5 Ways to Keep Your Car Cool Even in Burning Sunlight

Everyone loves the blissful evenings of summer but it’s also the swelteringly hot afternoons it brings alongside. And you know what’s the next thing that follows; an oven-hot car with sizzling leather seats that burns you posterior and a balmy steering wheel that casts marks on your hand upon touching.

How to Keep Your Car Cool on Hot Summer Days

Who wouldn’t want to escape this situation! There are several effective measures you can take. Get ready to slide inside a car parked outside in summer’s hot day without searing your body or sweating frantically. 

1. Cover the windscreen with a reflective shade

This method, being the most efficacious one needs to be discussed first. Why is that your car becomes so hot? The reason is the greenhouse effect. Rays from the sun have short wavelengths and can easily pass through the windshields but when they are absorbed by the car’s interior including seats, dashboard and the steering wheel, they transform into infrared rays.

These rays are longer in wavelength and thus cannot escape the glass surface hence they get trapped inside which ultimately heats the inner air and the temperature of the car increases. How about a way that can stop the penetration of sun rays at the earliest- that’s what these shades and sheets do.

They are coated with a reflective material that blocks the rays and disallows their entry inside the car. Their surfaces are shiny and white which makes them superior reflectors of light. Constructed from polyester or nylon, they are long-lasting and very easy to install. Just unfold and spread it on the inside of the windshield. In fact, retractable windshield covers are one of the top cool car accessories you can purchase. 

But beware, because they can get hot and burn your hand therefore many of the shields have a holding point or handle which is at a lower temperature than the rest of the shield. 

2. Crack the windows

Now that you have understood the reason behind the searing of the car, you can comprehend this tip. Open the windows a bit when you are parking the car, to establish an escape passageway for the hot, trapped air. This helps to develop a transfer cycle whereby hot air is emitted outside and cooler air from outside enters in. This will reduce the internal temperature. 

It can get as hot as 150oF in Texas in summers so unless you are playing the laws of Physics to your advantage, you will always be welcomed by a boiling car. Although the more you open the windows, the lower will be the internal temperature but that would invite thieves on your ride too so don’t be over-expressive.

3. Find a shady spot

Sometimes it’s the most basic steps that can prove highly beneficial for us. What’s the thing that is burning up your car? – the sun rays, so find a spot to park the car which has a lower concentration of them. Simple!

The lower the number of sun rays reaching the glass surfaces of the car, the higher would be the chances of getting a cooler car. Whenever you want to park your ride for an extended period of time especially for your office or at the house of a friend/family, take some time to locate a shady spot because it’s worth the wait. Park your car in the garage whenever it’s possible otherwise locate a shady tree or a cemented covering that can provide shade to your ride. 

Finding an ideal spot for parking is also one of the traits of a good and experienced driver just like reversing a vehicle or following road regulations is. 

4. Cover your steering wheel and seats

These are the parts of the interior that gets the hottest. If they get too hot, it can deteriorate their leather coating or vinyl covering. So, if you are not investing in the window shield cover for some reason, you should shield these spots with a beach towel or any other cloth. The degree of effect will depend on the material quality of the cover you use. 

If you are using a high-quality blanket for the leather seats, it could absorb a large amount of heat, saving the surface beneath it from sunburn. Another trick is to put a damp towel on the steering wheel. This is what would happen; the sun rays would have to first dry the water present inside the fibers of the towel, then heat up the towel itself to establish a medium whereby the heat can transfer to the steering wheel.

So, you are in fact increasing the effort required by the rays to reach and heat the spot. Smart, right? 

5. Pre cool the car before getting in

No matter how efficient your shields and covers are, it’s more likely that your car’s interior will always be hotter than the outside environment because you just can’t “overpower” the science and greenhouse effect. Pre-cooling your car is an additional helping practice.

One way of doing it is to open the driver’s side door and the front window on the other side. After this, “open and close” the door which will act as a fan to develop a transfer cycle that will expel hot air outwards and bring in colder air from outside. Follow this practice for 2-3 minutes before sitting in a comparatively comfortable car.

Another method is to turn on the fan or air conditioner of the car prior to sitting in it. The air conditioner would require more time to bring about the magic and would need the engine to be revved up so it’s more convenient to use the fan. This practice would execute a similar effect that your “open and close” practice accomplished.

Ending note

So here were some of the best ways of cooling up a car in summers. We are sure there would be many other hacks too which we would like to hear from you in the comment section. Share your ideas, we are all ears!