What do you guys think about car covers? I don't have a garage but I park under a carport at my complex. My G is usually a weekend car so during the week, I usually have the car cover on in an attempt to keep the car clean until I'm ready to drive her (clean from dust, condensation, rain, etc etc). However, whenever I go to remove my cover, it is always dusty even if I put the cover on right after I wash the car earlier during the week. So what do you guys think? Cover or no cover? My main concern is that the dust on there might end up scratching the paint when I remove/put the cover back on.

Thoughts?

 

No to car cover. Does more harm than good if not put on right. Car really has to be clean before you put it on. I'd rent a garage if it's available.

 

Yes to a car cover. How can you not put it on right?? Check California Car Cover, i use one on my G37 coupe. Made in USA, custom fits like a glove..really. So if you rent a garage to store your car, how do you get there??

 

I actually have the stock Infiniti car cover. It fits the car perfectly but dust still gets in. I dust/fan it out every time I take it off the car in hopes to remove some of the dust but I dunno how much help that will do.

 

I didn't mean physically put it on right, but as in you must clean the car right before you put it on every single time. I'm not just talking about trying to dust the car off either. Even if you wash it and drive it for 2 minute the car is covered in dust. Putting the cover on repeatedly will cause your vehicle to be a swirl machine.

I'm not sure how his complex is setup, but my complex we have garages within the complex (some attached to the building, some detached garages still inside the complex) that you can rent.

Taken from What Causes Swirl Marks? | Ask a Pro Blog

Car Covers
This is an issue I keep seeing with many new clients. They keep the car under the cover over winter and start seeing swirl marks soon after, getting worse and worse throughout the winter and requiring polishing in the spring. Why? It’s because they cover the car one day, take it out for a drive, then bring it right back and put the cover on. This is a big no-no! No matter how soft, expensive and reliable the car cover, it will cause swirl marks when placed on a car that wasn’t washed just before the cover goes on. Even a 10 minute drive to the grocery store and back will leave dust particles on the paint, so when the cover goes back on it’s simply rubbing all this dust into the paint. On some very hard paints, it might not do anything for a while, but on softer black paints the car will look horrible after going through only a few of these situations. So, wash your car before putting a cover on it AND make sure the cover is completely clean inside to avoid swirl marks.

 

I find my car cover (that I bought from my Infiniti dealership and keep in the trunk) quite useful when I have to park outside on a hot Southern California day. Also, I usually crack the side windows a bit. Putting the cover on prevents my interior from baking like a cake.

 

Covers will surely bring on more swirl marks on anything but harder paints, unless the cover is 100% clean, the car is 100% clean and it is put on the car with a couple people so edges, etc. doesn't scratch. In some cases, such as leaving a car outside in bad weather (snow, rain, etc.) constantly or to protect it from harsh Southern sun, it's a must and the swirls are of secondary importance. However if you have other options, I always recommend staying away from a cor cover unless it can be "perfectly" put on the car each time as quakerroatmeal said.

Ivan @ DI

 

I'll keep this in mind and the next time I take off the cover it's staying off.