Predicted Sizzling Summer Will Be Bad News for Cars
MAIDSTONE, UNITED KINGDOM – June 30, 2009: 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:
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.