Harmful effects of parking in the sun and how to fix them

Many places in Vietnam are entering the hot season with outdoor temperatures sometimes reaching 39 degrees Celsius. High temperatures can cause great harm to your car such as operation, machinery, interior, exterior... if not properly protected.

Regularly parking your car under the sun will first affect the exterior of your car. The paint will quickly fade, making your car look old and affecting its resale value.

Sunlight causes the dashboard and plastic parts in the car to quickly deteriorate. At high temperatures, plastics are easily changed in nature, creating unpleasant odors that will affect our health in the long run. In addition, they will reduce their lifespan, leading to easy cracking.

Heat makes the cooling system susceptible to leaks. Regularly check the radiator to ensure that it is not running low on coolant. Lack of coolant will cause the engine to overheat and overload, affecting the life of the engine.

Tires are the part that is in direct contact with the asphalt road surface. When it is sunny, the road surface will have a very high temperature, not ensuring the correct tire pressure will lead to tire explosion, the possibility of causing an accident when the tire explodes is completely possible.

If you must park your car in the sun, use a sunshade to keep the sun from damaging the dashboard or cracking the leather seats.

Sunshades can be easily folded and stored in the trunk. In addition, there are some types of sunshades or canvas that are larger in size, can cover the entire body of the car to provide better protection for the car.

Using dark tinted film is also a good choice to prevent the car interior from being exposed to too much sunlight, which can lead to deterioration. However, you must ensure a clear view and avoid blocking the view through the glass.

Always check the coolant level before the trip to ensure the engine is cooled at the best level. In addition, checking will help detect leaks or oil dryness due to evaporation by heat so that they can be quickly fixed.

Parking your car in the sun for too long will cause the car to produce toxic gases. Roll down the windows as soon as you get in the car, turn on the fan to push the air inside out and take in the air.

In addition, lower the air conditioner temperature slowly, do not lower the air conditioner temperature to the lowest level immediately because this will overload the cooling system, causing the car to consume more fuel, or can cause heat shock to the body.

In particular, children or pets should not be left in a car with all the windows closed in the sun. The temperature in the car can rise quite high, leading to a lack of oxygen, poisoning, and possibly death. According to the Child & Car Safety Organization (USA), up to 37 children die each year due to being trapped in a car parked in the sun.

You can plan your trip at times that are least hot, such as in the morning or afternoon when the weather is cooler, to make the trip more comfortable for the driver, passengers, and our vehicle.

Regularly check tire pressure. In hot weather, keep tire pressure slightly lower than ideal to ensure air expansion and avoid over-inflating.

Do not place materials such as water bottles, soda cans, electronic devices, lighters, or food... when parking in the sun. Placing a water bottle may seem harmless, but the phenomenon of sunlight refraction through the water bottle can cause materials such as seat leather to easily catch fire and explode.

Fire extinguishers can only withstand temperatures of 50-55 degrees Celsius, so they are always recommended to be kept in cool places, avoiding direct exposure to sunlight, which can cause fire or explosion.