Car owners often claim that their new car is their most prized possession. They spend hours deciding on the model, visit many dealers, compare quotes, bargain with dealers and bankers before getting a new car home. At such times, it may seem like an obvious choice to buy a car cover to protect the vehicle for small yet preventable damages. A small scratch, an accidental bump in an exposed, uncovered car could result in costly repairs as these minor repairs may not be covered by all insurance companies. Buying a car cover offers many benefits. It protects your car from:
- Dust, pollen, and dirt: It is viable to use a car cover even if the vehicle is parked in a garage. Dirt can cause scratches while cleaning, and pollen can cause the surface of the car to turn yellow.
- Bird droppings and tree sap: These can cause abrasions in the paint, and if left for too long, it will have to be removed with chemicals which may cause patches of wear and tear in the exteriors.
- Cats and bird claws: A padded car cover can protect against scratch marks when animals and birds rest on the car’s roof or bonnet.
- Sun and UV rays: Exposure to sunlight over a long duration of time can damage both the interiors and exteriors of a vehicle. The heat could potentially damage and destroy the leather, vinyl, and plastic inside the car. A good quality car cover prevents fading caused by sun rays.
- Industrial pollution: Pollution can embed itself in the paint and slowly break down the coating. A car cover provides protection from this.
- Rain, snow, and hail: Good quality covers are water-resistant and stop rain from flooding the body of the car, which could cause rusting. When it snows, it is easier and less damaging to clear snow from a car cover rather than the car’s body. Good quality covers also offer a certain amount of protection against larger hailstones, which could dent the car or shatter the glass.
Another point to note, as inconsequential it may seem, is that if your car is covered, then there is a lesser chance of it being stolen. Thieves look for easy and quick ways to flee with the car. Removing the car cover takes time, and in case it is a cover with a lock, it may involve too much effort for removal because of which a covered car is less appealing to criminals.
The only argument that goes against the use of car covers are the accidental scratches that could happen while covering the car or removing it off the car. Removing these scratches may require polishing of the car which removes microlayers of the clearcoat. You can minimize this problem by buying a good quality, custom-fit cover and using the right technique to install and remove the cover. The car should be cleaned before installing the car cover as abrasion from dust leads to scratches.
Protecting the car cover
The cover should be dry cleaned when dirty. If it is damp, then dry it before storing it as it can cause molds that could stick on to the paint. Generally, good quality covers do not have this problem.
The benefits of using a car cover far outweigh the problems associated with it. If you’re investing a lot of money on a car, protecting it with a good quality, well-fitted car cover is more like insurance rather than an expense.
