your once smooth fabric-clad seat will tear apart. 

Dashboard

Extreme and plastic doesn’t mix - that’s the gist of it. Most car dashboards, interior door panels, and center consoles, after all, are still made out of plastic. 

Again, the main destroyer here is UV radiation, and you guessed it: it is capable of breaking down chemical bonds that hold together your plastic. Even the rubber and polyurethane on your steering and/or shifter isn’t safe. 

Primary signs of this happening is discoloration and fading. For plastics, it will eventually become brittle, rigid, and will be prone to movement especially when driving. In the long term, these will form cracks. 

And of course, by the very nature of a car’s interior, heat will become trapped inside. This creates an “oven-like” environment inside the car that causes thermal expansion and contraction as the day rages on and wanes. 

For cars parked for a long time under the sun, this thermal cycling can accelerate material damage and cause loose panel fitment and gaps where there weren’t any when the car was newer. 

The solutions

The best way to prevent all of these from happening is to simply park your car out of the sun. This could be a roofed parking spot or a proper garage. Because no sun equals no UV rays. 

On the one hand, any shade won’t do. We actually do not recommend parking under a tree as this will have risks on its own. Drying sap on a paint can also accelerate oxidation, after all. 

Then there’s the expensive option: UV-blocking tint. Budget-friendly options for this are metalized or heavily colored tints but these tend to interfere with visibility. One can also turn towards carbon tints, which 3M Philippines says is great due to their durability. There’s also ceramic tints that offer the highest UV and infrared blocking, although these are fairly expensive. 

For paint, one should also keep it clean by washing your car regularly. Mixing harsh sun and dirt, after all, can also accelerate clear coat damage. 

It is also a good idea to regularly use wax for one’s car. Sure, this can be a hassle and an additional cost of ownership, but proper car wax acts as an extra layer against UV rays. 

Also read:

Getting your car ready for El Niño

Tips on how to prevent vehicle fires

How to prepare your car for summer

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