The heat of summer is not only wearing you down, but also tough for cars as high temperature can destroy batteries and stress the tires and cooling system. During peak of the summer, it is unbearable for the one to drive because the car interior is heated up to the dangerous temperature with a few not having the luxury of A/C. This issue can be solved by doing few things that can make you, your children and pets safe from heat.
1. Parking in the shade
Finding places to park in the shade is a difficult task. Instead, take time, to park in the shaded area like under trees, buildings or underground parking lots. Parking in the shade not only keeps car cool, but make car survive for a longer period. If there is no shady spot, then open all doors for a few minutes before entering. Another option is leaving windows open less than a width of a person’s arm, in order to allow hot air to escape while parked.
2. Use UV-heat shield or sun shade
The one who can’t escape from parking outdoors, then it is a necessary for them to purchase sun shade or UV-heat shield to protect their car’s interior from harmful sun rays. If you can spend little more and purchase custom sun shade, it will protect your windshield like a glove, and virtually no UV rays can get in.
3. Use bottom vents
Many people open the windows immediately to cool the upper body of the car. Rather, the best method is to, push hot air from bottom to cool the vehicle. Pushing hot air from bottom to top helps the air to escape through open windows by adjusting the fan settings to max and closing the upper vents. Switch to upper vents once hot air is pushed out, while driving.
4. Change A/C settings.
If you have air conditioning in your car, make sure you set it to ‘fresh air’ instead of ‘re-circulation’ for first 5 to 10 minutes and after that switch to re-circulation.
According to car care council, vehicle components to be checked periodically and at same time, precautions have to be taken to avoid breakdowns and car problems. The automotive tips have been mentioned below:
i) Battery Life
Excessive heat causes the battery fluid to dehydrate, which damages the internal structure and shorten the battery life. To get life out of battery, council advice that electrical system should be regularly checked and add distilled water if necessary. The second recommendation is keeping the battery clean. If dirt is formed, then corrosion will be accumulated and therefore the life of the battery will get reduced.
ii) Tire care
During summer the heat add stress to tires, thus tires should be checked monthly mainly during high temperature. The council also suggests, checking the pressure when tires are cold.
iii) Cooling System
The cooling system will work effectively, if distilled water and coolant mixture in a vehicle’s radiator is 50:50. The hot radiator should never be opened while checking the coolant level in reservoir. A pressure test, thermostat test, a cooling fan test must be done annually. The radiator to be kept clean periodically, using a garden hose and a soft brush.
A little extra maintenance and money will definitely minimize the breakdowns and car problems during summer. Therefore, implementation of preventive steps will make you and your passengers, a good driving experience.