# Car sunshade and sun protection: cabin, windows and paint

_Updated: 8 November 2026_

**Short answer:** What protects a car from the sun most is shade and a sunshade on the inside of the windscreen. The dashboard and steering wheel then stay cooler, and the dashboard cracks and fades less. A sunshade only works while the car is parked, so the side and rear windows are protected by film, which also works while you drive. Washing and a protective layer keep the paint.

> **The service we recommend: Window tinting** Film for the side and rear windows, within the regulations and with the papers for the certificate. We tell you the price when you tell us the model. [More about the service](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/window-tinting)

## A car in the sun heats up to 47 °C in an hour

In a test in the United States, on days above 38 °C, this is how hot the cars were after one hour:

| After 1 hour | In the sun | In the shade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Air in the car | 47 °C | 38 °C |
| Dashboard | 69 °C | 48 °C |
| Steering wheel | 53 °C | 42 °C |
| Seats | 51 °C | 41 °C |

Most of the heat gets into the car through the glass. The sun heats the dashboard, steering wheel and seats, and they heat the air in the car.

This heat makes the dashboard crack and fade early, and the steering wheel and gear lever get burning hot.

## A windscreen sunshade cools the dashboard by about 22 °C

In a test with cars parked in the sun, a plain cardboard sunshade lowered the dashboard temperature by about 22 °C and the air in the car by about 8 °C on average. A sunshade sits on the inside of the windscreen and keeps the sun off the dashboard and steering wheel.

A sunshade with aluminium foil facing the inside of the car cooled even more: the air by another 2 to 3 °C, and the dashboard and steering wheel by another 3 to 6 °C.

- Park in the shade whenever you can. If you have a garage, leave the car in it.
- When there is no shade, put a sunshade on the inside of the windscreen.
- Put shades on the side windows. They also cool the car while it is parked.
- Do not park on dry grass. A hot exhaust can set the grass and the car on fire.

### How to cool the car down quickly

1. Open both windows on one side. Open and close a door on the other side at least 3 times, like waving a fan, to push the hot air out.
2. Start the engine. Set the air conditioning to the coldest setting and to outside air, not recirculation. The outside air button usually shows an arrow entering the car, and the recirculation button a circular arrow.
3. Open the other windows too, and point the air from the vents at your feet.
4. Once the car has cooled, close the windows and switch the air conditioning to recirculation.

## Film on the side and rear windows blocks heat and UV rays

The windscreen blocks almost all UV rays. Most side and rear windows let one part of them through, UVA rays. They tan and age the skin, and can also burn it. So your skin gets UV rays through the side window even while you drive.

Film works while you drive too. Which film depends on what bothers you:

- **Clear UV film:** Blocks up to 99% of UV rays. Darker film does not protect better against UV.
- **Darker film:** Reduces heat and glare and gives privacy on the rear seats.
- **Ceramic film:** Blocks more heat than other films, even when it is light. Much of the heat you feel through the glass is carried by rays you cannot see. They are stopped by the film material, not its colour.

**How dark is allowed: it depends on the window**

- **Windscreen:** not tinted.
- **Front side windows:** up to 30% tint, that is light, almost clear glass. They take a light ceramic film.
- **Rear windows:** as dark as you like, as long as the car has two outside mirrors.

After the film is fitted comes the certificate, the proof that the windows meet the regulations. [More about the law and certificate for tinted windows](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/tinted-windows-law) · [More about window tinting](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/window-tinting)

## Sun and bird droppings damage the paint

Over time, sun and frost dull the top layer of the paint, so the car loses its shine. In strong sun, bird droppings can eat into the paint in as little as 10 to 20 minutes, because heat speeds up the damage. When droppings stay on longer, the paint becomes brittle and cracks.

So remove droppings and tree sap straight away, with a wet wipe or water and a soft cloth. Even a protective layer does not withstand droppings for long.

A protective layer sits between the paint and the sun, so the colour fades less. How long each protection lasts:

| Protection | How long it lasts |
| --- | --- |
| Wax | A few washes, renewed every couple of months |
| Ceramic coating | 1 to 3 years |
| PPF | 5 to 10 years, also protects the paint from stone chips |

[More about ceramic coating](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/ceramic-coating)

[More about PPF](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/paint-protection-film)

### Paint that has already dulled and yellow headlights

We polish dull paint. We remove the worn top layer, bring back the shine and then protect the paint. [More about car polishing](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/car-polishing)

A headlight is made of plastic and has a protective layer. Over time the sun breaks that layer down, so the headlight turns yellow and cloudy. The first signs can show after only 3 to 5 years. A yellow, cloudy headlight gives only a fifth of the light of a new one. We polish headlights too. [More about headlight restoration](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/headlight-restoration)

## Never leave children or animals in the car, even for a few minutes

In a car in the sun, the temperature quickly goes above 40 °C, even when it does not feel hot outside. On a day above 38 °C, a small child in a car in the sun can heat up to a dangerous 40 °C in about an hour, and in the shade in just under 2 hours.

## What not to leave in the car in the sun

The Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia advises not leaving these in the car in hot weather:

- **Clear bottles:** In the sun they act like a magnifying glass and can set something next to them on fire.
- **Lighters:** At high temperatures they can explode and start a fire.
- **Pressurised cans:** Canned drinks, deodorant and other spray cosmetics. At high temperatures they explode.

Do not leave your phone in the car either. For the iPhone, the manufacturer says it should be stored at no more than 45 °C, and a car in the sun gets hotter.

## Heat wears the battery, and tyres are checked cold

- Heat speeds up battery wear. The battery is weak when the car is slow to start, when the lights are dimmer or when the battery warning light comes on. We check it and replace it when needed. [More about battery replacement](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/services/car-battery-replacement)
- Check tyre pressure on cold tyres, before driving or 2 hours after. After driving the pressure is higher, so the reading is wrong. The right pressure is in your car's handbook.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does window film interfere with phone and GPS signal?

Film with a metal layer sometimes interferes with phone, GPS and radio signal. Ceramic film usually does not.

### Can film go over factory-tinted windows?

Yes, for a darker window or less heat. On the front side windows, factory tint counts towards the permitted 30%, because the glass and film are measured together.

Have a question about your car? Message us on WhatsApp or call 067 774 1606.

## Read also

- [Getting your car ready for winter: 8 checks](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/winter-car-checklist)
- [Car battery in winter: why the car won't start and how to protect it](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/car-battery-in-winter)
- [Car battery: which one to choose and what to look out for](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/which-car-battery)

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Page on the website: https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/protecting-your-car-from-the-sun
auto-industrija, Belgrade. Phone and WhatsApp: +381677741606. E-mail: kontakt@autoindustrija.rs.