How to get the most out of your car’s air-con this summer
As Brits are hit with a scorching-hot summer, we're here with tips on how to maximise your car's air-conditioning
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Air-conditioning is every motorist’s best friend at this time of year, and with yet more 'extreme heat' warnings and heatwaves, we've been cranking up the cool air more than ever.
We're on hand to ensure you can get the most out of your air-con this summer and keep you cool behind the wheel.
How to cool down your car quickly
Rather than jumping straight into your car and cranking the air-con up to max, there are some handy tricks to cool down your car most effectively.
Open all the windows
Use the air-con to get the warm air out
Keep the cool air inside your car
Let your car do the rest
Keep your air-con maintained
1. Open all the windows
Once you get in your car, open all the windows to let the warm air out of the cabin. You should also turn your air-con up to max straight away so it can start cooling down.
If you have room and can do so safely, you can even open all the doors, then open and close one of them a few times to push the warm air out more quickly.
Opening the windows and doors is key here, as your air-con probably won’t be very cold right when you turn your car on.
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2. Use the air-con to get the warm air out
With your air-con still turned as cold as it will go, angle the air to the footwell vents.
This will use the cooler, denser air to push the warm air out the still-open windows – helping the car cool down more quickly.
3. Keep the cool air inside your car
Once the air-con starts blowing cold and most of the warm air has escaped, close all your windows and turn on the recirculate button.
This will keep your interior filled with the coolest air, since the air-con is only cooling air it has already cooled before.
4. Let your car do the rest
When your car is at a reasonable temperature, you can turn off recirculation and let it do its thing.
If your car has climate control, it’ll automatically keep the interior at your desired temperature.
Cars without climate control will also stay cooler, bringing in outside air again to prevent things from feeling stale or too humid.
5. Keep your air-con maintained
Like all of your car’s other systems, you need to maintain the air-con for it to be at its best.
Regular servicing includes checks of your air-con system to make sure it’s working correctly, and replaces the cabin air filter to let your car bring in fresh air from outside.
You might also need to have your air-con ‘regassed’ if it’s not cooling down the car enough.
Book your faff-free service
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Keeping your car cooler before you get in
Now you know how to use your air-con to cool your car as quickly as possible, there are a few things you can do to stop it from becoming overbearingly hot to begin with.
Park in the shade
Keep the sunlight out
Crack the windows
Pre-condition your EV or PHEV
Stay safe in the warm weather
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1. Park in the shade
The first and most obvious piece of advice for keeping your car cool in warm weather is to park in the shade, if you can.
2. Keep the sunlight out
Especially important if you can’t park in the shade (but still somewhat effective if you can), use sunshades on your car’s windscreen and other windows to block the heat and light from outside.
If your car has leather seats, you can also cover them with blankets or towels to stop them from burning your backside when you sit down.
And if you drive a convertible, park with the roof up to stop that heat beating down on the interior and turning seatbelt buckles and gear sticks into health hazards.
3. Crack the windows
If it’s safe, you can also crack the windows by 1cm or 2cm to let some of that hot air escape the cabin.
Just make sure your alarm is turned on, and thieves won’t be able to break into your car or steal any belongings.
4. Pre-condition your EV or PHEV
Ah, modern technology. Some electric cars and hybrids let you pre-condition your car using connected apps on your phone, which is a lifesaver in the summer to cool things down before you jump in
This feature also comes in handy during the winter to defrost the windows without getting numb fingers.
5. Stay safe in the warm weather
And last but not least, make sure to stay safe in the warm weather.
The usual rules apply: make sure you have plenty of water and wear suncream (car windows don’t block the sun’s harmful UV rays).
