5 Essential Tips to Keep Your Cars Cool This Summer

With skin melting temperatures outside continue to be relentless as ever, we are certainly experiencing one of the hottest summers ever. There’s hardly any chance that anyone would want to argue with this claim as the same is also being said by NASA and various environmental agencies around the globe. Thanks to the modern technology and the rise of civilization, most of us are able to escape the skin piercing heat by simply staying indoors or by using air conditioners and fans. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about our beloved cars, that continue to take hours of punishment under the sun. As important as it is to keep yourself cool and hydrated this summer, so does your car. Yes it is easy to forget the very vessel that keeps you protected from the heat while you drive to your work. But if you want to keep your vehicle from actually turning into a fry pan on wheels, here are some easy to follow tips to keep them cool.

1. Never Park in the Sun for Long Hours

You’re a possible nominee for the next darwin awards if you think parking your vehicle under the scorching sun is a good idea. We understand that there are times when you have to momentarily keep your vehicle waiting under the skin melting sunlight. Nevertheless, it is always better to keep your car in shade wherever its parked for more than half an hour. The sun rays not only heat up the car’s surface but also create a small greenhouse effect inside the car. With temperatures soaring beyond 40 degrees celsius, the light can easily damage your car’s paint and any plastic accessories. It also increases the time it takes for your AC or climate control to cool the cabin, while increasing your engine’s fuel consumption.

2. Use Sun Shades on Doors and Windscreens

Even if you do park your vehicle in the sun, make sure that you cover all the windows and both windshields with sun shades. Although these humble devices might not look very functional, they totally keep the heat outside the car. The heat that gets accumulated inside is not only harmful to your expensive upholstery and damage the plastic parts inside the car, but is also not very healthy for the human body. According to a research, the initial burst of hot air given off by your vehicle’s air condition was found to be a possible cause for lung cancer. Hence it is important to cover your vehicle’s windows to prevent the sunlight from entering your car.

3. Cooling Seat Covers

This one is an investment that you won’t regret when the temperatures soar beyond melting degrees. The sun’s heat can effectively heat leather seats and steering wheel to cause burns on the human skin along with the metal buckles on your seatbelts that can effectively melt butter. While you can save some bucks by using a wet towel every time you enter the car, but that is not always a viable option. The best way to counter this problem is by using cooling seat covers. These covers not only stay cool as compared to leather, but will also keep you cool while you drive in amidst the intense heat wave.

4. Fill those Radials with Nitrogen

You can’t always keep the car in the shade and even if you’ve taken the above measures to keep your vehicle’s interiors cool, the tires still take a hard beating. The roads can heat up much higher than the actual outside temperature literally turning into girdles. The best way to keep your tires cool from inside is by filling them up with nitrogen. While this only applies to radial/tubeless tires, it can cause a major difference in your tires performance on hot roads. The nitrogen is far lighter and colder than air and keeps the rubber from literally melting on the burning asphalt.

5. Change Vehicle Coolant Regularly

Although coolant and oil change is usually taken care of during the regular vehicle service, it is important to keep a track to avoid any accidental meltdowns. Keeping the vehicle’s engine on optimum temperatures not only improves its performance, but also causes less wear and tear. Changing your engine coolant on a regular basis is the best way to ensure that your powertrain is free from overheating and malfunctions.

We’re still not sure who’s responsible for this current stage of global meltdown. But since most fingers point at us humans, it is about time that we take responsibility. Keeping your vehicles protected from heat will not only improve your vehicle’s life, but will also prevent problems such as overheating.