Car overheating in the sun? Here's how to fix it fast

The interior of a vehicle parked in the sun can quickly and easily heat up to such unbearable temperatures that you can even burn yourself on dark surfaces inside the vehicle. Experts from the German automobile club ADAC conducted an experiment to determine which method is more effective in limiting the heating of a vehicle.

It was reported by Auto Swiat.

How was the experiment conducted?

ADAC engineers placed six vehicles in the sun, each of which had been prepared differently for the heat. They then recorded how the temperature changed in each vehicle.

The interior of the vehicle, which was not protected from heat in any way, reached a temperature of 53 °C. In more extreme conditions, the interior of a vehicle can heat up to 60 °C.

According to ADAC measurements, the interior of a vehicle parked in the southern sun reaches a temperature close to the maximum after just 60-70 minutes. It takes only half an hour to heat the interior to 50 °C. The black steering wheel and dashboard can heat up to 70 °C.

Sun visor

The reflective coating applied to the outside of the windscreen proved effective: the interior heated up to 45 °C, which is 8 °C less than in a vehicle without protection.

Tarpaulin semi-garage

The most effective protection against the interior heating was a so-called semi-garage — a tarpaulin covering all the car windows and the roof. The temperature inside the test car reached 43 °C — 10 °C less. The disadvantage of this solution is that it is inconvenient for the driver to install it on their own.

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Foil on the inside

Sun protection foil under the windscreen on the car's dashboard is less effective than external accessories. The interior heated up to 49 °C. The advantage is that the foil is easy to install.

White towel

The white fabric covering the dashboard and steering wheel only slightly reduced the interior temperature — to 50 °C. An important advantage was that the surface of the dashboard and steering wheel were significantly cooler than in an unprotected car.

Tinted window

Tinting the windscreen is prohibited by law. Tinted rear and side windows reduced the temperature in the passenger compartment by only 2 °C. One advantage was that the surfaces in the rear of the car with tinted windows were a full 9 °C cooler than in a car without protection. That's a noticeable difference, especially for child passengers.

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