There’s nothing worse than burning your hand on your seatbelt as you try to rush off to work in your oven of a car. In the winter we’re worried about warming our cars up. In the summer it’s the complete opposite. At least in the winter you can just bundle up, put on some gloves, maybe even flip on the seat warmers. Unfortunately you can’t do that in the summer. You can’t instantly turn on the AC and feel an arctic blast coming through. You have to be patient, or you can try several tips to keep your car from burning up in the California heat.
Keep the sun out of your car. This one is easier said than done. You can help keep the sun out of the car by simply by using a window visor. The reflective nature of the visor will help keep the heat of the rays out. Not only will it reduce the heat, it will cast a shadow in your car, helping it stay cool. On top of that, you can tint your windows. Tinted windows help reduce the strength of the sunrays pouring into your car, just be sure that the tinting follows California law.
Keep air flowing in your car. Here in California, we’re pretty lucky that we do typically have a breeze. Keeping your window slightly cracked will help keep the air circulating in your car. Air movement will prevent your car from feeling so blistering in the heat. You don’t want to leave your windows completely open though, just enough to let some air through.
When all else fails, hide your car from the sun. Sometimes there just doesn’t seem like there is enough you can do keep the heat out of your car. However, parking it in the shade will reduce how warm the interior gets. It’s even better if you can park your car in the garage. These two methods completely reduce sun exposure, leaving your car a lot cooler.
The sun can be a blessing and a curse. We all enjoy the warmth it provides, and there’s the fact that without it, we wouldn’t survive. However, sometimes we just wish it would chill out for a bit. If your car has been sitting out in the sun, or you’ve been driving it all day in extreme heat, it’s wise to make sure your vehicle isn’t going to overheat. Be sure to keep your radiator fluid topped off all summer.
During this time of year, it is best to assume all metal in a vehicle is going to be very hot, and that leather seats will burn your butt if you give them a chance.