The sun shining overhead without a cloud in the sky, and you in your freshly washed car ready to hit the open road for an exciting summer adventure. Could anything possibly ruin this perfect moment?
As it turns out, absolutely.
There are few things that can put a damper on your plans and your road trip spirit more than making your way out to your car to find that it's already been "claimed" by a nearby flock of birds. Not only can these annoying avians create a serious aesthetic headache, ruining the shiny like-new look of your car, but if left unchecked, they can also have a serious maintenance impact that can end up costing you money. Here are a few things to keep in mind to prevent your car from going to the birds.
Make your car off-limits
Birds are a lot like small children – they'll go pretty much anywhere they can get away with. This means that when it comes to de-birding your car, prevention plays a significant role. Just like when you're preventing a precocious toddler from grabbing the cookie jar, if you want to keep feathered friends away from your ride, make sure it stays off-limits.
As much as you may be tempted to use your garage to store your old Halloween decorations, unused sporting equipment and a whole host of other items that never see the light of day but that you can't bring yourself to part with, resist the temptation to cave in to clutter. Instead, use your garage for what it was intended for – keeping your car safe. If you don't have a garage, you can accomplish a similar effect by purchasing a cover for your car. As an added bonus, this can help you keep the sun out.
"Many urban birds swallow gravel, which makes their droppings particularly abrasive."
Get it washed
You walk to the parking lot only to find that during the work day a wayward bird has seen fit to mark your car. Better add it to the list of things to take care of this weekend, right?
Wrong. It may not seem like a big deal, but bird droppings can be far more than just an eyesore for your car. Droppings are highly acidic, and if left sitting on your car, these caustic chemicals can eat through your car's clear coat and paint, and may even begin to rust the body. To make matters worse, many urban birds swallow gravel, which makes their droppings particularly abrasive. These damaging effects are even more pronounced in the heat of summer, so be sure to get your car cleaned as soon as you can.
Polish carefully
For those tough stuck-on jobs, you'll likely need to polish your car after you wash it to remove any additional traces of unpleasantness. Just be careful when doing this. The average bird damage area is around 2 millimeters thick, while your car's paint and clear coat is only about 4-6 mm thick. Buffing the affected area is necessary for blending the affected area with the surrounding parts of the car, but if you go too far you may end up damaging the overall paint job.
For more tips on maintaining or buying a high-quality pre-owned vehicle, head to New Jersey State Auto Auction. You'll find hundreds of Carfax-certified cars on the lot, and a knowledgeable sales staff committed to helping pair you with the car of your dreams.