An Atypical Aggregation of Thoughts from an Average Chuck

How to Quickly Cool the Inside of Your Hot Car

Posted on 07/29/2011 // 7 Comments

This is why I love the internet and sites like Reddit – because I learn all this random shit that once in a while comes in handy. If you were unaware, I live in Arizona – it’s really frickin hot here during May to September (aka right now) so this video find has impecable timing. If it’s 100-118° outside that probably mean the inside of your vehicle is around 140-160& when parked outside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIGLuWqVW7M

I’ve tried it a couple times already in the Arizona sun… seems to work enough to feel a difference but I seem to forget to bring my digital thermometer with me every day so I don’t have specifics. Can’t hurt to try right? Let me know if you’ve got it to work for you.

EDIT: Just noticed the video is down. Basically, open the drivers side window then shut the door. Walk around to the passenger side door and open and close it about 4-6 times. That cycles enough air in/out of the car to immediately lower the internal air temp. Shut the passenger door and get back in, roll up the drivers window and let the A/C do it’s thing with, in theory, less work.

Filed Under: Educational //
  • http://twitter.com/tomchapin Tom Chapin

    Tried it, but all it did was make me feel like I was about to break my door handle from all the opening and closing. Car was still just as hot when I got in, and if anything, I “felt” hotter because of the fact that I had just been standing in the glaring sunlight for a couple of minutes, exerting myself by opening and closing the door. In other words, it looks like a brilliant idea in theory, but in practice, it’s easier to just hop in your car, roll down your windows, and start driving. Oh, and yes, I followed the steps exactly (opening the window on the driver’s side, etc).

    • http://chuckreynolds.us Chuck Reynolds

      yeah I’m not convinced it worked for me either but the placebo effect could take over… 

  • http://twitter.com/tomchapin Tom Chapin

    Tried it, but all it did was make me feel like I was about to break my door handle from all the opening and closing. Car was still just as hot when I got in, and if anything, I “felt” hotter because of the fact that I had just been standing in the glaring sunlight for a couple of minutes, exerting myself by opening and closing the door. In other words, it looks like a brilliant idea in theory, but in practice, it’s easier to just hop in your car, roll down your windows, and start driving. Oh, and yes, I followed the steps exactly (opening the window on the driver’s side, etc).

  • http://twitter.com/fanster_sports Matt Blake

    Haha…thats awesome. I have to try that…

  • http://twitter.com/bnowaks4 Brian Nowak

    Well, it’s worth a try. Although, if I ever saw someone doing this before today, I would have just assumed that they had full blown OCD.

    • http://chuckreynolds.us Chuck Reynolds

      HAHA very true… didn’t think about that lol

  • Greg Childs

    If I see you standing in the parking lot, repeatedly opening and closing your passenger door, while the top of your melon blisters in the heat, I’ll be the guy pointing and laughing (from inside my air-conditioned car).