Tephra on Your Rental Car? Avoid Damage That Could Cost You
Lately Kilauea has been throwing quite the tantrum on the Big Island. Recent episodes have been the most epic with fountains shooting over 1,500ft high!
But a new developing problem is occurring with these episodes that visitors are having to deal with:
Tephra falling on rental cars.
Throughout Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and nearby Volcano Village it has been raining rocks. Literal rocks from the sky.
photo credit: EpicLava
Now, these volcanic fragments, called tephra, are super duper light, but it’s a beast to clean up and has the potential to make a mess of your car.
The good news is that serious tephra damage to rental cars is still uncommon.
Most issues so far have been minor scratches or small windshield chips.
But if you’re visiting the park during an eruption, there are a few things you’ll want to know like how to get the tephra off without scratching. And for the love all that is mighty do not use your windshield wipers!
What Even Is Tephra?
photo credit: EpicLava
During certain eruptions, Kilauea can blast fragments of rock and ash into the air. These materials are called tephra and look like chunky gravel.
What surprises most people is that even though tephra sizes can get as big as a cantaloupe, the pieces are incredibly lightweight. Many are full of tiny air pockets, so when you pick one up it can feel almost as light as a feather.
Which is why I like to say it’s like volcanic dalgona.
But don’t eat it!
photo credit: EpicLava
Like pele’s hair, it’s actually made up of tiny pieces of volcanic glass. Because of that, the particles are sharp and brittle, breaks easily, and can start irritating your skin if you touch it, just like fiberglass.
⚠️ Important to Note: when tephra starts falling heavily, the park has been closing for safety concerns.
How Tephra Can Affect Your Rental Car
photo credit: Sue Stroh Titus
If you’re at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to view the eruption, you could come back to your rental car covered in tephra.
Tephra has accumulated up to 6 inches thick in some areas.
Even if you’re just passing the park on Highway 11, you could briefly find yourself driving through rock rain, which is quite an alarming experience!
The biggest concerns you’re going to need to watch out for are:
- Paint scratching and dents
- Windshield scratching and chips
The most important thing to remember is most damage to the car will come from you cleaning it!
Remember, these are glassy chunks waiting to key your car when you try to swipe them away.
What NOT to Do If Tephra Is On Your Car
Here’s a few words of wisdom to help save you from damaging the rental car and cleaning the tephra off safely.
❌ Don’t Turn On Windshield Wipers
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT USE YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS!
Wipers will just drag the abrasive particles across the glass and create a one-of-a-kind scratch art masterpiece on your windshield.
✅ What to Do Instead
Use your water bottle to rinse away the tephra as best you can.
Only worry about cleaning the windshield enough to see through. As you drive the wind will naturally pick up the tephra off the car more gently than you could do it by hand.
❌ Don’t Dry-Wipe the Car
You do not want to be dragging fiberglass-type materials across the paint job of the car.
Because tephra is essentially tiny pieces of volcanic glass, rubbing it across a car’s paint is like dragging sandpaper across the surface.
Try not to touch the tephra with your bare hands if you can help it.
✅ What to Do Instead
Leave as much on the car as you can safely leave and avoid wiping it away.
As you drive the wind will naturally pick up the tephra off the car more gently than you could do it by hand.
If you have to use your hands to pick up larger chunks, at least find a plastic bag or unwanted piece of clothing to makeshift a glove.
❌ Don’t Take the Car Through an Automatic Car Wash with Brushes
If after driving there is still ash and tephra on the car, you’ll be tempted to take it to an automatic car wash to remove the remaining residue.
Do NOT go through a car wash with brushes.
Just like with the wipers, the brushes will drag the tephra across the car and scratch the paint and windows, defeating the care you took earlier to not do that.
Even worse, you risk “paying it forward” by subjecting the brushes to pick up the tephra and get stuck on the bristles only to share it with the next vehicle and scratch up their car.
✅ What to Do Instead
Still take it to a car wash, but go to a touchless car wash.
Before going through the machine though, vacuum off any remaining chunks, especially cleaning out the windshield “gutter”.
You might as well vacuum the interior as well if tephra and pele’s hair stuck to your clothes and transferred to the upholstery.
Precautions to Take Beforehand
photo credit: EpicLava
If you want to be boyscout-prepared for tephra, a couple of things you can have on hand before you visit the park:
- Tarp – a good ol’ fashioned tarp to cover your car while it’s parked will go a long way in saving it from tephra damage
- Jugs of Water – use it for rinsing away tephra from the windshield
- Lint roller – use it to help pick up tephra and pele’s hair particles from the car upholstery and your clothes
Also, if you’ve rented a convertible, remember to put the top up when you park! Yes, there was an incident of someone coming back to a convertible car full of tephra because their top was left down!
Will Car Rental Companies Charge You for Tephra Damage?
photo credit: EpicLava
⚠️ I will preface by saying: Each car rental company will have their own policies regarding how or if you’ll be charged for tephra damage. Check with them beforehand.
As a general rule, if there is damage to the car it will be your responsibility.
This is where it is HIGHLY recommended to purchase full coverage auto insurance.
Or, your credit card with CDW might also cover it.
Regarding how much damage constitutes damage worth filing, that will be dependent per car rental company.
Rental companies may charge for:
- windshield chips
- paint scratches
- interior damage
Rental companies usually don’t charge for:
- light dust
- typical road grime
More often than not though, if you’ve cleaned it well before returning, you might not see any visible scuffs and scratches, or they’re minor, in which case you should be okay.
Should You Avoid Renting a Car During an Eruption?
photo credit: EpicLava
Most eruptions don’t affect the majority of the island and the heaviest tephra typically falls within 5 miles of the lava fountain.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Volcano Village will be the most affected. If you avoid these areas completely, you’ll avoid the majority risk of tephra damage.
If you’re staying in Kona, Waikoloa, or Hilo in general, your car will be safe. However, depending on the wind directions, ash and pele’s hair can still travel to all parts of the island.
If you see this debris on your car, you’ll still want to take the same precautions about using your windshield wipers and brushing it away.
🚗 If you still need a car, I like Hawaii Discount Car Rental because they usually have the best rates plus include TWO extra FREE drivers.
Additional Eruption Resources
- Check eruption updates before driving near the park
- Read through the general information for everyone during tephra fall
- Participate in scientific data collection by reporting tephra fall: Is Tephra Falling?
- Sometimes Chain of Craters Road will close for various reasons, but you can still enjoy the park.
Join thousands of other visitors and locals to discover the best things to do on the Big Island!
🌺 New activities posted daily
🌺 Upcoming events not to miss
🌺 Ask questions about your trip
