Navigating Island Car Life on Vieques, PR
Living on an island paradise like Vieques comes with its unique challenges when it comes to vehicle maintenance. The salty air, sandy roads, and humid climate can take a toll on your vehicle, causing rust, brake issues, and even safety belt failures. At The Shop on Vieques, we specialize in full-service auto repair, auto body work, and metal fabrication, ensuring your vehicle remains safe and reliable despite the island conditions.
Corrosion – Fighting the Salt and Rust
One of the biggest threats to your vehicle on Vieques is corrosion. The combination of salty sea air, humidity, and sand can cause rust to form quickly, even if your car is simply parked outside overnight. To combat this, we offer these maintenance tips:
- Rinse Your Car Regularly – Wash your vehicle often (e.g., once a week) with fresh water to remove salt buildup. Definitely rinse your vehicle after every transport on the ferry.
- Apply a Protective Coating – Use wax or a rust-inhibitor spray (such as POR-15, Boeshield T-9, Fluid Film, CRC 0626, 3M 03584, or Rust Bullet RBA53) on the undercarriage and exposed metal parts.
- Check for Rust Spots – If you see early signs of rust, bring your car to The Shop on Vieques for treatment before it spreads.
Brake Maintenance – Preventing Moisture Damage
With so much moisture in the air and on the roads around here, water can seep into your brake system. This can lead to fragile, corroded components and reduced braking power. Here’s how to ensure your brakes remain safe:
- Flush Brake Fluid Regularly – Moisture-contaminated brake fluid can weaken your braking system.
- Inspect Brake Lines for Rust – If you notice soft braking, odd noises, or a spongy pedal, get your brake lines checked ASAP.
- Avoid Deep Puddles – Driving through deep water or wet sand can introduce even more moisture into your brake system.
- Rinse your Vehicle Often – As discussed above, removing salt from your vehicle with a frequent rinse off with fresh water will reduce the chances of rust forming on the brake lines.
At The Shop on Vieques, we provide thorough brake inspections, brake line repairs, and more.
Safety Belt Issues – Keeping You Secure
A lesser-known but frequent issue in island car maintenance is salt buildup in safety belts. Many people head to the beach, get wet, and then drive home, causing their seatbelts to absorb salt and sand. Over time, this leads to stiff, stuck, or non-functioning belts.
The dampness from your swimsuit may be damaging your seat belt mechanisms. Do continue to wear your seat belt, but consider using a dry towel as a barrier between the belt and your body. Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before the metal bits turn into a pile of rust.
If your seatbelt doesn’t retract or buckle smoothly, bring your car in for an inspection. We fix multiple safety belts every week!
Additional General Island Vehicle Maintenance Tips
Park in the Shade or Use a Cover – Protect your car from excessive sun exposure and salty air.
Check Battery Health – The heat and humidity can drain car batteries faster than usual. And the short island drives don’t always provide for a good recharge. Periodically, take a look at your battery for its general condition. If you see crusty white or green junk growing off the terminals or bulging sides, you have a battery problem. Bring your vehicle to The Shop and we’ll take a look at it.
Inspect Suspension & Undercarriage – The uneven and sometimes bumpy roads of Vieques can expedite wear and tear on your vehicle’s suspension. If you hear noises such as clunks, you may have a growing suspension problem. It’s safer and cheaper to fix these types of problems before they get too big (Like they say, it’s always better to wrestle a little alligator than a big one).
Get Your Car to The Shop on Vieques
At The Shop on Vieques, we provide expert maintenance and full-service auto repair and body work on Vieques. Our shop guarantees all its work and offers a two-year warranty on most parts purchased through The Shop.
When it comes to maintaining the safety and reliability of your vehicle, it’s up to you to make it happen. But, The Shop can help. We offer a flat-fee safety inspection service where one of our highly skilled mechanics will give your vehicle a thorough inspection to identify immediate and pending safety concerns. Then you decide what gets worked on and when.
Need auto repair in Vieques? Visit The Shop on Vieques today and let us help you keep your car safe on the island roads!