Although you may enjoy lounging outdoors and soaking up the hot summer sun, your car certainly does not. Hot temperatures increase the risk that your car overheats, which is dangerous to passengers and can cause expensive damage.
Stepping into a burning hot car can also be extremely uncomfortable for passengers. Luckily, there are plenty of tricks to help you avoid this scenario.
Whether you’re trying to prevent an overheated car (or just want to make driving in the summer more bearable), here’s what you need to know about keeping your car cool.
Why Do Cars Overheat?
Before diving into 10 helpful tips, it’s important to understand why car engines overheat. Engines overheat because there’s an issue with the cooling system, such as a bad radiator fan, a broken water pump, or a faulty thermostat.
These issues paired with hot temperatures make your vehicle more susceptible to overheating. That’s why you’re more likely to see damaged cars pulled over on the side of the road during the summer.
A car’s engine temperature usually falls between 190 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If the engine exceeds 230 degrees Fahrenheit, the car is overheating. Once it reaches above 245 degrees Fahrenheit, damage could occur.
Extreme heat can cause metal components within the engine to warp, resulting in leaks and reduced engine performance. This damage can be expensive to repair and may shorten a vehicle’s overall lifespan.
Fortunately, by keeping your car in good health and shielding it from the sun, you can keep it from overheating. Explore these 10 tips to protect your car this summer.
Maximizing Shade for Your Parked Car
Parking in a shaded area during the summer months is one of the most effective ways to keep your car cooler. This not only keeps the interior temperature lower but also reduces the strain on the cooling system.
The best place to keep your car is inside a garage (either a residential garage or parking garage) or covered driveway, but even parking below a shady tree in a residential area can help.
If shade isn’t available near your residence, consider alternative options like keeping your car in a public parking garage. Some peer-to-peer storage marketplaces, like Neighbor, also provide covered parking spaces for affordable prices.
If you don’t plan on using your car much during the summer, you could also keep it in a vehicle storage unit. For extra protection, opt for a climate-controlled unit.
Windshield Sun Shades and Window Curtains
Windshield sun shades and car window curtains are fantastic accessories that’ll help you combat the sizzling summer heat. Typically, sun shades and window curtains are made of a reflective material, like mesh, to block out sunlight and maintain a comfortable interior temperature.
There are many different types of sunshades and window curtains. Some sun shades, like ones offered by the brand HeatShield, feature suction cups that stick to the windows, while others, like Snap Shades, use magnets to stay attached to window frames.
Some window shades automatically roll up with the window glass, while SYWAN‘s line of sun shades can be swept aside when not in use.
Tinting Windows for Temperature Control
Rather than buy a windshield cover or curtain, you could also have your car windows tinted. Various window tints, such as ceramic and metalized ones, provide excellent heat reduction and block harmful UV rays.
Window tinting is a process performed by professionals, typically at an auto shop, car dealership, or a specialized tinting shop.
Before you tint your windows, remember to check your local legal regulations, as some areas have restrictions on how dark your windows can be. For more information on your state’s tint laws, check out this resource.
Steering Wheel and Seat Protection
To protect your steering wheel, you could also invest in a steering wheel cover. These come in various materials such as leather, neoprene, or cloth. Brands like BDK and Valleycomfy are renowned for their quality steering wheel covers. If you’d rather not buy something new, you can also simply lay a towel over your steering wheel.
There are also a variety of seat covers that not only protect from spills and dirt but also keep the seat cool on hot days. For the ultimate in comfort, consider using seat cooling cushions like the Doingart Cooling Car Seat Cushion, which plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and offers three power levels to choose from
Solar-Powered Fans
Another great (and environmentally friendly) way of keeping your vehicle’s interior temperature cool while it’s parked is by using a solar-powered fan. These fans rely on solar panels mounted on the vehicle’s windows to circulate air within the car. Some brands that sell these fans include MUXAN and Koolatron.
To enhance the cooling effect, consider using two solar-powered fans on the side front or rear windows to increase cross-ventilation airflow. It’s important to note that solar-powered fans only work if the car is parked in direct sunlight.
Interior Maintenance and Conditioning Products
Summer sun and heat exposure can cause leather seats to dry and crack, so you’ll want to do some maintenance and cleaning on your car’s interior to keep it looking new. Using specialized leather conditioners specifically for cars helps the material stay moist.
Vinyl or rubber surfaces can also benefit from conditioning to prevent deterioration caused by prolonged exposure to summer heat. Use car interior dressings, like the ones offered by Detail King, to treat these surfaces.
Pre-Cooling Strategies Before Driving
The aforementioned tips will hopefully keep your car cool before you step into it. But let’s say you do get into a hot car. It’s important that you cool the car down before driving.
To help hot air escape from your car, open all doors and windows or switch the air conditioning to full blast. If you have a sunroof, leaving it open will also allow cool air to circulate.
Finally, wipe down your dashboard and steering wheel with a damp cloth to cool down surfaces.
After taming the heat trapped in your vehicle, you can leave your air conditioning on or your windows down while driving.
Proper Air Conditioning Usage
There’s a right way to use the air conditioning when cooling down your car’s interior temperature. Start by directing cool air through the lower vents, which encourages hot air upwards and out of the car through open windows.
Once the interior begins to cool down, adjust the airflow to other vents or alter the fan speed to maintain the desired temperature. This approach allows the cooler air to displace the warmer air, cooling the car down faster.
Regular Vehicle Checkups for Optimal Summer Performance
As mentioned earlier, car engines overheat due to issues within the cooling system, leading to an imbalance in the engine’s temperature regulation. To keep this from happening, regular vehicle checkups are necessary, especially in the summer when the risk of overheating is higher.
These are some of the components you should have looked at:
- Radiator
- Coolant levels
- Thermostat
- Cooling fans
- Water pump
Protecting Belongings in a Hot Car
If you’re worried about protecting your belongings inside a car, stow them under the car seat or in the glove compartment where they’ll be shielded from the sun’s rays. You can also cover them with a blanket or place items inside a heat-friendly carrier.
Heat-friendly carriers could include insulated bags, coolers with thermal linings, or specialized containers designed specifically to withstand high temperatures.
Summary
Heat can harm a car’s engine as well as its battery, so make sure that, in addition to following these tips, you also drive your car regularly. Experts recommend driving once a week for at least 20 minutes. This will keep your car reliable in summer, just in time for beach excursions and family road trips.
