Originally Posted by Danny_Harris

Goodness better believe it one thing I did notice, is that provided that its truly hot, say in the 90's, they do completely focus in my legitimate idea. Since at those temps I more often than not dont sit in an unmoving auto long enough to truly measure provided that they are helping or not, hot is hot. In the event that anything they help keep the air circling, so may be its not stale. Other than that, its a knick knack.

Originally Posted by Fray Adjacent

Summertime is upon us! This usually means reduced fuel economy due to having to use the AC frequently. There are a few things we can do to help reduce it's impact on our fuel economy.


1. Get your windows tinted! Use a good quality metallic film, and go with either the darkest you can stand, or the darkest legal in your state. Use a reputable installer. (I recommend the 3M metallic films. I've had it on several cars and it looks great and performs well.)

Tinting your windows will help reflect heat and UV rays that not only heat up your interior, but also degrade your upholstery, plastic and leather components.

2. Get a sunshade and USE it! This has the same affect as tinting - it helps keep the interior from getting so hot, and also shades your dash, protecting it from UV rays. I'd try to find a reflective or light colored shade that fits the window well.

3. When possible, keep a couple windows open just an inch. This will help the cabin vent hot air

4. When starting your drive, roll down your windows, and set the AC for fresh air. Windows down will get that hot air out of your cabin. Setting the AC to fresh will pull in air from outside that is likely cooler than the inside temperature at first.

5. After a few minutes driving, roll up the windows, but leave the AC on fresh for a little while longer. When the air output is cool enough, switch to recirculate. This lets the AC work on the now cooler inside temperature.

6. Reduce fan settings as you are comfortable. The more you reduce the fan, the lower the duty cycle of the compressor will be, easing the load on the engine.


These are a few things I've learned over the years. Living in Texas, it gets mighty hot during the summer months. I've tested and found the sunshade and tint tips can keep your car's interior about 20 degrees cooler. It'll still get HOT, but not AS hot.

And I think this is my 'FitFreak mantra'...

Remember... the biggest thing that affects your fuel economy is


YOU

Originally Posted by Fray Adjacent

1. Get your windows tinted! Use a good quality metallic film, and go with either the darkest you can stand, or the darkest legal in your state. Use a reputable installer. (I recommend the 3M metallic films. I've had it on several cars and it looks great and performs well.)