Hot Summer “Is Bad News For Cars”

Motorists are being urged to prepare their cars for what is predicted to be a hotter-than-average summer in 2009. Autoglym warns that extended periods of intense heat and high levels of the sun’s harmful UV light can do more damage than freezing winter conditions – fading paint, causing rubber and plastics to degrade, and baking corrosive contaminants on to paintwork.

In hot conditions, body-panel temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius, baking on contaminants such as bird droppings and tree sap that can eat into unprotected paintwork. Tyres, plastics and rubber seals around windows and doors are also at risk, and can quickly deteriorate if protective dressings are not applied.

Autoglym’s technical director, Hemant Patel, comments, “We closely monitor the damaging effect of summer weather on paint and plastics. UV light breaks down the polymers that hold paint together, reducing its strength and resulting in a dull appearance.

“The tests we carry out prove that thoroughly cleaned and protected cars will stand up to almost any weather conditions,” continues Patel. “We all know the importance of using sun cream to care for our skin and, in the same way, a good coating of wax or polish can add a vital protective layer to a car’s paintwork.”

Autoglym’s top ten tips for summer car care:

1. Put on a protective coat of quality wax or polish as a defence against UV light
2. Apply a protective dressing to revive and preserve faded bumpers and plastics
3. Wash your car out of direct sunlight to avoid cleaning products drying on to the vehicle
4. Wipe away bird droppings as soon as possible – on untreated bodywork, paint damage can occur within just 30 minutes
5. Spray on an insect remover to avoid having to rub at paintwork when washing
6. Use a specialist tar remover to dissolve dried-on road tar spots from bodywork and wheels
7. Clean windscreens with a quality glass polish to get rid of dried-on bug splats
8. Top-up screenwash – at summer dilution – to help remove insects and road grime when on the move
9. Treat leather seats and trim with a leather care cream to prevent them drying-out
10. With cabriolets, apply a specialist fabric-hood cleaner and protector to revive appearance and reproof against summer storms

All of Autoglym’s retail products are subject to a rigorous temperature-testing regime, before they hit the shelves. These tests include exposing each product to freezing conditions in Iceland, and to the sizzling heat of Australia.