To Car Cover or Not?

[NateDaGreat58]

Hi Everyone,

I recently bought a new 2015 Civix Si Sedan and want to treat it well for many years to come. So here's my situation, my work has an open parking lot with no shade nearby and since I live in Texas (blazing heat and sun) so I thought it was a wise investment to get a custom car shade for the car to keep the sun from fading the cars paint and plastics.

Here are my concerns. I've used the cover once when the car was relatively clean (some pollen was there though) but the wind really picked up that day and was brutal on my cover. After close inspection, I found micro scratches on the clear coat on a few small spots. Luckily, they seemed to have buffed out with my first wax, but still gave me quite the scare!

Is it worth it to cover the car most the time? Or is it unrealistic to do so? Especially if that means that the car needs to be washed every week to minimize rubbing dirt on the paint. If I wash and wax the car regularly, will that in itself help with the sun fading? Just wanted to hear y'all's thoughts on this.

Appreciate your input!

 

[Nomar06]

Tint the windows with ceramic tint and use those cover sunshades things on the dash.

 

[NateDaGreat58]

Tint the windows with ceramic tint and use those cover sunshades things on the dash.

I have 30% wincos (all but front) and a sun shade for the front. I was thinking more about the external parts of the car. The car cover is a pain to put on, so if I can get some justification to use it less, that would be great! Haha.

 

[webby]

I don't really see paint fade as a serious concern. I've seen others talk about covers scratching the paint as well.

 

[Pauly99to17]

I'm no expert, but I think that if you clean and protect the paint well then the paint should be fine. Clay bar twice a year (I do spring and fall). Then polish, then wax for protection. I do about 4 thorough waxes/year and also Maguairs Quick Wax each time after a washing. I'm thinking all this waxing etc. is very helpful for paint protection. @RaskyR1 is our expert and will surely be able to shed some light on your dilemma.

 

[Monk]

Having lived in Denver for 30 years, I understand your need to protect the paint from the sun....... But, on the other hand the scratches aren't a good trade off. A high dollar cover with a soft lining is an option. But, you run the risk of it getting stolen.

 

[NateDaGreat58]

Thanks for the input! With the info y'all have gave me, it looks like I should only use the cover more for long term situations, like if I were to leave my car in the lot for a few days at a local carpool meet-up for trips. The trade off of scratches from using it daily at my work doesn't seem worth it. I'm pretty good about washing and waxing the car myself too so hopefully I'll be ok! I'll have to give clay baring a try in the future.

 

[RaskyR1]

The only time I suggest using a car cover is when it's stored inside and the car is 100% clean and dry before putting it on. When I had my show car I would let it cool down after driving and then I'd wipe it down with a detail spray before putting the cover on it so it was squeaky clean. The only reason I even used the cover was so that it wasn't dusty the next time I wanted to drive the car.

Pulling a car cover over a dusty/dirty car can marr the finish and once you do it the cover will also be dirty on the inside too. I don't like using them outdoors since any flapping from strong winds can damage the finish too, which you've already experienced. keep the car clean, wax often, and your paint should be good for a long time.

FYI: It's likely that the marring it already caused is still there and the wax just filled it in temporarily. An actual polish would be required to remove scratching/marring, but if waxing hides it then there is no real reason to polish yet.