Beware Of The Car Cover That Scratches The Finish

[Litlos]

While I was away at work the TGF decides it is a good idea to get a cover for my relatively new Pajero Sport as the bugs are making a mess on it. Asks me and I say OK, just get it from Mitsubishi so is good quality and not a Chinese copy. The TGF runs the car up to temperature once a week and gives the AC a run to keep everything ready for when I get home. So she has to lift said cover to do this.

Next weeks phone call home, there is problem with car? TGF has trouble describing and I cannot make head or tail of her explanation, OK do nothing. Then next call it is explained a bit further that there is something wrong with car and from cover , <deleted>? Next call is cover taken off now and have problem with paint, OK now definetly do nothing and I will fix when I get home. Had visions of a certain Vicar of Dibley episode where they vicar and assistant try to panel beat one small dent out of a new car and end up totalling the whole car. OK will do nothing, phew.

Get home and have a look, the cover has put very fine scratches in the paintwork anywhere it is drawn over a surface. The edges of guards, the door handles etc etc all have like rub marks. The rain deflectors on the door windows have very obvious rub marks with like a fine silver metalic compound in the marks. Oh <deleted>.

So I try a bit of scratch remover polish and the marks come out, great, hold at most done and talk to Mitsubishi. They then accept there is a problem and send out a couple of guys who then basically polish the whole car. Apparently the cover will also be replaced, just has not happened as yet.

Moral or the story, beware of car covers, they may cause more problems than they solve.

Cheers

[MoonRiverOasis]

Agreed!

I bought a cover for my first car in TH (about 13 years ago) - it didn't take long to realize it was just a big scrubbing brush once that Thai dust had made it's way under it.

Not worth the hassle at all IMHO. Much easier to clean off 3 month old dirt and bird shit than do a full cut on your paintwork

[katabeachbum]

Agreed!

I bought a cover for my first car in TH (about 13 years ago) - it didn't take long to realize it was just a big scrubbing brush once that Thai dust had made it's way under it.

Not worth the hassle at all IMHO. Much easier to clean off 3 month old dirt and bird shit than do a full cut on your paintwork

My first 2 cars here came with free covers, never even opend the pack. Not even in a garage would I use a pvc cover, as I know it has to scratch the car.

Wax before parking, and wash it when you want to use it

[rixalex]

Interesting. My last car i didn't use a cover, and it ended up covered in scratches thanks to a cat sleeping on it in the night (not my cat by the way!)- by the time i realised where the scratches were coming from, it was too late to do much about it. Damage done as they say. My new car i am therefore using a cover at night. I hope i don't experience the same problems as you guys. Daren't leave it uncovered. Or do you guys think that modern car paint would be resistant to cats claws?

[Litlos]

The cover is soft cotton liner(?) with a silver mettalic outside. Should be OK as in the carpark the are Porsches and Mercedes vehicles using what appears to be similar.

For cats it is a different story and much deeper scratches. May I suggest asprin in milk for kitty, and that should solve that particular problem, permanently.

Cheers

[MoonRiverOasis]

Interesting. My last car i didn't use a cover, and it ended up covered in scratches thanks to a cat sleeping on it in the night (not my cat by the way!)- by the time i realised where the scratches were coming from, it was too late to do much about it. Damage done as they say. My new car i am therefore using a cover at night. I hope i don't experience the same problems as you guys. Daren't leave it uncovered. Or do you guys think that modern car paint would be resistant to cats claws?

You're looking at this problem from the wrong angle Rixalex.

You shouldn't be asking about ways to armour-plate your new car, but instead ways of eliminating the problem

Ever thought about owning a dog?

[MoonRiverOasis]

The cover is soft cotton liner(?) with a silver mettalic outside. Should be OK as in the carpark the are Porsches and Mercedes vehicles using what appears to be similar.

For cats it is a different story and much deeper scratches. May I suggest asprin in milk for kitty, and that should solve that particular problem, permanently.

Cheers

I have a Porsche, but no way will I use the cover - once any dust gets under it (and it will), it doesn't matter what it's made of anymore.

Can you park your freshly cleaned car for say 3-4 days and come back to see it dust-free? If so, you either have a hermetically sealed garage, or you live on some remote Thai island In which case, go for it

[Litlos]

I was lead into temptation by the Porsches and Mercedes using covers in the same building (Porsche black Cayenne Diesel and Mercedes AMG). Good point on the dust, I work 100KM east of Koh Samui and we still get dust, so best accept Thailand is a high dust environment. Was worried about deposits from bugs as some can be acidic (alkaline?) and damage paintwork. Not as quickly as a cover apparently.

Any good place near BKK Suk 6 for waxing as that appears to be the way to go?

Cheers

[transam]

Classic mega dosh cars have a cotton cover (bed sheet ) then a cover. No scratches. Build up many layers of wax to take the brunt out of dust scratches.

[2unique]

Had visions of a certain Vicar of Dibley episode where they vicar and assistant try to panel beat one small dent out of a new car and end up totalling the whole car.

was Father Ted btw

Any good place near BKK Suk 6 for waxing as that appears to be the way to go?

Cheers

good place on the little cut through soi that runs from soi 26 Big C to 22 - just after soi 24 on the right

Edited February 2, 2012 by 2unique

[2unique]

Agreed!

I bought a cover for my first car in TH (about 13 years ago) - it didn't take long to realize it was just a big scrubbing brush once that Thai dust had made it's way under it.

Not worth the hassle at all IMHO. Much easier to clean off 3 month old dirt and bird shit than do a full cut on your paintwork

My first 2 cars here came with free covers, never even opend the pack. Not even in a garage would I use a pvc cover, as I know it has to scratch the car.

Wax before parking, and wash it when you want to use it

good for wrapping the fridge when the flood came - first time I used mine...

[mogandave]

Covers are great for long term storage, but not for overnight. Never cover a dirty car, and the cover hast to fit perfect or it does more harm than good. Wolf makes great covers.

[rixalex]

For cats it is a different story and much deeper scratches. May I suggest asprin in milk for kitty, and that should solve that particular problem, permanently.

Cheers

LOL

Well, i do hate cats, even when they aren't scratching my car, but if i was going to be taking hits out, i think i'd start with the owners who take on these animals, but who take no responsibility when they excrete the most foul smelling shit in my garden, or when they damage my car.

[rixalex]

Interesting. My last car i didn't use a cover, and it ended up covered in scratches thanks to a cat sleeping on it in the night (not my cat by the way!)- by the time i realised where the scratches were coming from, it was too late to do much about it. Damage done as they say. My new car i am therefore using a cover at night. I hope i don't experience the same problems as you guys. Daren't leave it uncovered. Or do you guys think that modern car paint would be resistant to cats claws?

You're looking at this problem from the wrong angle Rixalex.

You shouldn't be asking about ways to armour-plate your new car, but instead ways of eliminating the problem

Ever thought about owning a dog?

I have four dogs mate but late at night they are all tucked up in their comfy beds and seem to let it pass that cat wants to sleep on a hard bit of metal outside.

Actually, it seems cats aren't the only wildlife that enjoy taking a stroll on my motor late at night - the other week i found what looked distinctly like rat droppings on the roof. If so, perhaps the rats explain the presence of the cat. What next? A herd of gazelles perhaps.

[Litlos]

Good pickup on the TV show, I stand humbly corrected, it was Father Ted.

Luckily I do not have the cat problem, they prefer the soft top Mercedes instead. My friend in Oz swears by the aspirin in milk remedy for the cat headache though. Apparently he has a family nearby who are on the 4th cat and looking for a snake in their yard as kitty would not be going anywhere else. He is very fussy on his cars and scratch marks on the paintwork are not tolerated. Suggest the same remedy never mind how appealing it would be to resolve the owner problem, less chance of repercussions and far cheaper.

Could also play a bit of mind games with their superstitions after pussy carks it for no obvious reason, if you had a really evil side. Would probably work better after no 2 or 3 passes on mysteriously though. Want to buy a cheap house anyone? Has bad spirits and pets keep dying.

Cheers

[rixalex]

Good pickup on the TV show, I stand humbly corrected, it was Father Ted.

Luckily I do not have the cat problem, they prefer the soft top Mercedes instead. My friend in Oz swears by the aspirin in milk remedy for the cat headache though. Apparently he has a family nearby who are on the 4th cat and looking for a snake in their yard as kitty would not be going anywhere else. He is very fussy on his cars and scratch marks on the paintwork are not tolerated. Suggest the same remedy never mind how appealing it would be to resolve the owner problem, less chance of repercussions and far cheaper.

Could also play a bit of mind games with their superstitions after pussy carks it for no obvious reason, if you had a really evil side. Would probably work better after no 2 or 3 passes on mysteriously though. Want to buy a cheap house anyone? Has bad spirits and pets keep dying.

Cheers

Food for thought! Thanks.