The 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 up to 39 degrees Celsius. High temperatures can cause serious damage to your car such as operation, machinery, interior, exterior... if not properly protected.

Regularly parking under the sun will first affect the exterior of the car. The paint will quickly fade, making the 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 can cause leaks in the cooling system. Check the radiator regularly to ensure it is not running low on coolant. A lack of coolant can cause the engine to overheat and overwork, which can shorten the life of the engine.

Tires are the parts that are 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 heat-insulating film is also a good choice to prevent the car's interior from being exposed to 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 drying 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 and turn on the fan to push the air out and take in the air.

In addition, lower the air conditioner temperature gradually, 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 the 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 cars parked in the sun.

It is possible to plan your trip during the times when the sun is at its coolest, such as in the morning or afternoon, to make the trip more pleasant for the driver, passengers, and our vehicle.

Regularly check tire pressure, in hot weather, tire pressure should be kept slightly lower than ideal to ensure air expansion, avoid over-inflating.

Do not place materials such as water bottles, soda cans, electronic devices, lighters, or food... when parking under the sun. Placing a water bottle seems harmless, but the phenomenon of sunlight refraction through the water bottle can cause materials such as leather seats 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.