During your holiday or a beautiful summer in our own country, you will have to deal with high temperatures. These nine points you should pay attention to when driving in the heat.
High temperatures quickly take their toll. You have to put in more effort to stay ‘on track’ when riding in the heat. We give nine aspects that are important here.
1. Check your fluids
It seems very obvious. Especially on hot days, make sure that the coolant, oil and wiper fluid levels are correct. Driving in the heat is just as much of a challenge for the technology of your car as it is for yourself. And that little bit of care helps a lot.
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2. Check the tire pressure
Due to the higher temperatures, the air in the tires becomes warmer and expands. If you check the tire pressure, you will therefore notice that there is probably air coming out of the valve (although many people generally drive around with under-inflated tires). Especially if you are planning a long drive on the highway, it is important to check the tire pressure. And when the weather turns cool, do it again. After all, the cooler air can cause the tire pressure to become too low.
3. Get rid of the insects on your paint
After a long drive on the highway, you should also pay attention to the insects on the windshield. Take the trouble to remove it before the ride. If you use the windshield washers while driving, you smear the mosquito corpses over the windshield and only make visibility worse. And also clean the paint from insects, quickly at the car wash or by hand. The sun that burns on the insects leads to paint damage that is difficult to repair.
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4. Ventilate, also with air conditioning
If your car has been in the blazing sun for a while, the temperatures will rise quite a bit! Just ventilate before you drive away by leaving the doors open longer. You can also open all windows yourself when driving off. The hot air then leaves the car and the air conditioning can take over more easily. It is also better to switch on the recirculation mode in the beginning. Then you only cool the air in the car for a while. That makes it comfortable faster. And if you can already turn on the air conditioning remotely, that is of course a good option!
5. Set the air conditioning around 21 degrees
Do you have air conditioning? Do not let the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures rise too much. Make sure your car’s temperature is set to 20 to 22 degrees. On very hot days you can maintain a difference of 8 degrees between the indoor and outdoor temperatures. It’s also better for you and your passengers. If there is too much difference inside and outside, people with circulation problems can even faint. If you turn off the air conditioning a few minutes before arrival, you can get used to the higher outside temperature. And you prevent that you get a musty smell in the air conditioning (and therefore car).
6. Turn the cool airflow away from you
You probably know it. When riding in the heat, you just want to aim that cool air at you. Resist that temptation and turn the cold airflow a bit away from you. You can get muscle complaints from the cold airflow and in some cases you are more susceptible to colds through the strongly cooled skin.
7. Put on good shoes
It is very tempting to take off your shoes in a hot car. Dangerous, because barefoot, with slippers or in high heels you can often brake less vigorously. This can make all the difference in preventing an accident. Sometimes the insurance can be difficult, because with slippers you can control your car less well.
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8. Bring your dog and baby
When you get to your destination, think about the children and animals traveling with you when you get off. Even during a short stop, where the car remains in the shade, the temperatures quickly rise enormously. Especially if you have a nice big sunroof. This can be fatal for living beings.
10. Drink bottle becomes fire glass
It is wise to take enough drinks with you when driving in the heat. Plain water is often the best. When getting out, make sure that you take the bottles out of the car and put them in the trunk. After all: the water gets hot in the car. The vials can also act as a magnifying glass and cause burns. Or even fire in the car.
And then this…
If you prefer to drive at a cooler time, for example in the evening, that is quite handy. Then you may have to deal with low sun. You can also find advice on driving with low sun on AutoWeek!
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl