The Ultimate Fall Vehicle Prep Guide: Protect Your Paint, Tint, and Interior Before Winter
When your car is your pride and joy, you want to protect it at all costs. With what feels like constant weather challenges and changes, it can seem impossible! Many vehicle owners also don’t know where to start or which seasonal car maintenance tasks to prioritize as the weather changes.
We’re here to help. With winter nearly upon us, set time aside to focus on the fall car prep tasks in this practical guide below.
Why Fall is a Critical Season for Vehicle Protection
Before getting started on winter car protection and preparation tasks, it’s helpful to understand why fall is such a critical season for vehicle protection in the first place.
Rapid Weather Changes
As we say goodbye to the consistency of summer, we say hello to the unpredictability of fall. We (and our vehicles) are now dealing with cool mornings, warm afternoons, sudden rain, and even the occasional frost.
These rapid weather changes can have a surprising impact on a range of vehicle components, including tire pressure, fluids, and battery performance.
More Road Hazards
Increased moisture combined with falling leaves can be a recipe for disaster on the road. Wet leaves can be as slippery as ice, reducing your braking performance and traction. Leaves and debris can also clog vehicle drains and vents, resulting in water leaks and corrosion.
Reduced Visibility and Shorter Days
Fall and winter bring less daylight and more fog and rain. As a result, you need to ensure your brake lights, turn signals, and headlights are all clear and bright.
Your Fall Prep Checklist for a Winter-Ready Vehicle
Most vehicle owners understand the importance of winter car protection, but not necessarily what they need to do to prepare their car for winter. This helpful fall car prep checklist will ensure a winter-ready vehicle for the colder weather ahead:
1. Decontaminate and Protect Your Paint
You’ve just spent the last few months of the warmer weather going on road trips, dealing with UV exposure, bug splatter, and possibly even road tar. With the cooler, wetter weather on its way, it’s time to decontaminate and protect your paint.
Perform a thorough wash to remove any contaminants that have been calling your vehicle home. Once it’s clean, follow up with a clay bar treatment, so you’re left with a fresh and clean painted surface.
Protect your car paint from salt, slush, and other winter elements by installing paint protection film (PPF). Not only does PPF maintain your vehicle’s beautiful shine throughout any season, but it will also protect the paint from corrosion, oxidation, light scratches, and even those harsh winter UV rays.
2. Ensure Your Window Tint is Ready for Winter Glare
A lesser-known form of fall car prep is installing and maintaining window tint. You might think that the grim, gray skies that winter brings mean that window tint isn’t important, but what about that winter glare?
Winter brings low-angle sunlight, not to mention eye-straining glare from snow and wet roads. These challenging conditions can impair visibility. As you prepare your car for winter, take the time to check your existing window tint for imperfections like bubbles, peeling, and fading.
If needed, have it re-tinted. If you don’t yet have window tint, schedule this valuable service to maintain visibility in fall, winter, and year-round.
3. Deep Clean Your Interior from Summer Grime
A dirty car after summer is a sign of good times. Sand, dust, crumbs, and even sunscreen residue are all reminders of road trips, beach visits, and time spent with loved ones. But fall and winter present an opportunity for a fresh start. It’s time to deep-clean your vehicle’s interior to get rid of all that summer grime!
Vacuum your carpets thoroughly, wipe down all surfaces with a gentle cleaner, and treat any vinyl or leather with a conditioning product to prevent cracking in the dry winter air. Now is also an excellent opportunity to clean or treat your floor mats or even purchase custom-fit ones to handle all weather conditions.
4. Inspect Your Tires and Glass for Safety
Safety is a significant consideration at any time of the year, but especially when the temperatures plummet and start causing problems for various parts of your vehicle. For example, tire pressures decrease when the temperatures drop, which may cause poor traction and uneven wear. Cold weather can also cause the smallest chips or cracks in your windshield to become much larger.
Check your tire pressure, inspect the tread depth, and research the best all-weather or winter tires if it’s time to replace them. Now is also a great time to replace your wiper blades and top up your washer fluid with a winter-friendly option.
A Complete Solution: How Our Services Work Together
Solar Shield is proud to provide a complete solution for vehicle owners getting ready to perform fall car prep. Inquire about our window tinting services to reduce winter glare, paint protection film to protect car paint from salt and slush, and custom-fit floor mats to handle the muck and mess that winter brings.
Schedule Your Fall Prep with the Experts at Solar Shield
We’re the winter car protection experts you can trust in Fort Smith, Arizona. If you’re thinking about preparing your car for winter and fall, schedule your fall prep services with our friendly team today.