How to Keep the Car Cool in the Hot Sun

Covered parking protects cars from the heat of the summer sun.

During the summer months the interior of a car can heat up to over 140 F. The steering wheel can become impossible to touch and the seats difficult to sit on, and the metal of the seat belt can burn your skin. For drivers without air conditioning or with vinyl seats, summer can be especially painful when wearing shorts, skirts or dresses. While it is inevitable that a car will be warmer during the summer, there are a few ways to help beat the heat.

Things You'll Need

• Windshield sun reflector

Instructions

1. Place a sun shade on your windshield to reflect the sun's hot rays. Sun shades are placed on the interior of the car with a shiny, reflective material facing outward that blocks sun light. Sun shades can be plain or have decorations.

2. Park in the coolest option available. Parking garages and covered decks are ideal, but parking under a shady tree can drastically reduce how heated the car becomes.

3. Crack your windows. Just leaving your windows down an inch or so can help air circulate and keep the interior cooler.

4. Tint your windows. Tinted windows block some of the sun's rays that heat up the car's interior.

5. Turn on the air conditioning and open the doors before departing. This gives the air conditioning system time to cool down and the open doors let out trapped heat and circulate air.

Tips & Warnings

• Carry a towel to sit on if your legs are exposed and you have vinyl seats.

• Bring cool water to wipe down and cool off the steering wheel to make it more comfortable to touch.

• Have your windows professionally tinted or inspected to make sure your tinting is in compliance with light transmittance and luminous-reflectance laws.

References

• Motor Trend: Keeping Your Car Cool When the Heat is On
• Find Law: Window Tinting Law