My friend got a job in Florida (West Palm Beach) and is afraid to take his new 530 BMW with him because "it's too hot down there". He is afraid that the sun will bake out the plasticizers from the rubber trim that is designed for colder German weather. What do you suggest?
Does sun bake rubber trim?
- Thread starter Leon
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Heat, UV, and ozone all attack rubber. For what you pay for a BMW, you should get rubber formulated to resist it.
I inherited a 02' ford crown vic august of last year, and sold it, talk about a car with no resale value. It was from the tampa/st.pete area of florida. The car lived outside at an assisted living project. It's rubber trim was in poor shape for being only 2 or 3 years old. I wouldent fear it, I bet there are more upholstrey shops down there that have experience replacing it.
Kestas
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Yeah - the manufacturers run accelerated UV tests, but that doesn't mean they make cars that are UV resistant.
My mother kept a car at West Palm Beach for four years... drove it in the winter, and kept it parked it in the summer sun during the off season. The car was nearly new when she took it down there. We just sold it for $250 because it looked like **** .
The UV damage on cars in Florida is incredible.... the paint was half gone, the plastic trim was in bad shape, the interior was badly faded, the plastic layer in the windshield safety glass was bubbling, headlights were yellowed, rust perforations in the body, fasteners were corroded. There wasn't a visible part on the car that wasn't affected!
I try to tell the lay people who don't really understand or appreciate what it takes to keep a car in good shape that if you take a new car, don't drive it but park it in the Florida sun, that the car would be junk after four years. The sun and salt will do their job.
My mother kept a car at West Palm Beach for four years... drove it in the winter, and kept it parked it in the summer sun during the off season. The car was nearly new when she took it down there. We just sold it for $250 because it looked like **** .
The UV damage on cars in Florida is incredible.... the paint was half gone, the plastic trim was in bad shape, the interior was badly faded, the plastic layer in the windshield safety glass was bubbling, headlights were yellowed, rust perforations in the body, fasteners were corroded. There wasn't a visible part on the car that wasn't affected!
I try to tell the lay people who don't really understand or appreciate what it takes to keep a car in good shape that if you take a new car, don't drive it but park it in the Florida sun, that the car would be junk after four years. The sun and salt will do their job.
The EPDM rubber that is commonly used is formulated to resist cold, ozone, heat, etc. They run accelerated weatherometer tests and the like for supplier approval. If your friend still doesn't want to take it with him, he can drop it off here in Huntsville, AL. I will make sure the weatherstripping is taken care of.
I've lived many years in Tampa, and I'd like to contribute some more anecdotal evidence.
But first of all, the UV in Florida is not as strong as it is in drier regions, as the higher moisture in the atmosphere tends to filter out some UV. I have not gotten sunburned as fast in Florida as I have in California, Colorado, or Oklahoma, for instance.
Cars really do take a beating in Florida though, especially on the coast. I think the culprit is not so much the salt nowadays, but the sand combined with the heat and frequent rain, encouraging mold and abrasion to attack everything. Damp grit everywhere can make a car look like it sat at the bottom of a swamp. But with some discipline, such as always parking in the shade and frequent rubdowns of all rubber, vinyl, and leather parts, I was able to keep my cars in pretty good shape.
There are much more valid and worrying reasons for avoiding Florida than the climate....
But first of all, the UV in Florida is not as strong as it is in drier regions, as the higher moisture in the atmosphere tends to filter out some UV. I have not gotten sunburned as fast in Florida as I have in California, Colorado, or Oklahoma, for instance.
Cars really do take a beating in Florida though, especially on the coast. I think the culprit is not so much the salt nowadays, but the sand combined with the heat and frequent rain, encouraging mold and abrasion to attack everything. Damp grit everywhere can make a car look like it sat at the bottom of a swamp. But with some discipline, such as always parking in the shade and frequent rubdowns of all rubber, vinyl, and leather parts, I was able to keep my cars in pretty good shape.
There are much more valid and worrying reasons for avoiding Florida than the climate....
I had an 86 Cougar that spent its first 5 years in the garage a nd then got shuffled outside as a newer car took its place in the garage. After about 5 years outside, I noticed that the pass side window rubbers were all drying out & cracking. The driveway faces east, so the pass side got the worst of the sun all year. The hot, dry No Calif sun!
My daughter has a 2000 BMW 528 in Virginia and the rubber trim around the windsheild and rear window is filled with a few hundred cracks.
In Bolivia where my house it 6200 ft above sea level, the plastic trim on my 4Runner is white/grey from the sun.
In Bolivia where my house it 6200 ft above sea level, the plastic trim on my 4Runner is white/grey from the sun.
I am sure the detailers out there would know best but since I started using that tire & trim oil on all the trim it sure stays nice and clean no fade I can see. I cover my car as often as I can because I know the UV will kill the exterior.If you live in Vegas or south Fla. and get in your car after a few hours in the sun,the steering wheel is to hot to handle.The very least is get a window shade, park under a tree,or near a tall blgd..I think the wax today has UV protection so it is extra work living in the hot summer sun.But I think Texas and the midwest are just as bad you can't blame Fla.
On the car/marine detailing forums, 303 Protectant is tauted as being the "ARX//LC/FP" of rubber and vinyl protectants.
Check out their web site for some good marketing info. It is suppose to block UV rays and maintain the plasticizers, etc..
Who knows, maybe it works!
Check out their web site for some good marketing info. It is suppose to block UV rays and maintain the plasticizers, etc..
Who knows, maybe it works!
Tell him to get some Meguiars Trim Detailer and quit his whinning...certainly if its neglected the Florida heat will punish the/any car...but hes got to be a big baller if hes drivin a BMW and living in WPB...have the car detailed and quit your worrying. But if the trim is neglected expect spots...Ive never had cracking or splitting trim/rubber...I also use water based products for all my rubber and dash cleaning/protectant needs. Only down side is rain will tend to wash freshly applied product, but if given a few days to cure it will look nice for months.
Traditionally cars from the SW United States had great bodies and chrome after 20-30 years of use, but the rubber and the interior were toasted.
Up north the interior and weatherstripping lasted pretty well.
Best is cool and dry, such as eastern Washington state and similar locales.
Worst is American Gulf Coast.
Here in north Texas (and Dallas pollution), constant care is required. I always take the time to wipe down the weatherstripping at each wash, and use LEATHERIQUE on all interior surfaces except fabric or clear plastic.
Wiper blades I simply replace every six months.
Up north the interior and weatherstripping lasted pretty well.
Best is cool and dry, such as eastern Washington state and similar locales.
Worst is American Gulf Coast.
Here in north Texas (and Dallas pollution), constant care is required. I always take the time to wipe down the weatherstripping at each wash, and use LEATHERIQUE on all interior surfaces except fabric or clear plastic.
Wiper blades I simply replace every six months.
This is an interesting thread because I recently replaced my 89 Pathfinder with a 92 from Southern California, and I had similar thoughts. Older Pathfinders (95 and prior), especially the rear frames, rust like heck here in New England and after my 89 was totaled in February of this year, I was determined to find a good replacement. The one thing that I did not want to deal with is rust because I had spent a lot of time and money keeping the rust at bay. Well, my journey took me to the Southwest where I found a good deal on a 92 that was very well maintained. I couldn’t believe the condition of the metal on this thing. It looked like it just rolled off the factory floor; I was amazed. What I did notice, however, was the condition of the exposed rubber and plastic/vinyl trim pieces. “Baked” is a good word for it. Fortunately, I was able to scavenge what I could from what remained of my 89, and over time this stuff is fairly is easy to fix or replace.
SW sun is pretty rough on the paint too.
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