Keep Your Car Insect Free This Season
As warmer weather approaches, prep your vehicle to keep pesky bugs away from your car. Insects dirty the appearance of your automobile and pose a threat to your car’s clear coat and paint. From finding a bug deflector to regularly washing and waxing your vehicle, keep in mind the tips below to protect your car from insects.
Install a Bug Shield
Adding a bug shield to your vehicle’s hood minimizes the number of bugs that hit your windshield when you’re driving. The shield creates a slipstream that pulls the insects up and over your car. You can have a bug deflector installed by a vehicle technician or attach the visor yourself. To put the shield on at home, follow these steps:
- Clean your hood: Wash the front edge of your hood. Touch up any scratches or dings, as it will be hard to do once the deflector is installed.
- Read the instructions: Determine if you affix your shield with automotive tape or by screwing the deflector into existing holes in your hood.
- Line up the shield: Set the visor in place to get an idea of where it will mount. For a tape-on shield, mark where your shield’s clips will fasten to the hood. Line up the shield’s holes with the holes on your hood for a screw-in shield.
- Prepare for installation: Either create tabs by pulling two inches of each tape strip off of your shield or halfway thread your screws into the shield’s holes.
- Attach the deflector: For a tape-on, clip the shield into place on the spots previously marked and close the hood. Then pull off the remaining tape strips. Press down on the deflector to securely adhere it. For a screw-on visor, fasten the deflector, being careful not to crack the shield by tightening the screws too much.
Prepare Around the Weather
As temperatures warm, the chances increase of insects entering your vehicle. Window deflectors can prevent bugs from either accidentally flying in an open window or seeking shelter inside your car during inclement weather.
Also called window rain guards, the deflectors protect your vehicle’s interior from wet weather and wind by diverting the air away from any open windows. The shields allow you to drive comfortably with your windows rolled down, keeping the wind and bugs from blowing into your car.
Maintain the Exterior
Even with guards installed on your vehicle, some bugs are going to stick to the exterior of your car. Besides affecting your vehicle’s overall appearance, insects and the residue they leave behind can eat away at your car’s paint if not cleaned off.
Frequently wash away grime, and consider getting regular wax jobs. Waxing your hood and bumper can prevent small bugs from getting stuck to your car. A layer of wax also aids in future clean-ups, as it adds a barrier between your vehicle’s clear coat and any muck.
Preparing your vehicle for the buggy season will keep your car clean and protect it against corrosive insect residue. Shop online for your bug shields and window guards, and get ready to cruise bug-free this season.