The tips you need on how to keep your car cool in summer.
Ah the sweet hot smell of sweaty South African summers. The sun is getting warmer, the sunshine is leading to longer days, and we all know summer is here to stay!
Although many of us welcome such warm and happy weather, the hot, South African sun often turns our cars into hot, steaming, sweaty metal boxes of heat. Popping into the shops and leaving your car in the sun for just 5 minutes leaves it feeling like a sauna!
The same way that the sun can leave our skin badly affected and damaged, the same thing can happen to your car. Our cars are left to bake outside which can lead to damage to your seats and upholstery, and even cause bleaching. Even your battery can deteriorate in the heat.
For many of us, undercover parking is not an option. So, this one’s for the guys whose garages have turned into storerooms or workshops, those who don’t have garages, and those who just want to know how to keep their cars cool and happy in the heat.
Discover: 6 Handy Car Maintenance Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know
How to Keep Your Car Cool in Summer
1. Pick the interiors of your car carefully
Leather seats tend to heat up very quickly and have even been known to burn people in some cases! Ouch! Seats made with material do not overheat as easily.
But you can also use seat covers (for both leather and material seats) as these help to protect your seats and if you have leather seats, they also stop them from getting too hot!
2. Car visors (give your car some shades)
Car visors are great for blocking out a lot of the direct heat from the sun, this also allows for your car to cool down a lot faster when you get in it. They basically reflect the heat from the sun. You can use a sun/car visor on your front dashboard and get another one for your back window.
3. Use your aircon (if you have one)!
There is a sneaky little trick to speeding up the cooling process of your aircon when you get into a scorching hot car! When you get in your car, put the aircon on full blast for about 20 seconds, when you do this, open your back windows a little bit. This helps push out hot air at a faster rate and you are then left sitting in a cool and happy car after this.
4. Keep your car (and you) hydrated
Hot temperatures can cause the oil, transmission fluid and coolant levels to drop at a much faster pace than they do in winter. Because of this, it is important that you check these regularly (with a mechanic or fuel station attendant) to make sure your car doesn’t overheat and cause any serious damage to your car.
Read this: 3 Warning Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Timing Belt
5. Always check your battery
Extremely hot temperatures can cause the battery fluid in your car to evaporate, this results in damage done to the internal structure of the battery and increases the rate that it will wear down. That’s why it is so important that you always check your battery – make sure the plates in each cell are covered by the fluid inside.
It is also important to make sure that your battery does not overflow from overfilling it. You need to check the fluid and for corrosion on a regular basis. If you have no idea what we are talking about, then you can always get a mechanic or even a petrol attendant at a fuel station to help you.
Final tip
Parking your car in the shade is obviously your best bet when it comes to keeping your car cool and happy – even if it means you have to walk a little further – the exercise will do you good and your car thank you for it. And lastly, make sure you get yourself some affordable car insurance from Oneplan.
We don’t make you do vehicle inspections and let you have TOTAL control over how much you are covered for and your monthly premium. You can also turn your car insurance on and off whenever you want to.
Read next: 5 Simple and Interesting Facts About Car Airbags
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