Beware of Autumn Leaves, Your Car’s Silent and Potentially Costly Enemy
Shifting seasons means that damage may be coming to your car’s paint job, and not just from the usual suspects like road salt and bright sunshine. As the trees shed their autumn colors, leaves may damage your car’s exterior.
Leaves find their way into vehicles’ hard-to-reach spots —getting caught under wipers, clogging air intakes and drain holes, and jamming up the sunroof. Wet leaves also contain tree sap, which is acidic and can damage the finish on a car’s paint so it’s best to avoid parking under trees —especially if you’re not driving much.
“Anything that’s on your paint, you should clean it off right away and sometimes that’s not possible if you live if you drive multiple cars and one is parked all the time,” said Rob Harper, the director of operations for Ziebart International, an automotive aftermarket company that specializes in refreshing exteriors.
“More often than not,
