Park Car under Sun - Is This Dangerous? How to Protect?

AussieBogan on 26/05/2022 - 22:15

Hi Bargainers,

As a true bargain believer, I would usually park my car under the sun for free ($8 per day if park inside a car park with shade). I'm in Darwin and the outside temperature would reach around 35-40 degrees on most days of the year. I have the darkest legal window tint for my car and a windscreen shade. Will the $8 per day (~$2000 per year) saving benefit overweight the damage by the sun? Considering my car is third-hand and I paid $9000 for the car. And what else can I do to protect my car from sun damage?
The reason I'm concerned is I started to notice that some items I left in the car were getting melted, especially leather/rubber.

Cheers

Automotive

Comments

  • Tech5 on 26/05/2022 - 22:35
    +8

    Windscreen shade should be enough to reduce sun damage to the dashboard and interior. For a 9000 car, I wouldn't worry about parking in the shade.

  • nephilim on 26/05/2022 - 22:39
    +1

    Get it really muddy and never wash it?

  • Seraphin7 on 26/05/2022 - 22:58

    The reason I'm concerned is I started to notice that some items I left in the car were getting melted, especially leather/rubber.

    You sure that's leather cowboy?

    • dust on 27/05/2022 - 08:53

      Maybe it's vegan leather (aka plastic).

  • chcse on 26/05/2022 - 23:07

    Given your car's age (based on the lower value), I would say saving is worth it. Have a sunshade on the windscreen and it should help with the temp rising slower. If you dare, you can leave the windows open a little bit so that the hot air can escape.

    As you have noted, just have to be careful with items left inside. Hopefully you don't leave your phone or anything with a battery inside on the off chance it gets so hot it explodes (even if it doesn't, excessive heat on a battery shortens its life).

  • Gotchas on 26/05/2022 - 23:14

    Maybe put a layer of suncreen spf 50+ on it

    You could use a paint mini roller and tray for quick application when you at red traffic lights

  • AustriaBargain on 26/05/2022 - 23:17
    +4

    $8 per day for secure indoor parking sounds cheap. I'm guessing the car feels like an oven by the time you come back to it on a hot day.

    • Mechz on 26/05/2022 - 23:21
      +4

      That's what would be worth $8 to me, AC works so much quicker when it doesn't have to cool the surfaces as well as the air.

    • HairyChickens on 27/05/2022 - 00:00
      +4

      Not to mention getting branded by the seat belt

  • knasty on 26/05/2022 - 23:29
    +2

    Sunshade for the windscreen whilst parked as you've said, dashboard mat if you don't already have one, and use a UV protectant spray like 303 on exposed surfaces.

    But I'd probably stump up the 8 bucks in the middle of summer or anytime it's over 30, which is probably 10 months of the year?

    • AussieBogan on 27/05/2022 - 21:26

      12 months of the year :) (11.9 months to be more accurate)

  • El cheepo on 27/05/2022 - 00:26
    +1

    Put your sunshade across your windscreen on the outside of your car with it held in place by shutting the doors either side of it (depending on wind/the area)

    You will look like a peanut, but it keeps the car slightly cooler when there is one less hot surface cooking the inside. (When it’s inside the car the glass just gets hot too)

    Or just set a temperature threshold in which you are willing to pay for shade (37+ degrees?)

  • FoxJump on 27/05/2022 - 04:50

    My car once had ants. I parked on a sunny day outdoors during summer.

    When I went back to my car after work, the ants were busy evacuating themselves our of the car. Quite amazing.

  • Overclocked91 on 27/05/2022 - 05:58
    +1

    Get a UV protectant or wax you can apply to protect the paint.

  • EightImmortals on 27/05/2022 - 06:57

    Do you leave the windows down a couple of centimetres?

  • tanksinatra on 27/05/2022 - 07:21

    I'd probably pay the $8… the midday sun will age the plastics (i.e. headlights) and deteriorate the paint.

  • Euphemistic on 27/05/2022 - 07:56

    Seriously? Park it in the sun. Millions of cars are parked in the sun daily and they don’t melt.

    Check out other similar vehicles to see where they are aging. Eg headlights, clear coat, dash etc and apply some protectant if you want to.

    • bobbified on 27/05/2022 - 09:14

      I've seen some relatively new cars that seem to have no clear coat left on them and it's just rough as anything mostly from the roof down. I keep wondering how it can even turn like that, but I only assume it's been parked out in the sun day in, day out for the last 10 or so years.

  • billdsl on 27/05/2022 - 08:20
    +1

    The sun will kill any rubber type surfaces like window trims or bumper parts

    My new ranger has completely faded window rubbers from parking it at train stations and its only a few years old

    Unsure if thats because the window cover/trim things are just junk or if this is normal. Im going to replace them all because it really looks crappy, they should be made to deal with it a lot better but what can you do

  • Archi on 27/05/2022 - 10:00

    don't leave bottled water in the car or anything glass. and cover the windscreen

  • redvaldez on 27/05/2022 - 10:04

    Detailing regularly will help. For the outside, a good quality sealant on the paint every three months would be my suggestion. Once the clear coat starts to go, your only option is a re-paint so prevention is better than cure. For the interior, your regular leather conditioners, plastic treatment etc per the recommended treatment intervals would be the go.

  • Chris Topher on 27/05/2022 - 12:11

    There is available a solar powered heat extraction fan jigger that sits atop a slightly opened window.

    With 1 or 2 of these and an opposite slightly opened window a lot of hot air can be removed.

  • the Unforgiven on 27/05/2022 - 17:41

    Move to Tassie :p

    • Euphemistic on 28/05/2022 - 07:08

      Where you are closer to the ozone hole?

      • the Unforgiven on 28/05/2022 - 07:50
        +1

        It is getting fixed, slowly
        By 2050 it should be all healed
        But by then the global warming will exceed 2.0 degrees Celsius
        It is only half a degree, but it is so much worse
        https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-04-18/1-5-vs-2c-deg…
        What they don't tell you is that after 2.0 degrees, it becomes a runaway event. In other words, once it goes 2.0 degrees, you WON'T get it back under it, it just goes higher; until it reaches 5.0 degrees when ALL life on this 3rd rock from the sun dies
        Enjoy your weekend

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