Get the most from your car’s air conditioning in summer

Cold, hard facts to keep you cool during sunny spells

With driver’s travelling in soaring temperatures during hot weather, it is worth knowing how to ensure your vehicle’s air conditioning is operating at its most efficient. Opening the windows may help a little with fuel consumption, but for maximum comfort, you want to use the air con to lower the humidity. Follow these tips to truly mastering the chill.

1. Open the windows & doors

When you start driving, first open the windows and doors for a few minutes to let the hot air escape and cooler air enter the car. One common mistake is to turn the air con on full blast once you get in the vehicle, but all this will do initially is blast hot air through the cabin.

2. Turn off stop/start

If you have a newer car with auto stop/start, consider switching it off. While this feature helps save fuel, for many vehicles it can prevent the air conditioning condenser from running when it shuts the engine off. In extreme heat, you can notice the lack of cool air very quickly, especially if you’re stuck in slow traffic that’s barely moving or at a slow stoplight.

3. Tilt the vents

Direct the vents upwards, rather than directly at you, as this stops air from getting evenly distributed around the cabin. If your vehicle has climate control, activate the Auto setting which controls the fan speed and whether the air is recirculated in the cabin or drawn from outside for an even distribution of cool air.

4. Recirculate effectively

Most cars have a recirculation switch but many motorists are unsure when to use it. The easy answer is to use it in the summer and switch it off during winter. On hot days, if you don’t recirculate the cooler air in the cabin, then your air con system is pulling hot air from outside and trying to cool it. Not only will it reduce wear and tear on the system but it will also cut down pollutants entering your vehicle while in traffic.