Tips to minimize heat wave impacts on your vehicle
Heat is not only dangerous for people, pets and appliances, but it can also wreak havoc on your vehicle.
AAA says heat kills batteries and the effect is cumulative.
So, an ongoing heatwave can take a greater toll than sub-freezing winter temperatures.
You can get your battery strength tested and make sure the terminals are clean.
You should also keep tires at normal pressure to avoid a blowout.
And check all the fluids, including the coolant level.
To limit heat damage, AAA says to drive your car regularly, park in the shade if you can and avoid using the battery when the engine isn't running.
You should also always drive with an emergency kit.
Quickly cool off your car and keep it cool
Here are also some tips on how you can quickly cool off your car and keep it cool amid the heat.
A lot of people think of using their car's automatic start when they want to cool their car quickly, but a car's air conditioning works much better when you are actually driving because the faster the engine turns, the faster the AC compressor runs, according to experts. That allows the system to cool more effectively and the engine will use less fuel.
Once you hit the road, turn on the air conditioner/fan and open all the windows for 10 to 20 seconds.
Once cold air starts flowing through the vents, roll up the front windows but keep the rear ones cracked for another 10 - 20 seconds; this pulls cold air to the back of the car.
If you have passengers in the back seat, turn off recirculation mode so the air in the back doesn't get stale and hot, then adjust the AC temperature to its lowest setting and you can make adjustments to the fan speed and direction to keep you comfortable.
Another tip, if you find yourself sitting in traffic and you have a newer car with an auto start/stop system, you may want to turn that feature off, if you are able. This feature saves fuel by shutting off the car's engine when you are stopped but it also may shut off the car's AC compressor.
