Keeping Your Car Cool During Hot Summer Months

Keeping Your Car Cool During Hot Summer Months

Posted on May 25, 2017

It's easy enough to turn on the air conditioner or roll down the windows
once you climb into your car, but it can be incredibly uncomfortable in those
first few minutes after you climb into the glass-sided oven that is your car in
the summer. On the bright side, there are a few ways you can keep the
temperature down even when you don't have the A/C on full blast, and some of
them don't cost much at all.

Park in the Shade

If you don't want your car to pick up all the sun's heat, then don't park in
the sunlight. It's really that simple. The best thing you can do is park in a
garage, but not everyone has that option. If you don't at work or at home, pay
attention to the trees and buildings surrounding the street or parking lot
where your car usually sits. Remember, in the United States the sun is always
in the south at noon, so park to the north of buildings and trees as much as
you can.

Tint Your Windows

Dark-tinted windows absorb the sun's rays so your car's interior won't have
to. Window tinting laws vary
from state to state, but you can usually darken the sides and rear windows
by at least a few percentage points over the factory level. Tinted windows set
you back a few hundred dollars, but you can apply a colored tint and make a
fashion statement.

Buy a Sunshade or
Two

If tinting your windows sounds like more money than it's worth, just buy a
sunshade. An expensive, custom-fitted sunshade sets you back $50 at the
outside, and most of the ordinary models don't cost much more than $10. You can
even buy extra ones for your side windows, but keep in mind that you'll have to
remove every last one of them before you start moving.

Cover Hot Surfaces

Cloth does well enough on hot days, but vinyl, leather, and leatherette
surfaces can bake you right through your clothing, especially if they're black.
Surprisingly, though, the solution is both simple and cheap. Cover all the
offending surfaces with towels to soak up the sun's rays so your seat and your
steering wheel won't have to, and when it's time to get moving, you can just
toss them on the passenger seat or into the back. Doing this won't lower
the car's temperature, but at least you won't feel like you're burning alive.

So whether you live in an apartment complex and your only parking option is
an outside lot or you own a big home with garage space for three vehicles or
more, there are plenty of choices available for every car owner and every price
range. Some cars even let you start them remotely so you can start the A/C even before
you step inside. But whether you find shady spots or cover your windows with
dark tints and cheap sunshades, a cool (enough) car is something you can
manage.