How to Get the Most Out of Your Car’s AC This Summer

As the mercury is rising once again, we are on the verge of summer. Soon, many will be turning on their air conditioners including car ACs. 

Have you noticed your car’s AC doesn’t cool as much or as fast as the other car’s AC? This is due to various reasons, some of which will be discussed in detail in this blog. However, the main thrust of this blog remains how to get the most cooling out of your car’s AC this summer. 

1. Ventilate before driving

If your car has been parked in direct sunlight for hours, don’t expect its AC to cool it down within seconds. You’ll be better off opening the doors or rolling down the windows for a few minutes, letting fresh (warm) air come in. This will help in bringing down the cabin temperature. Now turn on the AC and feel the difference. 

2. Park in the shade

To avoid direct sunlight, park your car in the shade. This will help your AC cool better and faster. Also, parking away from direct sunlight will protect other parts of your car like tyres, paints and other plastic parts that may get damaged by heat. 

If you can’t find shade, use an aluminum foil windshield. 

3. Keep temperature to extreme cold

When turning on the car AC, make sure the dial or knob is turned to the extreme left. Otherwise, you won’t get the maximum cooling from the AC, and what’s more, your car’s fuel consumption will increase.

This is not the case with cars having digital climate controls. Such vehicles can automatically adjust the temperatures for maximum and efficient cooling. 

4. Switch off your car’s AC when not moving

Have you noticed the AC doesn’t work well when your car isn’t moving? This is because the compressor of your car’s AC runs only as fast as the engine. When the car is static, the compressor isn’t running at the optimal level. This affects its cooling function. 

5. Keep a check on your cabin filter

If you turn off the recirculation option to get fresh air, your biggest worry is letting in dirty polluted air from the outside. For this purpose, cars come equipped with a cabin filter, which means that it filters the air and then sends it into the cabin.

Check out the cabin filter and clean it on every car service through pressurized air. It’s recommended to replace your car’s cabin filter after every 20,000 kms. 

6. Turn off Eco idle

Eco Idle function is now commonly found in many cars, especially in imported 660cc JDMs. To ensure fuel efficiency, this function automatically switches off the engine when the vehicle is idle. Once the engine is off, it also turns off the AC; however, the fan keeps blowing. 

If you want the AC to run continuously, turn off this function. 

7. Check the AC refrigerant level

Air conditioners use refrigerants which are a type of chemical. Checking this chemical’s level is important since the refrigerant absorbs heat and provides cool air in return. With time the refrigerant can lose pressure making the cooling less effective.  Have an expert check the refrigerant level of your car AC. 

Always make sure to use the exact refrigerant recommended by your car manufacturer. You may find it in the owner’s manual of your car. 

8. Get your AC serviced

For proper functioning, every machine needs to get serviced. Getting AC serviced once or twice a year is a standard practice to keep it in good shape.

In addition to these tips, do you have others to share? Let us know in the comments section below.