Our Arizona summers are pretty toasty, to say the least, so here are some tips to help you and your vehicle cope with our hot weather.
How to cool off the interior of your vehicle quickly:
Open your windows to let the hot air out. A closed car can reach temperatures above 160 degrees. So, let that very hot air out after starting your car by opening the windows for at least a minute.
Start off your climate control using fresh air not recycled. Again, because the cabin air will be much hotter than the outside temperature. This will help the conditioned air cool down faster. After a couple minutes, you can switch over to recycled air to continue cooling off the cabin.
Keep fan speed at mid-range not on high. Lower air volume will allow the air to get colder faster.
When possible, park with the dashboard facing away from the sun. A hot dash is your biggest nemesis to having cool air because the dash heats it up as it passes through it. If you have to park toward the sun, use a windshield shade. As a bonus, you also will be able to hold the steering wheel without oven mitts.
Tint your windows even if you have dark glass. The film not only shades the cabin, but it also has UV protection that will deflect the heat from your vehicle (not to mention it looks pretty snazzy).
If your AC doesn’t feel quite right or has a funny smell, you should have the system inspected and diagnosed by a certified technician.
Now is also a great time to replace your wiper blades. Our hot dry weather has basically baked the rubber onto the windshield, so when you do want to use them they either rip or streak the glass as they wipe. Our monsoons show up without notice, so be prepared with a fresh set of blades.
Please call H and I Automotive at (480) 985-9279 with any questions or to obtain an estimate. We are a full service professional automotive service center, serving our East Valley neighbors since 2009. Find us online at handiautomotive.com or on Facebook and Google+.