Heat travels upwards, so cooling the bottom half of the car will help ensure an even flow of the colder air that’s coming from the air-conditioning. At the start of a journey, aim the A/C through the lower vents and close the top ones to help cool air push the warmth upwards and gradually outwards. Once everything is cooled down, you can then direct the air flow as required.
Bring a bottle
This one may seem obvious, but make sure you have at least one bottle of water per passenger. Dehydration is never a good thing, and getting caught in a traffic jam could mean you’ll go far longer between driving breaks (and the opportunity to buy a drink) than you initially planned.
Look after your air-conditioning
Like any other part of your car, looking after the air-conditioning system will make it last longer. Checking the pollen filter every 10,000-15,000 miles is the best way to make sure they aren’t clogged up. On most new cars they are relatively easy to check, and can be found behind the glove box, but if you aren’t sure, your service centre will be able to help.
If your air-con is on but feels disappointingly warm, it may be time for a regas. Although do-it-yourself refill kits can be found in some shops, these aren’t always very effective. The gasses used in A/C systems are also highly hazardous, and regassing systems is a complex job. Therefore, it’s best to leave this one in the hands of the professionals. Most garages offer a regassing service, and it shouldn’t prove too costly, either.
Make sure your car isn’t suffering
Keeping yourself cool is important, but your car will feel the heat, too. An overheating engine can result in disastrous damage, so ensure that your coolant is in good condition and topped up. It’s also good to keep one eye on the dashboard’s temperature gauge if your car has one.
If you’re not the most mechanically minded individual, most garages will be happy to conduct a summer health check at a reasonable cost. If your car is overheating, the temperature gauge will be quickly moving towards or sitting within the red zone, and a red warning will also appear. If this happens, pull over and switch off the engine as soon as possible.
Time to treat yourself to a cooler car? Our Find a Car service can help…