There are so many perks to this lovely hot weather; get a tan, an excuse to go out and everyone just seems in a better mood – right? However, after a long day at work and you finally step foot into your car and it’s as if a desert heatwave has smacked you in the face.
We all try to avoid parking in the sun, but sometimes it’s near enough impossible. However, don’t worry, here at CarCliq we’re going to show you how to cool down your car, but also how to prevent this from happening in the first place – so stay tuned.
We all try to avoid parking in the sun, but sometimes it’s near enough impossible. However, don’t worry, here at CarCliq we’re going to show you how to cool down your car, but also how to prevent this from happening in the first place – so stay tuned.
How to cool down your car:
- Fan the interior.
- First things first, open the windows on one side of the car, then you must “fan” the interior by swinging a door on the opposite side back and forth. Repeat this three times.
- Use the lower air vents.
- Here’s a bit of science for you. Heat rises, so, therefore, it makes sense to air-condition (AC) downwards to the footwells, forcing the hot air already inside the car upwards and out of the windows.
- Remember to shut off the upper vents on the dashboard and at the base of the windscreen, this will allow the full flow of air into the car to be directed upwards.
- Keep the windows open.
- When driving, we recommend keeping the windows open for a few minutes – just to allow the hot air to escape.
- Close the windows and switch to recirculated air.
- Once the AC is working to its full potential, you need to close all the windows and switch to (pre-cooled) recirculated air.
- You can now also open the upper air vents and adjust the flow to your own preference.
- If you do have an advanced climate control feature, this will allow you to set and maintain a constant temperature within your car.
How to keep your car cool:
- Park away from direct sunlight.
- Parking in the shade will be your best friend – this could be a tree or canopy. Either which will prevent your car from heating up.
- If you have a garage, also use this to your advantage; keeping your car clean – cool – secure.
- Use a windscreen sunshade.
- By having a windscreen sunshade, this will keep the sun’s rays away from your car interior.
- You can find these in most car accessory shops such as Halfords.
- Leave windows (slightly) open.
- By doing so, this will allow air to circulate through the car, especially when the hot air inside rises.
- Although, for security reasons, we advise not leaving more than a couple of centimetres’ gap between the top of the window and the door frame.
- Cover your seats.
- If you have the cash to splash, then we suggest when choosing your new car to opt for lighter upholstery in the first place.
- As a temporary measure, you can use a towel and spread it over the seat.
- Wipe down hot surfaces.
- By wiping your interior over with a damp cloth, like door handles or your steering wheel, this can make it less painful to touch.
- Keep the air-con maintained.
- This is vital in the summertime, as the refrigerant gas will usually erode over time, and belts may need tightening or replacing.
- We suggest checking your car handbook and sticking to your service schedule.
From this, we hope you now know how to cool down your car, but also allow you to enjoy the great British sunshine without the worry of leaving your car in the heat.
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