UV rays, bird droppings and sap are out to get your Johnsburg car, truck or SUV

They may have parked their car on the wrong

street in Johnsburg as it is covered with bird
droppings and sap while attacked by UV rays.

Ringwood has escaped from the days of snow, ice and roadsalt that challenges car, truck and SUV owners to maintain the exterior finish of their vehicles. But there are several other antagonists out there ready to attack the bodies of their autos.

This time of year, while stones kicked up in traffic near road construction is a hazard that can leave nicks and scratches in the paint of Ringwood owners of cars, trucks and SUVs, even when parked, vehicles aren’t safe from conditions.

One threat to that shiny painted finish is the sun. UV rays of the sun insidiously attacks a car’s paint. Those UV rays will suck the color right out of the paint. Left in the sun long enough, a car, truck or SUV’s paint job will be completely ruined.

Of course, the sun’s incessant assault on paintjobs is a slow process.

The answer to parking a vehicle out where the sun can get at it is to park the vehicle where the sun can’t reach it as directly. The best alternative is to park the car in your Ringwood garage. But the garage is not available everywhere you go.

If you can’t park the car, truck or SUV in a garage, you can always park under a tree. A tree will filter the sun’s UV rays to a significant degree. Unfortunately, trees come with a couple threats to the finish, too.

One problem is that birds like to roost in trees. And while roosting, birds will frequently respond to, shall we say, ‘Nature’s Call.’ The car, truck or SUV owner will find bird droppings on their vehicles.

Birds can also bomb a car from the open sky. But that’s not as likely as the areas that are not under trees are greater than the areas under trees. The birds are moving and it’s not as likely when compared to a location where birds are perching. It does happen, as we can all attest, but not as frequently.

The problem with bird droppings is that they are acidic. They can actually mark their territory on your car, truck or SUV’s finish in the course of a single day. Their ability to damage your vehicle’s paintjob is exacerbated on hot, sunny days. In other words, you don’t want to leave bird droppings on your vehicle’s finish where the droppings can fester.

The other problem parking under trees is that trees drip. What trees drip is called ‘sap.’ Some trees drip sap more than others. And some saps contain more acids than others.

The point is that you want to wash away bird droppings and sap sooner than later. Other than not parking your car, truck or SUV in the sun, you can also apply a UV resistant wax to your vehicle.

Comments

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

Timely maintenance is even more important with your Johnsburg Electric Vehicle

Even if you have an electric vehicle in your Johnsburg driveway, maintenance is still critical. You pull out of your Johnsburg driveway and you watch the gas stations go by as you smile from behind the wheel of your EV – Electric Vehicle. Of course, at some point, you will have to stop and charge the battery but you still take some comfort that you’re not standing next to your car as the fuel pumps into your tank. One of the true comforts you take with your EV is that the mechanics of your vehicle are simplified. You don’t have to worry about the engine breaking down anymore, and we all know how costly that can be. But there’s more to your EV vehicle than you may have considered when you first parked it in your Johnsburg driveway. Many of the parts found on gasoline-driven vehicles are also present on your EV. These require the same maintenance as your gasoline-powered vehicle. For instance, you EV still has: Tires and Wheels Brakes Steering and Suspension Windshield Wipers and So...

Performance Unlimited Blog

Search This Blog