How to Weatherproof Your Car for a Hawaiian Climate
Car care is always important!
Prepare your car for sunny and warm weather
Beware of salt air!
Conclusion
Car care is always important!
You should always worry about caring for your car properly. Taking the time to keep it clean and running properly is well worth it in the long run. However, when you move from one climate type to another, you’ll need to do several things differently in order to keep your car safe and sound from the new environment you find yourself in.
Hawaii, for the most part, has what many would describe as “perfect weather.” So, why worry about weather proofing your car in a place that has such beautiful weather? The truth is that Hawaii’s weather isn’t actually perfect and even when it is, your car could be damaged by things like the high level of salt in the air due to the surrounding ocean or a higher-than-normal potential for sun damage.
Prepare your car for sunny and warm weather
The sun alone in Hawaii poses a great risk for your car. It’s so strong that the interior of your car could possibly fade and crack. The paint job could also be affected by the sun. The sun can cause the paint job to fade as well.
You should consider getting a cover for your car when it’s at home and not being driven. Not only could this help save the interior and paint-job but it will also help keep the temperature low in the vehicle as an added bonus. Obviously, if you have a garage this won’t be necessary.
Beware of salt air!
There’s something that’s interesting that occurs when you have an island surrounded by ocean water. The salt in the ocean water gets into the air and then that in combination with the powerful Hawaiian sun can ruin a car’s finish.
The two actually work hand-in-hand. The strong and extremely hot sun opens the pores in the paint wider and, as a result, allows for higher absorption of the air which has a much higher level of salt in it than normal. This ultimately causes more corrosion.
As mentioned earlier, a cover for your car will go a long way when you aren’t driving it. You should also wash and wax the vehicle as often as you can. Also, if you can, avoid driving through any sand or ocean water that made it onto land. If you can’t avoid it, be sure to get your car washed as soon as possible.
If corrosion has already occurred, then you should replace the parts that are corroded. You don’t want these nuts, bolts etc rusting or corroding to the point that they fail. That could cause an accident, a lot more damage to the vehicle and/or end up rendering the vehicle totaled.
Conclusion
Hawaii is a much bigger place than you think regardless of which island you are going to be visiting or moving to. If you’re there for at least an extended stay, you’ll need a car of your own. Renting a car isn’t really a viable option for longer periods of time.
Hawaii has some of the best vacation weather in the world. However, this weather isn’t great for your car. The following will help prevent damage from the sun and ocean air:
- Cover your car when you have the opportunity to do so.
- Make sure that you wax and wash the car often.
- Avoid driving through any sand or ocean water.
- Replace any parts that have already rusted or corroded.
