For those who lives in the windy area and has Acura car cover should be more careful. I live in an apt. and my parking space doesn't have a shade. Therefore, I got this Acura Car Cover when I purchased my car last year. Last weekend, it was raining and my car cover was a bit dirty. Although, the car cover is NOT waterproof, I left my car cover on so the rain could wash out the dirt on my car cover.
Well, the next morning I got freaked out. I saw my car cover swinging away from car w/ the cable + lock holding the car cover because the wind blew it away. I immediately noticed that the lock and the cable were hitting my rear driver side door. They scratched my clear coat badly. I could feel them with my finger nails.

Suggestion to Acura:
They should make car covers that will stay on the car. Perhaps, something you can hook on the front, rear, sides of the car to prevent this case. Second, don't you think they should be waterproof?

 

A waterproof car cover would be like storing the car under a plastic tarp. The paint would be ruined before too long by water or condensation that gets UNDER the tarp. Paint can bubble and discolor. I've seen it, although not on my own cars.

As a rule, car covers aren't good in anything more than light breezes. A better attachment method would be good, but I haven't seen it produced by anybody. If a car cover is dirty underneath, or the car itself is dirty, putting it on can easily cause scratches, just due to the cover rubbing on the paint.

 

car cover is only good inside garages to keep dust off for long term storage. Better way to protect a car is frequent waxing with a relly good wax by professionals to keep dirt and water off. Car cover outdoors inevitably do more harm than good.

 

Really?! Can anyone elaborate more on this detail? I do plan on getting a car cover for my TL since I do not plan to drive it much this spring.

Should I not buy the cover and just let the car sit there for a long period of time? I do not have a garage.

thanks!

 

no ...Acura Car cover for me...
I'm gonna buy that California Car Cover.....

Tai

 

Been using Evolution car covers since 1992. Never had problems with scratches only cuz I'm OCD when it comes to my cars. It all depends on how meticulous an owner is. But if you'll be keeping the car outside for a while, I'd get a cover to keep the UV rays from slowly eating away at your clear coat. My 92 Accord still has a close-to-showroom-original shine to this very day from being kept outside and never garaged since I day I bought the car.

 

You can park it in my garage.

 

Depend on the cover if it's long term storage outside, it will trapp moisture or bake the paint since the cover act as an bubble and trapp the sun. Look at how the dealer store their car out side before sales (even very high end cars such as ferraris and porsches. The best way is a garage for long term storage with a good coats of wax such as Zymol profeesionally applied.

 

[QUOTE=TheMainEvEnt]I do plan on getting a car cover for my TL since I do not plan to drive it much this spring.

Should I not buy the cover and just let the car sit there for a long period of time? I do not have a garage.[QUOTE]

Erica,

You depending on how long you are talking about, you might want to look into renting a spot at one of those self storage places (there are a lot in this area) where you could just drive the car into it and it would be your own garage for a few months. Seeing as the Acura Car Cover has an msrp of $250, and I'm sure other covers are in that ballpark, I would think renting a spot at a self storage place would be cheaper. I've never rented one before so I could be totally wrong.

 

Guys...I've got a lot of experience with car covers dating back to my first car...a 240Z! I've tried them all...waterproof, breathable...you name it..I've had them. The first thing I found out with my 240Z...was that storing a car outdoors with a waterproof cover is going to cause more harm than good. I almost ruined my 240Z living in Florida with the cover causing moisture buildup. The blue paint got a white fog inside the paint that was almost impossible to remove. I ended up getting most of it out, but it ended up with splotches of white in the blue finish.
Right now, I'm using a California Car Cover indoors on my TL. I don't put the cover on the car unless it's absolutely clean. After I wash or wax the car, I'll store it indoors with the cover and it does a fantastic job keeping the finish perfect. When I drive the car...unless it's raining, I dust the finish with a duster, or apply a very light mist of Zaino...and wipe the dust off the car before I put the cover back on. Obviously this isn't going to work for a car that I drive daily...or in the rain. Consider your driving habits before you invest in a cover. Car covers are not meant for replacing a garage..no matter what the sales brochure says. Only use a cover for long term storage of a clean car. They keep the finish showroom new provided you use them properly. Also, any cover is going to scratch the finish if it's blowing in the wind. I've yet to see a car cover fit tight enough to stay tight in a strong breeze outdoors.

 

Thank you all for the kindly reply. Perhaps that would explain why I don't see many car covers on cars when parked outside. If like some of you said, I need to wax and clean the car thoroughly before putting the cover on. Then what is the point of having a car cover when one cannot just cover it up for a few days here and few days there?

My plan is actually to use my TL as a weekend car, so I would cover the TL from monday through friday and drive it on weekends. Will that be ok? or I would need to wash the car every sunday before I cover it up sunday night?

Sorry to ask so many question..

 

I'm a also a proud owner of the Acura TL Car Cover. The car cover itself is made of breathable fabric so it doesnt ruin the paint or trap condensation under the cover. Being breathable however, this does not make the car cover 100% waterproof. You might be lucky to find your car dry under light rain, but definitely not against a downpour.

I do agree that the car cover can not withstand wind gusts even with the supplied chain.

 

I used car covers on a daily basis for 23 years. I stopped using them ten years ago when I moved my business to a building with underground parking.

I've used both waterproof and water-resistent car covers. Water-resistent is a cute term the vendors used. Your shirt is water-resistent. Water just flows through it when it gets wet enough.

I used a waterproof cover on my MG and literally burned the pigment out of the paint. Moisture and dew would get under the cover and could not evaporate. So they would condense on the top of the roof, hood, and trunk. They formed small drops, which acted as lenses to concentrate the sunlight. I live in southern California, so the sunlight is bright. Where the drops were, the paint had turned white.

I don't know if this was only due to the poor paint that MG used. I instantly stopped using waterproof car covers, but the damage was permanent. You could bet that the paint on a TL is superior (I'd be stunned if it wasn't). But you would be betting your paint.

Water-resistent covers are don't have this problem. The water evaporates through the cover. However, water-resistent covers do have other problems.

1. I would get a car cover stolen every other year. It's irritating because I know the thief will throw it away after a few months. It takes a lot of work to use a car cover every day.

2. The paint would rub at the edge of the fenders. After a few years it was noticeable. It would rub where the cover binds when the wind lifted it up. It acts like a soft sandpaper. IF THE CAR COVER IS DIRTY, THE DIRT ACTS LIKE SANDPAPER. So wash your car cover every few months. The cover still will rub at the edges of the fenders, but the wear will take longer to be noticeable.

 

No problem about the questions, that's how you get answers...hopefully! To be really safe, I wouldn't put a cover on a dirty car. That doesn't mean you've got to wash the car....my car is so slippery from Zaino that all it takes is dusting to remove the dust from a daily drive. However, if the dust doesn't easily brush off that should be a warning that putting the cover on is going to cause fine scratches as the cover slides on or the wind blows the cover outdoors. I'd be very carefull using a cover on a car unless it's very clean and slippery to the touch. If you feel any dust or grit, the cover is going to grind that dirt into the finish and cause swirl marks. Depending on the color of your car...black is the worst...you might cause more damage than it's worth. If your idea for getting the cover is to mimic a garage...don't count on it working. Covers are only good for keeping a clean car clean, and also preventing UV damage to the interior from the sun rays. From your posts, it's obvious you want to protect your car and I'd hate to see something bad happen from the cover. I've seen too many cars damaged from improper use of car covers...and also bra's. Moisture and dirt are your enemy with covers...so just be carefull if you decide to try one. Personally, I'd just keep my car clean if parked outdoors, and only use the cover for long term storage to keep the sun from getting to the interior. I'd definately not use it on a daily basis.

 

I only use a car cover on a clean that that I store for the winter.

I do think the car cover in the TV car add that makes your car look like a POS my be nice to have at times.