How to Cool Your Car Like a Pro | Consumer Reports

There's nothing worse than getting into a hot car after a day in the sun. These tips from Consumer Reports experts will have you driving away in comfort. 

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[HaloHamstur]

The recirculation cuts air off from the outside and uses the air from the inside. Which actually keeps the car cooler.

[happy]

after going through all that, you'll forget where you're going and decide not to drive the car after all...huge savings!!

[eddiegarcia]

0:29 roll down your windows and crank that Soulja boi

[nishitraj.]

Before entering a baked car, open the rear door and swing the front door a couple of times... It makes the trapped hot air being pushed out. Easiest tricks and takes 5 seconds

[kohakok]

Good video but disagree on "don't turn on your AC until driving". At least my car's AC runs great while stationary with engine on. When it is 100 degrees F outside, your family will appreciate that you are not trying to save 50 cents on fuel while they are being toasted in the car oven for minutes. That's exactly the point of a car: providing comfort and convenience to you and your family.

[Eeaotc]

Done most of these tips. Works great! Tinted windows is another way to cool off.

[RV]

Always open your windows before entering a hot car to get rid of all the toxic chemicals that stir up coming off the vinyl and plastics because of the heat. You don't want to be inhaling them fumes.

[ffbells]

"Setting the temp lower doesn't make it cool any faster" {as they dial the cabin temp to 63} LOL

[aurorajones]

You should tell ppl to turn their a/c off when turning the car off this releases pressure in the system reducing the chance of a fault later on, this also blows out all the moisture in the system preventing mold from building up. Ive used this trick in all 3 of my past new cars and i have never had that nasty moldy smell and my a/c has never had issues.

[meterdoogles]

I've always found that setting the A/C to max along with the recirculation mode cools the car the fastest, because it is pulling hot air out and replacing it with cool air. Rolling down the windows only releases very hot air and pulls hot air back in. If you're concerned about MPGs then driving with the windows down is like dragging a parachute behind the car and you're still only getting more hot air. Lastly, leave your windows cracked a little while parked and your car wont be so hot to begin with.

[jacobbaird]

How to cool down the car:
1. Crack all windows a few minutes before you leave
2. After the windows are open some turn the AC to its max
3. After waiting a few minutes drive off
4. Roll up windows and turn on air recirc
Sources: Living in Central AZ

[divisioneight]

Also a sun windshield visor is important to keep the soft touch and often dark colored dashboards cooler. Your AC system will work overtime to cool down the cabin while competing with a 5 foot wide furnace in the front of the car.

[wholeNwon]

If you have a sunroof, tilt it and open a rear window a couple of inches. While moving the hot air will be sucked out very quickly.

[BKeaton]

On Volvos and some other cars, if you press down on the remotes unlock button for a while, the car will open up all the windows. This way the hot air gets out as you're walking to the car.

[justinbustin]

I finally installed a kn cabin filter that is washable. Damn a 20 buck filter every 2 to 3 months!

[aaq]

My summer AC tips: try parking in the shade, use a window shade to block direct sunlight from entering thru the windshield, crack your windows to let the hot air escape, before leaving, put all windows down to let all hot air to escape for a few minutes to cool down the inside too and then crank the AC on full blast! Lol

[MatthewandSteph]

When my car is like an oven I couldn't care less about gas mileage! The best thing to do is let all the windows down (including opening the trunk which becomes a heat sink). Turn on the A/C for at least 2 minutes before getting in. This let's the auxiliary fan blow air on the condenser and by the time you get inside the air blowing out of the vent is cool (the reason you get hot air blowing out when you turn it on for the first time after leaving the car for hours in the sun, is because the condenser has just started the process of having air pass through it and cooling down). Set the A/C to fresh air for the first 5 mins after turning it on as the fresh air will be cooler than the hot air in the car (remember this air needs to be cooled through the condenser). After 5 mins doesn't matter whether fresh air or recirculating.
If necessary drive for a block with the windows open (if the air is still too hot inside after doing the above steps), this will evacuate much of the remaining hot air. Then close the windows shortly after as the system needs to start conditioning the air in a closed environment of the car.
So basically much of things this guy said in the video is off the mark.
(NOTE: it's also good to cover your dash as the plastic becomes a heat sink which absorbs the heat and needs about 20 mins to cool down to room temp: until then it is like a radiator)

[ooglefluffg]

It drives me insane when people constantly fiddle with climate control, deliberately setting it lower or higher than they actually want it. They're too hot, so they crank it down to 15, then five minutes later they're too cold, so they turn it up to 25, then back down to 17, then up to 23, and so on. I also can't count how many times I've seen people reach over and change _both_ temperatures with dual zone climate control. For Christ's sake, you pick your temperature and I'll pick mine, _that's why there are two zones._/rant

[pedrofernandez]

Here in freaking hot So Fla, I try to find a shady spot, use tinted glass and I place a reflective sun shield on the inside of the windshield. It helps keep the car cooler

[chiemekaa]

Actually, don't just turn on the AC, but rather set it to the front windshield defroster. Leave your windows down while staying OUTSIDE the car for at least a couple of minutes. This will drive out most of the accumulated heat where it's the hottest first (just above the dashboard) and keep you from breathing the toxic heat/fumes from the plastics in your car. Once in the car choose your preferred setting and on occasion run the defroster to drive out the windshield heat depending how long you're in direct sunlight.