Keeping Your (Car) Cool During Hot Summer Temps

July 21, 2010

As summer temps continue to soar across the country, it gets harder to keep your automobile cool. Once you've burned your hands on a hot steering wheel or seat belt buckle, you start looking for ways to cool things down a bit without spending a lot of money.

One affordable way to reduce car temperatures is to use a simple auto sun shade that sets in your front window. Not only does it cool your vehicle, but it protects your dash from cracking due to sun damage. For as little as $9 you can find a shade for your car. A couple of recommendations to help you with your choices:

Make sure you get a shade that will fit your car windshield fully. A too-small shade isn't going to help much (I know this from experience).
Get a dark or reflective shade. I once bought a cute, decorative shade, but it was thin, light-colored and let a lot of heat in. After switching to a reflective shade, I found the temperature difference quite noticeable.
For an even better fit in your vehicle, think about a custom shade such as HeatShield - it's made to conform to specific makes and models of vehicles.

You could combine using an auto shade with a solar powered auto vent fan. These fans reportedly pull hot air out of your car, especially when you have another window cracked slightly while you're using it. I don't have any personal experience with these, so I can't speak to how effective they are.

The biggest way to reduce car interior temps - and the priciest - is installing window film in your car. There are a variety of types available, from light to mirrored finishes. You can have it professionally installed, or buy some do-it-yourself film. If you do go for a film, make sure you check your state and local laws. One company, Solar Gard, makes a nearly-clear film that reflects U.V. and infrared rays. Installation costs vary, but range about $260-290. Of course, the company also makes darker tints as well.

By keeping your car temperature down, it takes less time for your air conditioner to cool your car. That saves energy and helps your a/c run more efficiently. If you don't already have at least one of these solutions in place, you should definitely think about it as summer progresses and temperatures continue to rise.

By Becky Scott, Contributor

Product recommendations based on research or personal experience and are not paid placements.Shade image by starlord under Creative Commons. Auto tint image courtesy of Solar Gard.