Rake those leaves from your car…Don’t Ignore them

If you are someone who parks underneath a tree, or in a wooded area, you may notice at this time of year, a collection of leaves grows in the area between your windshield and the hood.

This is especially true if you are not a daily driver and leave the car parked for extended periods of time. Although the tendency is to ignore them in the hope they will blow away, you may want to take action as soon as possible. Leaves trapped between your windshield and hood may seem innocuous, but could lead to much more severe problems if not periodically “raked” from your car.

Here are a few reasons why its important to rake leaves from your vehicle:

• In many vehicles the outside vent for the blower motor is located in the same area where these leaves and other small debris collect. The cabin air filter will become contaminated and restrict the flow of air into the system. The result is less heat and the potential for odor to spread throughout the passenger cabin.

• Important windshield drains are located in the corners of the windshield in a sort of well where leaves get piled. Eventually these drains get clogged which leads to flooding into areas with sensitive electronics
• Small rodents and mice love the warmth and protection of an engine compartment, Leaves make this area an even more comfortable home. These rodents and mice love to chew wires and filters to add with the leaves for a nest
• These leaves also get caught up in the wipers, which makes for difficult cleaning in the rain or snow. In the freezing weather these leaves may take time to melt off the wipers. The big streaks caused by dirty wiper blades stem from leaves building up.

So if you park under a tree or in a wooded area, or you don’t drive your car every day, try to keep the leaves from accumulating. Maintenance is simple and can be done yourself. Simply open the hood of your vehicle (check owners manual on how to open your hood) and then secure the hood open. Rake the leaves from the area between the windshield and the hood with your hands. Wearing gloves is unnecessary. And then close and secure the hood of the vehicle when finished. Simple.

It is also a good idea to have the cabin air filters, wipers and inside the compartment checked once in a while to make sure there isn’t any animal nesting somewhere. You don’t run a hotel!

If you need a professional to inspect your vehicle for such items or help with raking the leaves out, give Openbay a try — Openbay helps you with all your vehicle repair and maintenance needs to include keeping your vehicle in tip top operational condition.

To read more car care tips or want to learn more about Openbay, please visit the Openbay blog.