Some tips for your car during the hot weather

1. Ventilate before you turn on the air conditioner

   Ventilate first before turning on the air conditioning. That way, you make sure you get the hot air out first, making it easier for your air conditioner to cool the car. Definitely a useful tip for somewhat older or cheaper cars, where the air conditioning system is not optimal. Although this tip can certainly help with newer cars too.

   Open all the doors for a while, even the trunk you can open for a while to let some fresher air in. Or open one door and open and close another several times to get some airflow in.

   Another useful tip is to set the ventilation to recirculate at the beginning. It is easier for the air conditioner to cool this air instead of the warm air from outside.

2. Use a sunshade when parking or while driving

   You can use a sunshade over the front and rear windows when parking to block direct sunlight. This small tip can already make a pleasant difference. While driving, you can also, for example, cover the rear passenger windows with a cloth or screen. This also already reduces direct sunlight and is more pleasant for the passengers in the back.

   In addition, a sunshade is also there for your safety. After all, thanks to the screen, the (low-hanging) sun will not blind you.

3. Park in the shade

   A logical tip, but one that is often forgotten because you might just come across a parking spot, for example. However, sometimes it is appropriate to park a little further under a tree to ensure that direct sunlight cannot get in. This can mean a world of difference when leaving.

4. Do not set the air conditioning too cold

   Especially on a tremendously hot day, people dare to put the air conditioning on the coldest setting for a while to cool down. But: this is not very healthy. A maximum difference of 8° Celsius between the indoor and outdoor air is recommended.

   It is also best to already turn off the air conditioning when you are almost at your destination so that the difference is not too abrupt when getting out.

5. Do not put the cooling directly on your body

   We understand that feeling the cooling directly on your skin feels good, but it can also cause stiff or cramped muscles. In addition, it also increases the chances of catching a cold.

   Sidenote: The cold itself cannot cause a cold, but the colder your body is, the more likely you are to get sick.

6. Leave some water in the car, but be careful where to stock it

   Especially in the hot weather, it is easy to have a bottle of water behind you to combat dehydration. Especially on longer drives or an unexpected traffic jam, this can come in handy.

   But watch out for this too and don’t just leave it lying around in the car. If you just leave it lying around, it can end up on your pedals, for example, which is of course dangerous. But it can also act as a magnifying glass if left in direct sunlight. This can then cause burn marks in your upholstery and there has even been a reported case of it causing a fire.

   The latter scenario is slightly less likely, but just store your bottle for all safety.

7. Check your engine fluid and also pay attention to the tire pressure

   On longer trips in hot weather, it is best to check your car’s engine fluid to make sure it is still full. Especially the cooling system should be double-checked.

   Also keep in mind that your tyre pressure increases, the pressure can rise by 0.1 bar per 10 degrees. You can certainly reduce the tyre pressure slightly to the standard pressure. Keep in mind when the temperature cools down again. Otherwise, you will then drive with too low tyre pressure.

8. Do not leave any passengers in the car, not even pets!

   Every year it comes up several times in the news. People who leave their pets and even children in the car because ‘it’s only for a minute’. However, beware of this, as the temperature in the car can rise tremendously fast and then it becomes dangerous for both children and pets!

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