Partake In Some Shady Parking

Car tyres in Auckland, NZ, especially premium brands, are not cheap. While you can buy budget brands, you want to look after them and extend their life as much as possible. By continuing to park your vehicle in the direct sun. you’re not looking after them and you’re certainly not extending their life.

The heat from the sun has a negative effect on your tyres. Tyre pressure increases as the heat does, which leads to faster rates of wear and heightens the potential for blowouts. Meanwhile, the tyre begins to dry out, due to oils in the rubber evaporating – and dry rubber means you’re well on the road to a perished tyre. And then there are the UV rays in direct sunlight which causes the tyre to break down.

All of this can be largely avoided by parking in the shade. If you have a garage or carport, use it instead of parking in the street or on an uncovered driveway. If you’re out and about, park in covered carparks if you can, or even under a tree; it’s been estimated that this can help protect your car from UV damage by up to 30%.

By parking in the shade, you look after your tyres and minimise the damage that can be done to the rest of the vehicle. For example, leather seating is affected by direct sunlight as well as excessive heat. The leather dries out, cracks and looks awful. To prevent this, park in shaded areas where possible, although regular applications of a leather conditioner will also help.

A car’s paintwork can also be terribly damaged by too much sun. Oxidized auto paint causes that dull, patchy and matte-finished chalk appearance that is all too common on many Kiwi cars, particularly the bonnet. When this happens, it encourages rust to build up on the sheet metal which can have major structural implications down the track. Good luck getting a Warrant of Fitness when that happens.

We park out in direct sunlight because we’re fond of lazy parking – we like to grab a parking spot close to our destination, or we park on the street outside our home because we can’t be bothered opening the garage door – unless it’s remote-controlled, of course! What we need to do is get into the habit of shady parking, and look for cooler areas that provide shelter from UV rays. While a shaded parking spot might mean a bit more of a walk to where you want to go, it’s worth it. Take it from our team of tyre experts – it really is worth it!