Heat Wave!

 

KEEP YOUR CAR COOL DURING THE HEAT WAVE!

Record heatwaves this summer are making the Bay Area feel more like the Palm Desert. And this in turn transforms your car into a burning hot inferno! Why does this happen?  The short answer is that the sun’s UV rays come through the glass and they simply can’t escape after that. They get absorbed by the carpet, by the seats, and by the dashboard and they can’t get back out. In fact, if the outside temperature reaches 100 degrees, your car’s dashboard alone can reach temperatures around 180 degrees.

PARKING SMARTS

Your car spends the vast majority of its time parked. So measures you take to minimize the effects of heat while parked pay big dividends for your comfort, and for retaining the value of your vehicle. Here are some common sense, but often ignored measures you should take.

• Park in the shade. 
• Choose a garage or carport rather than open space parking. 
• If you don’t have covered parking at home but can use a portable carport, consider adding one.
• Look for a shaded spot even if you have to walk further to get to your destination and be sure you take into account how shadows move over time.

• Consider window tinting
• Tinting reduces heat in your interior.
• Make sure your tinting is installed correctly. High temperature can damage your tint job or cause it to come off your windows.
• But make sure you stay within local vehicle codes.  Click here to learn more about California window tint laws.

• Keep your windows open a crack.
• Even a small opening allows hot air to leave the interior of your car.
• A study in Pediatrics found that cracking the window 5 centimeters lowered the temperature in a car by about 28° Fahrenheit on a 98° day. The interior air was still hot—it measured 122°F—but that’s still significantly lower than the 150°F they got with the windows fully closed.
• Don’t leave your windows cracked if there is a chance of rain.
• If you live in an area with high vehicle theft, consider using anti-theft window accessories, or you may have to skip this tactic.

• Use a car shade.
• Invest in a higher quality windshield shade. Extra points if it reflects away UV rays.
• Consider rear and side window shades as well; large sloping rear windows act like magnifying glasses, intensifying the heat that gets pulled into your car.
• You’ll be surprised how much cooler your vehicle will be.

• Use a dashboard cover.
• As mentioned before, the dashboard can get extremely hot in the summertime heat. So given this location right underneath of your windshield, it would make sense to put some protection to cover your dashboard and help protect the vinyl and use something that can deflect those UV rays.

• Cover your steering wheel and seats.
• You can get burned by your steering wheel in hot weather, so it is important to cover it with a cloth or towel.
• This is especially true if you don’t have a windshield shade. In a pinch, consider covering it with folded newspaper or magazine
• If you have hand sanitizer, sprinkle it liberally and quickly but lightly wipe it on your steering wheel. The evaporation helps cool the surface.
• Cover leather and vinyl with a cloth or towel. Don’t forget metal belt buckles!

In closing, consider putting up your sunshade when you park even if it’s for just a few minutes. In extreme temperatures like we have these days, both you and your vehicle will benefit from it.