Keeping Your Cool This Summer

There may not be a right way or wrong way to cool down your car this summer but this is one way to do it quickly and efficiently.

Summer in the city

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that much of the nation has been suffering through record-setting, sweltering summer heat for quite some time. Here in Michigan, however, the hum of air conditioning compressors has hardly been heard (in residential areas, anyway) due to an unseasonably cool summer so far this year.

Deep in the heart

I was reminded of this not too long ago when my brother, who lives in Houston, Texas, called me to tell me that the weather down there has been nearly unbearable (even for Houstonians) this summer. He also called to let me know that he was very happy with his new car, a Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition, but that he was extremely disappointed in the air conditioning system.

I immediately reminded him that the exterior color of said Jetta was black and that anyone who lives in Houston and chooses to buy a black car should immediately be examined for any additional signs of insanity (in his defense, it should be stated that black was the only remaining color the Wolfsburg was available in by the time he made his purchase).

That being said, I proceeded to ask him his procedural checklist for cooling off his car when it had been parked outside in the hideous Texas heat. He replied that he got in the car, started it, turned on the air and then commenced to drive off. I was aghast. I proceeded to give him my advice and a few days later he called back to tell me that it had worked and his new car was much more comfortable, thank you very much.

Here, then, is what I told him:

Sweating the details

Keeping your cool, while maximizing your vehicle’s air conditioning system, requires taking a few steps ahead of time to ensure your vehicle is as efficient as possible:

1.    Take your vehicle to a mechanic to have its air conditioning system checked ahead of time to be sure the refrigerant level is okay and that there are no leaks in the system.
2.    If you live in an extremely hot climate (like Houston during the summer), invest in a good, reflecting windshield sun shade (the silver foldable type). It will keep the interior temperature lower and keep your dashboard looking good, longer. If the area you live in is really hot, you should also buy one for the rear window. This is absolutely necessary if you park outside.
3.    If your car is equipped with a tilt sunroof, tilt it up (and keep the interior sunshade closed) to allow hot air to be vented outside. If you don’t have a sunroof, crack the windows open a half inch or so (neither of these should be done if there is a chance of rain – and don’t worry, with the design of vehicle locks these days, it is extremely difficult to open a car door with a coat hanger if the window is open – just take my word for it).
4.    Park in the shadow of a tree or in a parking structure, if possible. Even a little shade will keep your vehicle much cooler.

Now that you’ve kept your vehicle as cool as possible while it’s parked, here is the drill for cooling it down once you need to get moving:

1.    Start the car, open all the windows and remove the sun shield from the windshield. Once the windows are open, turn on the air conditioner with the fan set on “high” and the fresh/recirculating position set to “fresh”.
2.    When the air coming out of the vents begins to cool, close the front windows all the way while leaving about a 2 inch opening at the top of the rear windows (if you have no rear windows, leave a 2 inch opening at the top of the front windows). Do this while you’re still parked.
3.    You can now start to drive. After a couple of minutes, close the remaining open windows (and the sunroof) then switch the fresh/recirculating switch to “recirc”.

Why all the bother?

The point is to flush the hot air out of the car as efficiently as possible. Since hot air conveniently rises and the windows can be cracked from the top, the air will move out more efficiently through the windows, allowing your car to cool down more rapidly.

Once your vehicle begins to cool, recirculating the cool air already in the cabin will allow the a/c to work more efficiently – but if you recirculate the air constantly, even when the car has been parked for a while – it will take much longer for the passenger compartment to cool off.

Stay cool

From all of us here at LotPro.com, have a cool, comfortable and enjoyable summer!

Tags: air conditioning, houston, jetta, jetta wolfsburg edition, michigan, texas, Volkswagen, volkswagen jetta, wolfsburg