Living by the ocean is a dream come true for many people, thanks to the combination of the views, the beaches and watersports, but it does mean that you have to take extra care with your car if you want to keep it running in good condition. Grains of sand and salt in the air from seawater can attack exterior paintwork and mechanical parts and lead to expensive repair bills and rapid depreciation in your car's value. Luckily, there are some simple ways in which you can maintain your car if you live by the ocean. Check out these tips courtesy of 3 Birds Auto.

Prevention is always better than car maintenance, so protect your car from the elements as much as possible by parking off the road in a garage or covering with a sheet at night. This can only do so much, however, and salt spray will quickly become caked on to the exterior paint and will speed up corrosion, spoiling the finish of your car's paintwork and promoting rust damage.

So if you live by the ocean or do a lot of driving in coastal areas, you are clearly going to need to wash your car frequently. Make sure you dry the car after washing as well. The longer you leave crusted salt on the car's body, the harder it will be to remove, and the more damage it will do. Regular washing will affect the car's protection, of course, so you will also need to apply a coat of wax or other sealant at least once a month.

The range of assorted waxes and sealants can be bewildering, so if you live by the ocean your best course of action may well be to pay a visit to your local car dealership and ask the experts there if there are any products they particularly recommend for protecting your car from the elements. If you're in a coastal area, it will certainly be a question they have dealt with before.

In short, then, the procedure for maintaining your car if you live by the ocean is fairly simple. First, shelter your car as much as possible from the salt spray by keeping it under cover at night and when not in use. Then wash your car on at least a weekly basis to prevent deposits of caked salt building up and corroding the paintwork. Then apply at least one coat of wax or sealant on at least a monthly basis. And if you do have to park your car outside, make sure it's facing towards the building to try and prevent stray salt and sand particles from getting into the engine where they can cause rust spots.