When summer arrives and temperatures rise, getting into a car parked under the sun can be real torture. That feeling of opening the door and being greeted by unbearably hot air is common for everyone. However, what few people know is that there's a simple trick that's effective for cooling your vehicle in seconds, recommended by Spanish mechanics and backed by scientific studies.
Why does your car get so hot?
The interior of a car parked under the sun acts like an oven. The trapped air and hot plastics can raise the interior temperature significantly in minutes. With the windows closed, the air conditioning first cools the trapped hot air, delaying the cooling and using more fuel.
Many people think the problem is the air conditioning | Frank Vex, Getty Images Signature
The foolproof trick: open windows to expel hot air
The key advice is simple: before turning on the air conditioning, lower all the car windows. This allows the accumulated hot air to escape quickly. If you can, also open the doors to ventilate better and remove that dense air that seems unwilling to leave.
When you start driving, turn the fan to the maximum but don't set the temperature to the lowest yet. The airflow will help expel the heat.
Direct the air toward your feet, since cold air sinks and hot air rises, helping to dissipate the remaining heat. When the temperature drops, close the windows and activate recirculation to cool only the fresh air.
Extra tips to keep the car cool
In addition to the window trick, there are other ways to reduce the heat inside the car:
Use reflective sunshades. Placing a sunshade on the windshield and a towel over the steering wheel helps prevent so much heat from accumulating inside the car.
Try the door technique. Lower the passenger window and open and close the driver's door several times to remove the hot air.
Keep the air conditioning filter clean. A dirty filter reduces the system's efficiency and can trap pockets of hot air.
Don't leave the engine idling; the air conditioning cools better when the car is moving.
Consider tinted or ceramic films for the windows: they help reduce solar radiation and heat before entering the vehicle.
Try different tricks | Vladeep, Deagreez, Getty Images Signature de GabrielPevide
Precautions and final recommendations
It's important to remember that temperatures inside a car can rise quickly and reach dangerous levels, even on days that don't seem so hot. Never leave children or pets inside a parked vehicle, as the heat can be deadly.
To keep the air conditioning working efficiently, set the temperature to "LO" and control the cooling with the fan. Use recirculation only when the air is cool. If you drive an electric car, take advantage of preconditioning while charging the vehicle to save battery and arrive to a cool environment from the very first moment.
