WhoCanFixMyCar offers advice on how to keep your car cool when temperatures soar.
Hot summer days can lift your mood and make you smile…until you climb into your car and it feels like a hundred degrees. If you’re lucky, you can turn the aircon on and bask in a stream of ice-cold air.
But what if your car doesn’t have air conditioning? This guide explains how to keep cool in your car this summer, both with and without aircon.
How to keep a car cool without aircon
Turning your car’s air vents on without an aircon system will only push more hot air around, so you’ll have to take some extra steps to keep cool.
1. Use a sunshade
One of the best things you can do if your car doesn’t have aircon (even if it does!) is to purchase sun shades for the windows and windscreen. These will block harsh rays from direct sunlight that usually heat your car’s interior.
2. Zaparkujte ve stínu
Think carefully about where you’re going to park your car. Even if it means walking a bit further, finding a spot in the shade will ensure you don’t have to drive off in a car that feels more like an oven.
3. Cover your dashboard and steering wheel
When the sun shines directly into your car, your dashboard and steering wheel bear the brunt of absorbing the heat, so they become unbearable to touch. You can buy dashboard covers online, but if you want to save money, you can use a towel or piece of fabric instead.
4. Leave your windows slightly open
Still air is your enemy! Try opening your windows slightly so fresh air can circulate in the car.
5. Use a sealed ice pack or cold, damp cloth held in front of the air vents
This is a great hack as long as you’ve got time to prepare the ice or cloth before your journey. Holding an ice pack in front of your air vents and turning them up will make the air a lot cooler — it’s almost as good as having air conditioning!
6. Purchase solar fans
You can leave solar fans in your car while it’s parked, so next time you need to drive somewhere, the interior will already be cool.
Jak nejrychleji zchladit rozpálené auto?
The fastest way to cool your car down is to use air conditioning if you have it. First, open all the windows and allow fresh air to flow into the car. After a couple of minutes, close the windows and start your AC, making sure you draw air in from outside the car rather than recirculating it.
If you don’t have an aircon system, open all the windows and try some good old-fashioned door fanning. Swing the door open and closed a few times to get rid of the hot air that has built up inside the car.
Should you open car windows before turning on the AC?
Yes! One of the most common mistakes drivers make is turning the AC up full blast as soon as they get into their car.
Instead, you need to open the windows and allow fresh air to circulate for a minute. Then you can close them again and turn your aircon on.
How can I keep my car cool in the summer while parked?
You have two options. The first is to find a space that’s in the shade. You should also consider where the sun rises and sets; if you’re parking for the night, try to face west so the sun won’t shine directly through your windscreen when it rises in the morning.
Alternatively, you could use a sun shade to cover your windscreen and windows.
Do sunshades work?
Sun shades work by blocking the sun’s UV rays. This helps to keep the car cool.
It’s worth noting that sun shades can be reflective or non-reflective. Reflective shades work best with the shiny side facing the sun; non-reflective shades need the black side facing into the vehicle.
Does a sunroof make a car hotter?
While a sunroof has many advantages, it will make your car hotter because it allows the sun to shine in directly from above. You could use a sunshade to block excess light during particularly hot periods.
What is the coolest part of a car?
Some people will tell you the boot is the coolest place, while others argue it’s the floor. The best area is underneath the back of the two front seats because it is darker and cooler.
The boot may get hot because it is near the exhaust, and sunlight will get in through the rear window.
How to keep food cold in a car
- Use insulated cool bags
- Keep cold items together
- Sbalte led
- Place the bags under the back of the two front seats
- Always keep bags out of sunlight
- Zaparkujte ve stínu
How to keep a dog cool in the car
- Keep a window open
- Maintain constant airflow
- Buy a cooling pad/bandana
- Take water to keep your pet hydrated
- Zajistěte stín
Check out this guide for more tips on travelling with a pet.
How to keep a baby cool in your car with no AC
Travelling during the day when the sun is most powerful in a car with no AC is not a good idea when you have a baby. Try to drive during the early morning or evening when it is cooler.
Make sure you keep your windows open, with constant fresh air flow. You may want to use a sunshade on the window beside your baby, and it’s a good idea to invest in some solar fans or alternative methods of cooling your car without AC.
How long does it take a car to cool down?
For an overheated engine to cool down, it takes around thirty minutes.
The time it takes for your car’s interior to become completely cool after you turn the aircon on should be around five minutes.
Is your car’s aircon not blowing cold air anymore? Don’t settle for sweat. Book an aircon regas today.
What’s up everyone, new to the forum but I’m hoping you guys can help me out. Twice now my ’10 s4 while having heat on or front and rear defroster on in the car, nothing would come out of the vents. Strangely enough the blower speed and other settings are all on as if it was working but nothing is physically coming out. If anyone has experienced this in there car and could lead me in the direction of how to remedy this, I’d be very grateful. Thanks in advance.
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Veteran Member Four Rings Datum připojení 08. června 2005 Člen AZ # 6809 Moje garáž Lexus RX 350 Umístění SE, PA Příspěvky 4,133 XNUMX
You do realize there are different air flow setting that you can select. On some of them, heat does not come out of the center section. When you have the front defroster on, All, or most ,of the airflow is directed to the windshield. If the air does not come through the center vents ONLY when the front defroster is on, the system is probably working as designed, There is a HVAC selection that activates the front defroster AND heat through other vents. Not sure off of the top of my head if air come through the center vents with that setting. BTW, the rear defroster is electric and operates independent of the rest of the HVAC system, unlike the front defroster.
Active Member Two Rings Join Date Jun 03 2016 AZ Member # 374228 Location Queens NY Posts 45
I’m aware of that but regardless any setting, nothing works everything shows as if it’s for example 78 degrees and fan speed of 8 but no warm air is coming out switch to AC 62 degrees on speed of 6 for example no air. This has happened twice an intermittent problem after a certain amount of time it just kicks back on as if nothing ever happened
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Veteran Member Four Rings Datum připojení 21. března 2015 Člen AZ # 321669 Umístění Příspěvky Maryland 7,053 XNUMX
Can you scan it to see if there are any soft codes
2014 S 4 P+ Glacier White DSG/ EPL Stage 2 ECU/ TCU
Černá optika/ B&O/ Sportovní rozdíl/ Atlas uhlíku/ V1/ P3/ Carista/ Sání ECS CF/ Difuzor ECS CF
Bilstein B8/ H&R OE pružiny/ H&R 10-12mm Distanční podložky/ Eurocode Sway
C-Quartz/ Suntek PPF/ AWE Touring 102/ 034 X-Brace & Inserts/ / Akebono Pads/ CR-15/ VLED VX3 LED Fogs
Senior Member Two Rings Join Date Nov 25 2015 AZ Member # 364974 Location London Ontario Posts 238
It is possible the flaps that move around in the dash to direct the air are not moving freely. Turn your ignition on, and listen for a clicking noise in the dash when changing settings.
Active Member Two Rings Join Date Jun 03 2016 AZ Member # 374228 Location Queens NY Posts 45
Not sure don’t really hear much noise unless it’s on a higher level like 10+ but no real clicking noise, it just literally stops working for a while then starts to work out of no where even tho all physical signs show as if it’s working
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Senior Member Two Rings Join Date Nov 25 2015 AZ Member # 364974 Location London Ontario Posts 238
Turn the fan all the way down and listen. You don’t want to hear the air you want to hear the blend flaps moving around.
Active Member Two Rings Join Date Jun 03 2016 AZ Member # 374228 Location Queens NY Posts 45
Will try this, in the event that here is a noise what should I do to fix this, I need air to constantly come out of the vents
Cambergang 370z (sold)
’10 Brilliant Black s4 6mt (DD)
Senior Member Two Rings Join Date Nov 25 2015 AZ Member # 364974 Location London Ontario Posts 238
Dash has to come out I suppose. Most likely will be a bit of a nightmare.
01 07:2017 #06
Veteran Member Three Rings Join Date Oct 31 2013 AZ Member # 127897 Location Morris County, NJ Posts 536
Dumb ? But is sync on? Mine was off and I was freaking out because air was only coming out of half the vents.
2011 S4 P+ 6mt | AWE Touring | Roc Euro | H&R OE/Bilstein/034 RSB | APR Stage 2 DP + CPS | TSW Bathurst 19X9.5 | Michelin PSS 255/35/19
Active Member Two Rings Join Date Jun 03 2016 AZ Member # 374228 Location Queens NY Posts 45
I believe it’s off I’d have to double check tomorow, it’s just strange that it seems to work perfect then stop for a while then kick back on
Cambergang 370z (sold)
’10 Brilliant Black s4 6mt (DD)
Účet ukončen Three Rings Datum připojení 28. června 2016 Člen AZ # 375269 Umístění Příspěvky v USA 724
You do realize that the system has an in cabin temperature gauge that it uses to control if it should flow air or not to maintain the degrees you set it on, right? Also, hot air won’t always flow through the middle vents as not to make the driver sleepy. The system will warm the cabin, but if it can keep the air from flowing directly onto the driver and keep them alert while driving, it’ll do it that way. Depending on how you have it set if on Auto or vent specific under your control, will dictate on how some of this will work. Read the manual and you’ll see. Additionally, if you think the temp isn’t what you’ve set it to in the cabin, then you need to clean out the small vent between the controls that looks like a grate about an inch or so wide. Make sure it’s not blocked with dust or something else. don’t poke it. if you can vacuum it, that would be best. That’s where the temp sensor is and if that’s blocked, it’ll keep the system from properly reading the in-cabin temp and maintaining it.
Active Member Two Rings Join Date Jun 03 2016 AZ Member # 374228 Location Queens NY Posts 45
Understood but all functions do work, intermittently it will stop. Today for example in the snow it worked amazing clear windows and all then it stopped working windows quickly fogged up and glass froze over, stayed like this for some time before it would kick back on as if nothing happened. All the controls showed as if it was working ( at that time temp was set to 78 with front and rear defroster on) but it was not actually defrosting the glass
Cambergang 370z (sold)
’10 Brilliant Black s4 6mt (DD)
