Leaving car parked in the sun for 2 months

[aturnick54]

I will be taking my car to Turkey in May and flying back to the UK, returning in July to drive it back to the UK at the end of August.

The car will be parked up for just under two months on the street. It isn't possible to park it in the shade, and will be exposed to daily temperatures of 30 degrees and a lot of sun/dust.

What should I do to protect the car? I thought of a cover, but worried this will scratch the paint. It has a HUD on the dashboard, so I'm thinking of a sunshade to try protect this and the dashboard.

[Alex_225]

Do you know the area where it's being parked very well? If it's safe and secure then you could opt for a cover. Assuming the cover is rated to the temperatures it'll be sat in. You can then ensure the car is cleaned well and the cover secured.

If you're not sure then I'd be looking at a sunshade for the windscreen and a good clean and protect of the paintwork. Carnauba in waxes is there in part because it protects from UV so that would be fine. The dust and sand can just be washed off when it's home.

2 months isn't really much to worry about though. 12 months would be different.

[aturnick54]

Alex_225 said:

Do you know the area where it's being parked very well? If it's safe and secure then you could opt for a cover. Assuming the cover is rated to the temperatures it'll be sat in. You can then ensure the car is cleaned well and the cover secured.

If you're not sure then I'd be looking at a sunshade for the windscreen and a good clean and protect of the paintwork. Carnauba in waxes is there in part because it protects from UV so that would be fine. The dust and sand can just be washed off when it's home.

2 months isn't really much to worry about though. 12 months would be different.

Yes it will be parked outside our property, we just haven't got a car port or garage it can go in unfortunately.

Would I be better off with a snug fitting cover to prevent it flapping around in the wind?

I'll definitely have it cleaned when I return. I've left a car before and the dust came straight off with a rinse, but the headlights were UV damaged and yellowed which I'm keen to avoid.

[vikingaero]

Sunshade for the dashboard and cover the headlights and rear lights in a thick layer of wax. Assuming it's a fairly recent car, does the rear have tinted windows from the B-pillar back - if so that will help. Most new cars even with clear windows will have an better element of UV protection than cars of yesteryear. If you have time, use cardboard aid design to cut out window covers for the side and rear windows.

[Alex_225]

aturnick54 said:

Yes it will be parked outside our property, we just haven't got a car port or garage it can go in unfortunately.

Would I be better off with a snug fitting cover to prevent it flapping around in the wind?

I'll definitely have it cleaned when I return. I've left a car before and the dust came straight off with a rinse, but the headlights were UV damaged and yellowed which I'm keen to avoid.

A properly fitting cover would be good, Coveryourcar.co.uk do a Voyager cover which is thin and light but will certainly protect from the UV. Wouldn't be a bad idea to use a couple of over body straps to stop the cover lifting although will come with straps for underneath.

The alternative would be a good wax and even on the headlights that would work. Alternatively you could cover the headlights but not sure what you could use.

[braddo]

I used a stormforce cover for several years on cars in the UK. Like most covered they have elasticated ends and underbody straps so that you can secure them tightly.

They are highly breathable and offer UV protection as well as wet weather protection. Not so relevant in this case probably, but in heavy prolonged rain the cover gets saturated on the flat surfaces (roof/bonnet/boot) so that those panels get lightly damp, but then the cover dries out super quickly after the wet weather has passed. For me this was far better than the fully waterproof covers which trap humidity under the cover for much longer.

These covers lasted about 3 years of regular use before UV damage took its toll.

ETA link
https://www.stormcarcovers.co.uk/collections/storm...

[AdeTuono]

What do the Turks do, when their car is there 12 months of the year? Maybe do that? Unless they all disintegrate after a few weeks.

[aturnick54]

AdeTuono said:

What do the Turks do, when their car is there 12 months of the year? Maybe do that? Unless they all disintegrate after a few weeks.

Most cars over there are battered, with wrecked lacquer and yellow headlights

[aturnick54]

vikingaero said:

Sunshade for the dashboard and cover the headlights and rear lights in a thick layer of wax. Assuming it's a fairly recent car, does the rear have tinted windows from the B-pillar back - if so that will help. Most new cars even with clear windows will have an better element of UV protection than cars of yesteryear. If you have time, use cardboard aid design to cut out window covers for the side and rear windows.

Rear windows are tinted to 20%, believe its a UV resistant film. Car will definitely have a decent wash and coat of wax before it leaves the UK. Will also try wash it in Turkey while I'm there

Cardboard is good idea actually, thanks

[GeniusOfLove]

Is this just some modern mass produced car?

If so it'll be fine, fking around with covers and cardboard is absolute mithering nonsense.

aturnick54 said:

Most cars over there are battered, with wrecked lacquer and yellow headlights

Yeah when they're 20 years old.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Wednesday 17th January 12:42

[Baldchap]

We leave a car outside in Spain 365 days and it's fine.

[x5tuu]

Depending on what the car is (and how expensive UV damage may cost to repair) I may be inclinded to pay for a couple of months covered parking at the airport (or other carpark if there are any)

As an example I have a friend who leaves his car in an underground carpark in Gran Canaria near the airport with agreement from the shopping centre management/owners - which is free and does the job perfectly, but risks carpark dings if you are parked close to active areas.

[Cold]

Seems like a perfect scenario for a solar battery charger.

[steveo3002]

couple of those windscreen sun shades front /rear /side to keep the worst off the dash/seats and leave it be , 1000s of other cars seem to manage in the sun , okay years of exposure would ruin the paint but 2 months isnt so bad

with a cover what happens if its gets loose day after you leave and flaps against the paint for 2 months ?

[Haltamer]

Probably already on the list, but make sure you take everything out of the car - Glovebox, underboot, etc...

A glovebox full of melted sweets and detonated cans of drink are no fun to come back to

[Roger Irrelevant]

GeniusOfLove said:

Is this just some modern mass produced car?

If so it'll be fine, fking around with covers and cardboard is absolute mithering nonsense.

Why don't get off the fence and say what you really think?

I completely agree btw.

[aturnick54]

GeniusOfLove said:

Yeah when they're 20 years old.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Wednesday 17th January 12:42

Even 7-8 year old cars are wrecked over there. Turks generally do not look after their cars, despite them being so expensive to buy

[rodericb]

aturnick54 said:

Even 7-8 year old cars are wrecked over there. Turks generally do not look after their cars, despite them being so expensive to buy

Yeah, seven or eight years of no care at all, along with dings and scrapes will look a bit ordinary. Two months in a Turkish autumn won't do much. The greatest risk is probably someone smashing into it.

[Mad Maximus]

Sun shade for the windscreen is a must and make sure it’s secure with sun visors and whatever else as the heat will make it move. Sun shades for the side windows if your fused and bring a battery jump and that’s it. A car in the sun for 2 months shouldn’t have any new damage.

[vikingaero]

Roger Irrelevant said:

GeniusOfLove said:

Is this just some modern mass produced car?

If so it'll be fine, fking around with covers and cardboard is absolute mithering nonsense.

Why don't get off the fence and say what you really think?

I completely agree btw.

Not sure what the problem is, even for 2 months? This is PH and the OP clearly cares for his car, so anything he does now will have benefits down the line. Most of the suggestions take relatively little time and the car will be in direct sunlight. Even minor things such as removing the wipers and dressing the rubber trim will delay oxidation.