Tips For Protecting Your Car Against Bad Weather

To keep your car or truck running and looking good, it’s important to protect it from bad weather and extreme temperatures. Leaving your vehicle exposed to the elements will shorten its lifespan. Over time, the constant barrage of sun, wind, rain, and snow will affect your car’s performance and look. Protect it and help it last as long as you need it to.

Park in a Garage

The absolute best thing you can do to protect your car is to park it under some kind of cover. A garage is the best option, and a carport is a close second. If you have a garage, instead of filling it up with junk you don’t need, leave space for your cars and trucks. If you don’t have a garage, get one; it will add value to your home. A garage will keep all the wind, rain, snow, and hail off your car when you’re not driving it. It will also keep your car warmer than if it was sitting on the street.

Wash and Wax

Regularly washing and waxing your car will protect the finish from fading and cracking. It will also keep your car from rusting from the bottom up. In the winter, salt gets spread on the roads to melt ice. That salt will also melt the paint off a car given enough time. Washing the salt off regularly will keep rust away.

Hail Blankets

Yes—these are a real thing. A hail blanket will protect your car or truck from hail damage if you don’t have a garage to put it in. They look like a normal car cover, but they are thicker and some of them are inflatable. It makes your car look like it’s in a big shiny bubble. Hail storms tend to hit without much notice, so if you get caught and don’t have a hail blanket in the trunk, the floor mats will work in a pinch.

Slow Down

The best tip for protecting your car against bad weather is to slow down. Bad weather in all its forms can hit at any time. If you are out and about when it does, slow down. Adjusting your speed for conditions will protect your car from crashing into another car or guard rail on the road. The fastest way to damage your car is to crash it because you were in a hurry during a storm.

Warm it Up

Anyone that lives north of the Mason-Dixon line knows this one. When the temperatures start dropping, it’s time to start the car and let it warm up. Starting the car and letting it warm up in the cold will prevent engine wear and get all the parts ready for action. Cold metal expands, making it harder for the engine to turn on in the cold—which is why it’s so important to get it running.