For most of us, the summer season is a time of fun and relaxation. A time to hit the beach or just hang out with family and friends. But along with the beautiful weather that summer provides also comes a scorching heat that leaves us sweating and uncomfortable.
This is especially true when it comes to hopping in your car after its been baking in the sun for a few hours. Nothing is worse than getting into a hot car and begging the AC to cool you down as quickly as possible. If only there was a way to make your car AC colder. Now that would be nice!
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make your car’s AC super cold and cool you off quickly. If that sounds like an answered prayer, keep reading to learn how you can turn your car into the ice box you’ve always dreamed about.
1) Check Your Freon
Often when our AC isn’t working to our liking, it can be traced back to a lack of freon. Freon is a key component of your car’s air conditioning system. Without it, you’ll never have cold air blowing through your vents.
If you suspect your freon level is low, you can take your car in and have it recharged or you can do it yourself. Doing it yourself is a fairly straight forward process and can be done quickly while also saving you a lot of money in the process.
To check freon in your car, and add some if its low, you’ll need a freon recharge kit like this one on Amazon. To use it you simply start your car and turn on the AC, hook the hose up to the low-pressure service port, and add the freon to the desired level.
2) Replace Cabin Filter
Another culprit for sub par air conditioning is a dirty or clogged cabin filter.
The cabin filter is what is responsible for keeping dirt, dust, pollen, and other unwelcome guests from entering into your vehicles AC system and blowing into your car. As you can imagine, these filters can get dirty quite quickly so keeping them replaced at set intervals is a good idea.
If the filter becomes too dirty or clogged, it can cause a tremendous decrease in the amount of airflow you receive through your vents. So although your car may be putting out cool air, you wont feel all of it. Definitely take a look at your cabin filter if your AC isn’t performing the way you think it should.
3) Park in the Shade
Parking in the shade is the best way to keep excessive heat from building up inside your car. Obviously this isn’t always possible or practical but by doing so you can greatly reduce how hot the interior of your car gets and cut down on the amount of time it takes to cool down.
For those times when parking in the shade isn’t an option you can always buy a windshield sunshade or a whole car umbrella, like this one on Amazon. Both of these are great options for blocking out sunlight and keeping your parked car cool.
4) Use Your Vents Wisely
If your riding solo and you want to cool off fast, make sure you shut the passenger side vents or face them towards you. Take advantage of being the only occupant and hog all the air that your car will give you!
5) Easy on the Gas Pedal
During the summer months when the heat is blazing, its always a good idea to accelerate as smoothly as possible. Because your air conditioning system is tied into your engine, every time you put the pedal to the metal, you’re taking away from how much power is available to your AC.
Being gentle on the accelerator not only helps your car stay cooler, its also more fuel efficient. Definitely a win-win in my book.
6) Use Your AC Buttons Properly
When your car sits in the sun for hours, the temperature inside is hotter than than it is outside. The best way to get rid of this heat is to roll down your windows and bring in fresh air from outside.
When you first get into your vehicle, turn your AC button settings to fresh air mode. This will bring in cooler air from outside the vehicle. Once your car starts to cool down, switch over to re-circulation mode. This will continue to cycle the air inside your car through the air conditioning system which helps to cool your car down faster.
7) Use Remote Start
The range of most remote starters is around 500ft give or take. This means you can be paying for your groceries and be able to start your car in the parking lot, assuming there isn’t much interference.
If your vehicle doesn’t have remote start, you can always hire a professional to install it or you can install a universal remote start kit yourself. This remote start kit on Amazon is a great budget friendly way to knock off a few degrees prior to your arrival. Be aware that installing a remote start kit typically involves tying into your vehicles wiring harness. If you don’t feel comfortable tackling this job definitely hire a professional.
8) Give Your AC a Boost
Sometimes when its just too hot, it doesn’t seem like the stock AC is enough. Luckily, you can give your AC a boost by adding an additive.
A freon additive, such as Ice 32 is a great way to make your AC colder while also helping to keep your air conditioning system in good shape. Ice 32 creates a film that adheres to metal surfaces that helps prevent sludge and moisture from building up in your compressor. This results in colder AC and a better operating air conditioning system all together.
It also comes with a dye mixed into it which is useful for detecting leaks. If you get your AC charged and a week later its blowing warm air again, that typically means you have a leak and a mechanic will put dye in the system to find out where its coming from. With Ice 32 you’re already one step ahead.
This is a great way to get your AC blowing colder without having to spend a ton of money.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are lots of ways to make your car AC colder. Whether you use one or all of these tips, you’ll see an improvement in the quality of your air conditioning. I hope you enjoyed this article. Thanks for reading!