Summer has officially begun! As temperatures are forecasted to be up in the triple-digits, the Triangle is heating up fast, and so is your car.
Before your seats turn into skillets and your steering wheel burns your fingerprints off, WRAL's 5 On Your Side has some tips on how to beat the heat without wasting money on gimmicky products or unnecessary repairs for your car—and how a few expert-backed tricks can protect both your health and your car's electronics from heat-related damage.
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First you want to get in your car and start driving.
“This is better than remote start because the faster the engine turns the faster the AC compressor runs,” said WRAL’s consumer reporter Keely Arthur.
Once on the road, turn on the air conditioning roll down the windows for about 10 to 20 seconds and crank the fan.
Once the cold air starts coming through the car vents, roll up your front windows, but keep the back ones open for about 20 more seconds.
“This will pull the cold air to the back of the car,” Arthur said.
After those 20 seconds, you can adjust your AC to the lowest setting.
WRAL also listed some tips below that could keep the inside of your car cool during these hot summer months.
- Park in the shade
- Use a windshield sunshade
- Crack your windows slightly when you can
- Cover your steering wheel
- Check your coolant levels
- Get your battery tested
- Avoid leaving electronics inside
- Never leave people or pets in the car
- Ventilate before driving
- Keep an emergency kit with water and cooling towels