What's easier to clean and deal with if you don't use a car cover? Debris and other goo that comes from trees, or interior and exterior problems associated with parking in the sun?

While I have heard of cleaners for pretty much anything coming from a tree, it doesn't seem like you can do as good of a job cleaning anything that can happen from too much sun. However, I would imagine that the potential for sun and heat damage is much much less than leaves, sap, birds and everything else that can come from parking under a tree.

What does everyone think? Never park under a tree?

 

I would take the sun over parking under a tree any day of the week. Bird poop will ruin paint, very quickly.

Just use a good protecturant on the black plastic (BlackWOW comes to mind), a windshield shield to protect the dash, and a good coat of wax/sealant on the paint.

 

Park in the sun and use a cover. Or park under a tree and use a cover.

The biggest 'danger' is the birds. I've had several vehicles with the paint etched by urea. So you can park under a tree, and wash off the bird poop every day, or take the couple of minutes to deal with a cover. The MINI is tough since the boot gets so filthy - have to Quikdetail that first - but it's a tradeoff.

 

im with skuzzy on this one. i would not want to park under a tree or near power lines for that matter.

i should make this my next sig:

all non-edible birds should be removed from the planet.

 

I'd rather park under the sun and if possible away from other cars. I'd rather walk a few more meters than deal with dings and bird bombs.

 

Agreed - a good coat of Epic on the car and Nero on all the interior bits, and pop in the sunshade and park in the sun!

 

Oh i forgot about that one... I use 303 on the dash and use a sunshade.

 

Park away from the tree and use a cover. Covers are cheep and easy to use.

Still in the sun even if no cover. The thing that kills a car interior, or anything else, is the UV rays. The windows have a UV filter in the glass.
Using a good sealant will protect the paint from oxidation and other fall out.

Never park under a tree!

 

What KIND if tree ?

What hours of sunlight ?

Just kidding... although some trees are MUCH worse than others, I would never park under any of them. Bird poop, sap, other stuff that comes off of trees... none of it is good for car paint.

I park away from the trees at work but benefit from some shade from them. We also have VERY wide parking spots that make it very unlikely to ever get a ding. That's one of my best fringe benefits here at The Farm (STATE Farm, that is).

 

I once parked in a Burger King parking lot to have a burger---little did I realize--the detailer in me was sleeping I guess--that the bird poo all over the ground was a big hint not to park there---and suddenly--WHAP!! WHAP!! I looked up there were like a dozen crows sitting on a power line all aiming for me! Heh heh, don't park under trees or power lines and check the ground before you park--it might just save your paint!

 

Yes...even though summer heat often makes shade an attractive option, hidden dangers lurk. I watch out for trees (in extreme heat some trees around her seem to "sweat" a sort of sap), overhead wires and light posts (bird pirches...or are they toilets?), planting beds (ninja weed-wackers show up w/ little notice, also rogue sprinklers), and...believe it of not...fireworks displays (ash falling from the sky...I kid you not!!!). Nope, give me the sun and wide open spaces.

 

I'm generally opposed to "parking" a MINI anywhere. MOTOR, I say! Motor!!

 

I tried that through the bank drive through once tig. Uh,..it was not pretty. Left my bank card, cash, deposit all in the tube sock. Ran over the attendant who was trying to fix a tube, bounced over the curb, and stopped inches from the drive-through window. Of course the attendant who was on the roof came sliding down into the window and broke it into a zillion pieces.

Looking eye-to-eye with the girl who was working at the counter, I really think she messed her shorts, as she seemed to slowly fall to the ground. She was out cold.

No,..there are times when it is appropriate to stop. I may be slow, but I can be taught.

 

I’ll take the sun everyday over parking under a tree. With temps in the 90/100’s where I live in Florida 6 to 8 months of the year, I have no garage nor do I have covered parking at work. My 5 year old MCS is in the open 365 days of the year rain, shine, heat or cold and 3 major hurricanes so far.

The inside of my MINI will get in the 150’s or higher daily for the next 6 months or more and I have no inside damage because of the heat.

Birds on the other hand can doo great damage after a short period of time and tree sap around here is acidic and will ruin paint with only a few spots.

And I will never use or recommend a cover to anyone who parks outside for any reason if you wish to keep the paint from being scratched or having to throw that soaked cover in the boot during or after a rain storm. This is where you get mold and stains in the car. You scratch the paint and make the car smell musty. Car covers, throw them away unless you park in a garage. 100% of the time.

 

Well, I used to park in the sun but that'd make my car's dark interior REALLY hot at the end of the day. So, after some observing, I now park under a tree but only because I know there aren't birds that roost on it.

Check the surroundings - if the cars you see frequently parked there have sap or lots of pollen or bird crap all over them, park in the sun away from air vents (at the side of buildings) or power lines or awnings that birds also like to perch from.

Or, y'know, use a cover