The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Car Air Conditioning: A Guide to Staying Cool and Avoiding Costly Mistakes

The following air conditioning tips and tricks will ensure your car is running at its optimal efficiency:

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Find a parking spot with shade to avoid direct sunlight on your car

On hot summer days, it’s best to park your car in the shade. Parking in the scorching sun will affect the interior of your car, causing harmful odors from leather, plastic, and paint. Additionally, the air conditioning system will consume a lot of fuel to cool down the hot air accumulated in the cabin.

If you can’t find a shady spot under a tree, consider using sunshades or a car cover. When parking, it’s a good idea to roll down the windows by about 1-2 cm to allow for better ventilation. Note that this method should only be applied when your car is parked in a secure area to prevent any unwanted access.

Open doors to let out hot air

Before turning on the air conditioning, it’s advisable to reduce the temperature inside the car. You can do this by opening and closing the doors a few times, stepping into the vehicle, and lowering the windows to let the outside air circulate inside the cabin. Then, start the car and turn on the fan to the highest setting for about 3-5 minutes to blow out the hot air. After the car has been running for a few minutes, you can close the windows and turn on the air conditioning by pressing the A/C button.

Choose the right air intake mode for your air conditioning

According to experts, car air conditioning systems have two modes: recirculation mode (taking air from inside the cabin) and fresh air mode (taking air from outside). It’s important to understand and use these modes effectively.

The fresh air mode is suitable when you first enter the car to allow outside air to circulate inside the cabin. Once the desired temperature is reached, you should switch to recirculation mode to continuously circulate the air inside the car. This makes the air conditioning system more efficient.

It’s not advisable to set the cooling to the highest level immediately after turning on the air conditioning, as this will strain the cooling system.

Additionally, if the interior temperature is significantly different from the outside, the air conditioning system will have to work harder to maintain the desired temperature. This can lead to increased fuel consumption and potential damage to the air conditioning system.

Don’t turn off the air conditioning and open the windows on highways

Many people believe that turning off the air conditioning and opening the windows while driving at high speeds, especially on highways, will save fuel. However, the reality may be quite the opposite. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) conducted a test using two different vehicles, an SUV and a sedan, both with a 4.6L V8 engine. They drove these cars in hot weather conditions on a test track at General Motors and in the desert. Surprisingly, SAE concluded that cars consume less fuel when the air conditioning is on and the windows are closed.

While running the air conditioner in your car will undoubtedly consume a significant amount of fuel, it is still more fuel-efficient than driving with the windows down, especially on highways. This is because, at high speeds, the drag force is considerable, and opening the windows increases this drag. As a result, the engine has to work harder to overcome this resistance, leading to increased fuel consumption.

Turn off the air conditioning when driving through flooded areas

If you must drive through a flooded area, it is advisable to turn off the air conditioning and the fan to ensure safety and prevent any negative impact on the car. Turning off the air conditioning also helps prevent dirt and debris from entering the fan compartment in the engine bay. If the air inside the car becomes too stuffy or hot, the driver can slightly open the windows.

According to Khoevadep

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