When the weather is warm, all you want to do is crank up the air conditioning in your car – but experts have warned that this may not always be the best idea.
There’s nothing worse than getting into your car on a warm summer’s day and feeling that stifling heat slap you in the face. And, much like the heating on a cold day, it can take some time for your vehicle to get to work and regulate the temperature.
So it’s tempting to get that air conditioning switched on and cranked right up in order to cool down your car. However, experts have warned that this might not always be the best idea, as you could end up wasting fuel – which can be an expensive mistake to make.
Tim Rodie, a driving expert from Motorpoint, has issued a word of advice about cooling down your car during the summer months. He’s revealed the most efficient way to do this without wasting fuel, so drivers concerned about spending too much should take note of his tips.
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He said: “While you might be planning on setting your air conditioning to full blast when driving in summer, it can really be a drain on your fuel.
“Motorists looking to go longer between filling up might think just opening the windows is an obvious alternative but, at higher speeds, this can make your car less aerodynamic – meaning you’ll be using more fuel.”
A general rule to follow is that you should opt for opening the windows instead when you’re driving around at slower speeds, for example, around a city or town.
On the other hand, air conditioning is more effective when you’re driving faster on the motorway – so it’s worth keeping this in mind during long car rides, changing up your method wherever you need to.
And while getting in your car on a hot day can be uncomfortable, Tim advises against letting your air conditioning run to cool down your car before you get inside.
He explained: “Idling is terrible for fuel efficiency but there’s an even more important reason why you shouldn’t be leaving your car unattended with the engine running when cooling down – the risk of it being stolen.
“Modern air-conditioning will cool your vehicle down quickly, so there isn’t really a need to let your car cool down before starting your journey. Not to mention that most car insurance policies have ‘keys in car’ or ‘vehicle left unattended’ clauses that mean motorists aren’t able to make a claim if their vehicle was stolen while unattended with the keys inside.
“If you notice that your air-conditioning feels less powerful than normal, you should get it checked out as you’ll still be using fuel to power your air-conditioning system even if it isn’t working properly.”
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