Help Your Windshield Survive High Heat

Winter might be coming, but soon summer will be here again. If you've just moved to an area of the country that has excessively hot summers, such as Arizona, West Texas, inland Southern California, and so on, you must learn how to protect your car, especially the glass. The heat places a lot of stress on your car's windshield, and how you treat the windshield can mean the difference between letting it survive and getting it replaced.

Wash in the Morning

As the day goes on and gets hotter, so will your windshield. Pouring cold or even cool water on the windshield could cause it to crack from thermal stress. If you have to wash your car, do so in the morning before it gets very hot. That way the glass won't have to make the switch from very hot to cold in a few seconds.

Be Careful with Those Wipers

The same goes for using your windshield fluid during the day. While the fluid, which has been in your engine compartment, will be warmer than car-wash water, the temperature can still be a bit of a shock for the glass. If your windshield gets dirty during the day, park in the shade somewhere, let the glass cool off, and then take a squeegee with windshield-cleaning fluid to the glass.

Get a Carport

You've got to find some way to store the car in the shade. A garage is best, but if you don't have one or work somewhere that doesn't have one, find a spot that will be protected by shade from a building in the afternoon. If you live in a home that doesn't have a garage for some reason, invest in a portable carport that covers the entire driveway. In a worst-case scenario, a car cover could work, though that would be annoying to deal with daily.

Run Errands Before or After the Heat

When you don't have to be anywhere in the middle of the day, don't go. Run errands in the cooler morning or less brutal early evening. Try to keep the car in a cool, protected spot as much as possible. That may be easier said than done, but do what you can.

And if the worst happens, and your windshield develops a crack, take the car in to a reputable windshield-repair company. They can try to patch the damage and replace the windshield if needed.

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