[soulfuel]

Now, I am in such a situation where I have no option but to park the car under the open sky. The weather is mostly extreme in summer and winter when the temperature goes above 45 in summer and drops below 7 in winter. The weather is mostly dry in this region.

I use a car cover most of the time but the car cover does not last more than a year due to the high heat. The heavy, waterproof cover saves the car in rain but accumulates moisture on the inside. Light car covers simply give up within 6 months because of the high heat. A temporary shade is not possible because of certain restrictions.

Therefore, I was thinking, "what can go wrong while keeping the car parked outdoor with or without a cover?" The possible answers

1. Paint damage
2. Plastic trim damage
3. Rubber part (door seals etc.) damage
4. Rusting?

I am concerned because I am looking to keep the car for a long time and the car is Tata Tigor 2019.

Looking for suggestions and advice.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by soulfuel

1. Paint damage
2. Plastic trim damage
3. Rubber parts(door seals etc.) damage

In addition to the above, there can be fading of the dashboard top and rear parcel tray area.

Another big thing to take care of is falling leaves, twigs and tree gums. These will get into little nooks and crevices, creating conditions perfect for rusting as well as clogging the drainage holes. The areas around the front and rear windshield, and especially the windshield scuttle panel area. Otherwise even for a well maintained car, the firewall, scuttle panel area will be prone to rusting and other problems caused by clogging of the drains.

[AROO7]

Originally Posted by soulfuel

Therefore, I was thinking what can go wrong while keeping the car parked outdoor, with or without cover. The possible answer seemed to me,
1. Paint damage
2. Plastic trim damage
3. Rubber parts(door seals etc.) damage
4. Rusting ?

Our beater car Hyundai i10 was kept in such condition for 8 years, of which for the first 6 years we used car cover but for the next 2 years it used to sit outside without a cover. Now the car is 11 year old and I can assure you if the OEM paint quality is good then it won't fade. My car paint still shines after a wash.

How I managed to do so?
Used only microfiber cloth to clean it using two bucket method. First some water to run-off loose dirt then one bucket filled with soapy water and one with clean. Dip in soapy water and rub the cloth on body then take it back and rinse in the clean water, then repeat. After this again hose down the car with clean water and wipe it dry with a microfiber cloth. Next take the car for a spin so water sitting in nook and crannies will be blown out. Avoid using compound on your car as it cuts some clear coat (clear coat protects the paint underneath and metal from the elements).

Coming to the second point, plastic trim sadly you can't do anything here. They will fade and black plastics will look horrible once they fade. Headlights will have yellowish tinge and in my case the wiper rubber used to get hard more often.

Coming to the third point, door seals gave up on me this year and I'm planning to get it replaced next week.

Coming to the fourth point, rusting won't happen unless there is any exposed metal due to a scratch or stone chip. Also wash your car less frequently, this will also prevent rusting. Recently I've switched to water less wash and wax formula. Works like a charm and leaves a smooth surface after it is buffed up.

Pro tip- try to park your car where any building's shadow fall when the sun goes up. I could park in such a way and this also helped. Plus you can look at putting sunshades and windshield screen to block too much sun-rays getting inside the cabin and heating it up.

[batish]

Originally Posted by soulfuel

Therefore, I was thinking what can go wrong while keeping the car parked outdoor, with or without cover. The possible answer seemed to me,
1. Paint damage
2. Plastic trim damage
3. Rubber parts(door seals etc.) damage
4. Rusting ?

I am concerned because I am looking for keeping the car for long time and the car is Tata Tigor 2019.

Looking for your suggestion and advice.

Don’t worry at all. You’ll have to do a little more TLC, that is all what is required.

There won’t be any paint damage if it’s under open sky. Keep it clean and wax it regularly. Paint will be fine. In your case only bird droppings can cause it to deteriorate quickly, avoid parking under trees. These droppings have acid which if not cleaned in time can blemish the paint.

For plastics, use dressings of good brands. They have UV protectors in them which will prevent it from fading.

Rubber parts you can replace when they give up. There’s not much which can be done here. Even in your circumstances they will easily last further 3-4 years.

Regarding rusting, just make sure car is clean from leaves or any dead materials which decompose and have moisture. Rust only starts where there is bare metal and it needs moisture. Like other members have mentioned, keep drains unclogged. Important areas to check are cowl panel and boot.

Your car is already in 4th year. Mind sharing some pictures?

[GTO]

Don't worry so much. It's a mass market car that is designed to withstand the extremities seen in India.

Your best solutions:

- Car cover.

- Better parking spot.

- Rent a covered parking spot from someone if extremely worried. Or find a multi-level parking lot close by which has monthly packages.

But really, even if you change your car cover every year, it will be worth it. You don't need anything else.

[sagarpadaki]

I suggest you put those silver reflective sheets on the front windshield and rear glass. And the netted window blinds for the side windows. Roll down all the windows by 1/2 inch so that there is cross ventilation. These measures will be sufficient to take care of the interiors of the car from heat.

Do not worry about external paint. It can withstand harsh conditions.

[SB08121980]

Would it be possible to build a temporary shade for your car ?

By possible, I mean permission wise ; do you own the land or can you convince the land owner ?

By temporary, I mean structure by MS angles or pipes and a corrugated sheet like the Tata Dura Shine roofing sheet ?

[androdev]

The really harsh sun hits from the south and west side. I prefer to park the car facing towards east or north. Sounds like Vaastu :-) but it will prevent yellowing of headlights and aging of rubber/plastics, etc. In general, avoiding harsh sun will be of great help.

[silverado]

I hope the car is in use, if its standing still for long period of time then its an issue.

If the parking cover is fading in heat, try to put up an old fashion cover like cotton bedsheet during dry times, maybe two layer old bedsheet should be a good option. You can put this above your regular cover.

Alternatively, assuming your parking is on same spot, make a folding frame exactly of the size of your car. Make it in such a way that part of frame lies under car tyres so that it cant be stolen.

[chinmaypillay]

Two cents from a constant outside parking person

- Use an old blanket to cover the dashboard always, this will ensure that the heat effect reduces. Maybe get a windshield sunfilm if you want to help reducing the heat.

- This was suggested by my mechanic, whatever you do do utilise a sheet to atleast cover the Windshield along with the base of the bonnet where the wiper and other holes are present (not getting the name)

This would ensure no stray leaves fall into the engine bay and reduce the scratches on the windshield

But as suggested by GTO, utilising a car cover is your best bet. Just ensure you take the car out once or twice in a week minimum to avoid unwanted guests and rusting.

[amit_2025]

Originally Posted by GTO

Don't worry so much. It's a mass market car that is designed to withstand the extremities seen in India.

Your best solutions:

- Car cover.

- Better parking spot.

- Rent a covered parking spot from someone if extremely worried. Or find a multi-level parking lot close by which has monthly packages.

But really, even if you change your car cover every year, it will be worth it. You don't need anything else.

Rush, your invaluable advise on the below would be super helpful. Have a query on a related note

Have parked our cars outdoors for the longest of time, albeit under natural shade on most occasions owing to the placement of the parking (Trees on on side, Building on the other)

Now the next car we are planning to purchase will in all likelihood have a panoramic sunroof

Here's the issue. Our society has a small forest area next to it and is frequented by monkeys way too often. A lot of these monkeys have a habit of dropping small stuff on the cars including stone chips. The car is parked right below our balcony, which also has stuff that the monkeys can carry and drop at times. I am worried on how to protect the sun roof from damage. Both our cars have small dents on the roof lines owing to some drop or the other from monkeys

I had to get the entire rear quarter panel changed once because I parked at a different place and the monkey playing on the street light above the spot ensured the light came crashing down on that fateful day

Any thoughts/ideas would be helpful

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by soulfuel

"what can go wrong while keeping the car parked outdoor with or without a cover?" The possible answers

1. Paint damage
2. Plastic trim damage
3. Rubber part (door seals etc.) damage
4. Rusting?

I am concerned because I am looking to keep the car for a long time and the car is Tata Tigor 2019.

Looking for suggestions and advice.

Don't worry too much. Abroad, I have seen cars parked outside throughout the year even at places that see regular hailstorms and sub-zero temperatures. Other than minor paint damage and fading, there are no major issues. Of course, the paint quality of the cars sold here might not be the same but still, it will hold up.

[viXit]

Cheap light covers, keep replacing every year.

Take a vacuum cleaner to all cowls and edges to remove twigs and leaves.
Your car will be in the top 1% of well maintained cars in India with just this

[IAmGroot]

Originally Posted by amit_2025

Now the next car we are planning to purchase will in all likelihood have a panoramic sunroof

Here’s the issue. Our society has a small forest area next to it and is frequented by monkeys way too often. A lot of these monkeys have a habit of dropping small stuff on the cars including stone chips. The car is parked right below our balcony, which also has stuff that the monkeys can carry and drop at times. I am worried on how to protect the sun roof from damage.

I have same worry, just that it’s bats instead of monkeys, and they drop half eaten fruits from far above. My car is parked next to a dreaded badam tree that is home to a colony of bats. The hard seeds from fruits are like rocks falling from above.

I was thinking of some kind of contraption, like a rectangular piece of thermocol that can sit between car cover and sunroof, kind of helmet for car’s head.

Best would be to have a car cover that has this kind of padding inbuilt for the area that covers sunroof.

Regarding the original problem statement of this thread, my red i20 was parked in open for 10 years and only one side was exposed to sun. After 10 years, the side facing sun is clearly more faded than the other side. If possible keep changing orientation of car.

Also, the color of car is not mentioned. I think lighter shades would perform better than darker shades in open parking.

[shankar.balan]

Please view this.
It is a very good product.
Both against rain as well as sun.
Only thing, make sure you also reinforce the car engine bay and all fender lining areas against rodents.
Again here are a couple of great products for that too.