9 Helpful Monsoon Car Care Tips
The exterior of your vehicle bears the maximum brunt of the monsoon season with a lot of water, dirt, and debris continuously falling on the car. To ensure your vehicle is always in its pristine condition even with the rain pouring, here’s how you can protect the car exterior:
The first thing most owner-drivers rush to buy at the hint of some rain is a car cover to protect their vehicle. However, it is recommended to avoid using a plastic cover to keep your car from the monsoon showers.
While the cover helps keep the rainwater and dirt off your car, it is also known to stick to the clear coat of paint when the sun dries it out. This means that the protective coat could get peeled off when you remove the cover, exposing the car to elements that can damage it even further. Instead, avoid parking your vehicle in the open as much as you can.
Make sure you clean the car after every drive throughout the monsoon season. It will help remove leaves, twigs, dirt, or any other debris present. In case you park your car outside, it is advised to clean your vehicle every day to remove any leaves or branches that could potentially damage the car’s exterior.
Your vehicle is always exposed to the sun, and the rain during the monsoon. One way to avoid damage to the car exterior due to flooding or rains is by getting a paint protection process done. It is recommended to opt for a ceramic paint protection coat as it safeguards the car from damage caused due to direct exposure to rainwater or the sun.
Two of the most prominent places where dirt and debris easily reside are under the bonnet and in the boot of your car. You will find leaves, twigs, dirt, and even moisture that blocks the drainage holes, leading to water build-up and, eventually, rusting. The door jams are another area that collects moisture. If left unattended, it can result in rusting and corroding.
The underside of the car is constantly exposed to rainwater due to flooded roads, leading to the formation of rust. Therefore, it is best to protect the underside of your car with an anti-rust coating. Avoid spraying it on the components such as the engine, exhaust of the vehicle, brakes, etc. due to fire hazards and brake failure.
After implementing the monsoon car care tips for the exterior of your vehicle, it’s time to start working on protecting the interiors. Let’s go through some tips below:
With heavy rain comes dirt, mud, and rainwater. It means your car’s floor mats will be dirty in just a few commutes. To keep the floor mats clean at all times, it is best to have some newspapers handy as they absorb moisture and dirt from your shoes.
Besides, newspapers are readily available and cheaper as compared to replacing your car floor mats. However, remember to wash the mats from time to time for removing the dirt build-up and preventing any mould.
When travelling in the rain, you are most likely to get moisture into the car, especially on the seats. One of the best ways to avoid this is by placing a highly absorbent towel on the seats.
It will help keep the seats dry and clean at all times, and, in turn, ensuring your clothes don’t get wet. Furthermore, check that your steering wheel, dashboard, and gear knobs are dry, as mould can quickly grow on them during the monsoon season.
Having a properly functioning air conditioner (AC) helps regulate the moisture inside the car and keeps it dry and fresh. Further, it also helps prevent any foul smell or fungal growth inside the car.
You certainly do not want to be stuck on flooded roads during monsoons in India. Hence, it is imperative to check your car’s battery and wiring before taking it out for a drive. Make sure that all the wiring and fuse elements are well insulated to avoid any short circuits during rains.
7 Safety tips to Take Care of Your Car During the Rainy Season
In addition to the monsoon car care tips, here are some safety measures you can implement while driving this rainy season:
Get your car tyres checked for any wear or tear before taking the vehicle out for its first monsoon spin. Inspect the tyre treads to ensure that they have adequate depth as it is essential to maintain traction when driving on wet surfaces.
The grooves in your rubber tyre are designed to expel water and prevent hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when the tyre is separated from the road’s surface by a thin film of water, causing it to lose traction with the ground. The vehicle becomes difficult to control in such a situation. Most times, it is best to get worn out tyres replaced or retreaded before monsoon.
Driving in the rain is no joke and sometimes it can be dangerous. Any minor negligence can cost you your life. So, focus solely on having better control of your car. Avoid any sudden actions as it can very easily overwhelm tyre traction. So, ensure to be smooth and gentle with your actions while driving in the rain.
The first rain of the season is highly treacherous. It tends to leach out the oils and grime from the road surface, making it all the more slippery. Hence, keeping the speed lower than normal is highly recommended as one of the top monsoon care tips.
It is possible to lose track of what you drive over especially in traffic-clogged areas. It could be a pothole or some tree branches and you wouldn’t notice if you are unable to see clearly. Ensure that your windscreen is clean by using the wipers when required.
You can use the defogger and the air conditioner to clear up any mist that appears on your windscreen on a dreary day. Most advanced cars that are built with climate control automatically turn on the AC while the defogger is on. For this, you must make sure that the blower and AC are functioning properly.
Even if it is not raining and just overcast, it is advisable to drive with the car headlight on. The gloomy weather conditions reduce contrast, so your headlights make the road ahead more visible.
Moreover, with the loud noise on the roof of your car and constant honking around you, it is best to put on the hazard lights. Driving with lights on during the daytime is usually not the best practice, but in times of uncertainty, it is perfectly normal to use.
You may have noticed many motorists attempting to move fast through shallow puddles, but it is much better for your car if you go slowly. Driving speedily actually forces water to splash into your car’s undercarriage and causes damage, making you spend on repairs.
While turning or shifting into another lane, make gradual steering-wheel movements instead of pushing or cranking the car. That could cause further electrical and mechanical damage to the vehicle. It is advisable to gently ease up on the gas pedal and slow down until the car regains traction on the slippery road.
Over to you!
Heavy monsoon, coupled with unpredictable weather patterns, can be a huge setback to the smooth functioning of our daily lives. This includes our vehicles, which bear the brunt of heavy rainfalls during the monsoon. Thus, car insurance becomes crucial to make sure that your vehicle is secure in case of a mishap.
Head over to Finserv MARKETS to check out our comprehensive car insurance plans that offer extensive coverage. With 24x7 roadside assistance, coverage against natural calamities, add-on covers and more, we have got your back this monsoon. So, don’t hold back and get your car insured today!
Getting a loan to take care of my wedding and relieving my parents to enjoy the occasion was the best decision I ever made. Easy-to-apply, amazing interest rate and quick disbursal, what more can one ask for!