How to cool your car down quickly this summer

Summers are getting warmer and the cost of living is going up, so how do you cool your car down quick without it using up too much fuel?

How does the air conditioning system in your car work?

The compressor, the power unit of the air con system, is powered by the engine, so when you switch the air con on, it uses engine power, ie fuel.

This means when you switch the air con on full blast, your car can increase fuel consumption by up to 10% when it’s hot outside – not ideal when fuel is still on the more expensive side.

Plus on really hot days, it has to work even harder to bring down the temperature of your car, using up more fuel.

What’s the trick to cooling your car down quickly?

The reason your car often feels hotter than it’s actual temperature is because the air inside the car is so still. Therefore, the easiest and quickest way to cool down you car is to move the air. The RAC have come up with three simple ways to do this

1. Open the windows.

When you get in your car, open all four windows before you start driving. After you’ve been driving for a few minutes, all the hot air that was sat in your car will have been forced out and replaced with fresher, cooler air.

If you still need to, you can put the air con on, but it should take less time and less power to cool your car down.

2. Fan the inside of your car

You might look a little silly, but it’s an effective way of cooling your car down.

First, open both windows on one side of the car. Then, use one of the doors on the other side of the car to fan the hot air out of the car. It should only take four or five swings to cool your car down enough for you to drive.

3. Use the lower air vents

Open all the windows and switch the air con to the vents in the footwells.

Hot air rises, so using the lower vents forces all the hot air up and out of the windows. To make the process quicker, close the upper and dashboard vents so the airflow of the car is directed solely upwards.

Want more motoring tips? Check out our blog on DIY car repairs.