Have you ever felt like a baked cookie while waiting for your car’s A/C to fight off the heat after a long park in the summer? These 3 essential tips are guaranteed to save you some sweat. Check them out to cool down your car as soon as impossible.
1. Open the doors and windows to get the hot air out
Leaving your vehicle under direct sunlight in the summer causes the air in the car to heat up. This results in thermal shock to the car owner when entering the oven-like interior that might be 10 degrees Celsius hotter than the outside air. One common mistake many car owners make is to close the doors, turn on the fan at max speed and set the air conditioner at low temperatures, then swelter for at least several minutes while the A/C rumbles on in its battle against the burning heat.
Open the doors and windows to get the hot air out
However, what you should actually do is to open the doors to cool the cabin faster. Before even getting into the car, first, try to roll down one of the car windows, then open and close the opposite side door for about 4-5 times. This repeated motion serves as a heat pump to force the hot air out the open window. We won’t pretend to understand the physics, but it has been shown that doing this will help you get rid of 75% of the unwanted heat in your cabin within seconds.
When you start driving and the fan is turned on, make sure that you have all your car windows rolled down for at least 30 seconds or so. This helps to create circulation that pushes the hot air out of the cabin, allowing your car to cool down faster. Opening the sunroof is also helpful if you have one in your car - your fancy A/C system will surely appreciate it.
>>> Should you shut off the A/C before turning off your car’s engine?
2. Do not switch to max A/C
Once the car windows are rolled up, it’s now time for you to start the air conditioning. You can choose the coldest temperature setting if you’d like. However, do your A/C system a favor and be careful never to set your A/C to “max,” because automotive mechanics dictate that doing so will trap the air inside the passenger compartment. Your A/C will then struggle to cool this block of hot air and blow it back into the cabin.
Once the car windows are rolled up, it’s now time for you to start the air conditioning
Keep in mind that the air outside of the car is still cooler than inside at this point. If the A/C is on but not set to “max,” it will pull the cooler air from outside and continue to cool it further down much more efficiently. It is not until the temperature in the interior compartment drops below that of the outside air, usually after a few minutes, that you should set the A/C to “max” and start to enjoy the nice circulation inside the cabin.
3. Make sure your A/C system is well-maintained
If you’ve followed the above instructions, your car will for sure be cooled faster in the summer. However, car owners also need regular car care and maintenance, while paying attention to the filter system for the best cooling results. It comes as a no-brainer that better functioning A/C will do a better job of cooling you and your beloved car down faster.
Car owners also need regular care and maintenance, while paying attention to the filter system for the best cooling results
One of the most common maintenance problems with A/C systems is low levels of refrigerant. After a few years on the road, the rubber A/C components of your car can dry out and little leaks can develop. You can take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic to have the system recharged with refrigerant.
If we still haven’t convinced you already, tough crowd, you can watch the following video by the experts at Consumer Reports (CR) for more guidance on how to best cool your car’s cabin in the summer:
How to Cool Your Car Like a Pro
>>> Click here to get our handy tips and helpful advice for all car users
