Tips for Your Car and the High Temperatures

With us now in our 39^th day of temperatures above 100 degrees, I felt it important to share some tips for your car to help both you and your vehicle deal with the extreme heat. Keep in mind that some of these things may seem obvious and yet so many of us are not doing the ones that seem the most obvious.

First and foremost…NEVER leave a child or an animal in your vehicle. Every summer we hear or read stories of children succumbing to the heat while being inside a vehicle. Even if you crack the window the temperature inside your vehicle can reach upwards in the neighborhood of 200 degrees very quickly depending on car color and where it is parked. For example on an 80 degree day the interior of your vehicle can reach 99 degrees within 10 minutes. As we all would welcome an 80 degree day right now, just imagine what the inside would be with the weather that we have been having within that same 10 minutes. In extreme heat children tend to become lethargic so they are not likely able to call for help or cry even for smaller children/babies. Leaving a child or animal in a car in any weather is illegal and dangerous but in high temperatures it can be deadly. If you see a car with a child or animal inside please call 911 immediately even if the windows are cracked.

Most of us have a set routine each day. One parent is normally in charge of getting your baby or small child to day care each day. On days when the other parent steps in it is important to break your usual pattern so that you don’t accidentally forget you have the baby with you. Some may laugh at this or question how in the world this could happen, but if the baby falls asleep you could actually just set off in auto-pilot and head straight on your normal routine. When transporting a baby in the car with you another good idea is to put something in the backseat with the child that you absolutely can’t get through your day without. This could be a brief case, a purse, a laptop etc.

Always lock your vehicle, even in your driveway.

This is not only a good idea from a theft standpoint, but also if you have children. There have been many stories of children playing outside their homes where the children have gotten into vehicles and were not able to get out. Even if you live in an apartment and you yourself don’t have children this is important. Kids don’t seem to know or care if the car is theirs or not, especially if they are small. If the door is unlocked it is an opportunity. They may not be intending anything other than to hide or play and it could have an awful ending.

Window Tint/Window Shades

While some just think of window tint as a cool add-on feature, tint can drastically cut the temperature inside a vehicle. In the state of Texas state law says that the side and rear windows must have a light transmittance value of 25% or more. What that means is that at least 25% of the light must pass through the tint. This can drastically cut back on the amount of direct light that gets into your vehicle thus keeping it cooler. If window tinting isn’t in your budget right now then invest in window shades to use when your vehicle is parked.

Window shades not only cut back on the amount of heat, but they also will help the life of your dashboard and steering wheel. Without covers they can fade or even crack. Let’s also not forget that the steering wheel can get hot to the touch, making driving difficult. Parking in the shade is also a good idea. Too obvious? Maybe, but how many of us try to find a close parking place instead of a good parking place? Now one thing to keep in mind is that parking next to trees does come with its risks…birds. Need I say more?

Service your vehicle regularly

In hot climates it is important to regularly check your fluid levels, belts, tires and oil. This doesn’t mean that you have to make a lot of trips to a service provider. These are all things that you can check yourself on a regular basis to ensure that vehicle won’t fail you when you need it. When checking your tires it is important to make sure that they are aired to the recommended level (this varies) and that the tread on your tires is in good shape. The penny trick isn’t a bad gauge to test your tire tread since most of us can’t tell by looking.

The Penny Test

· Pinch a Lincoln-head penny, from the base, between your thumb and forefinger, so that the top of Lincoln's head and the words "In God We Trust" are showing.

· Place the top of Lincoln's head into one of the tire tread grooves -- try to measure in the lowest point within the tread.

· If any part of Lincoln's head is obscured by the tread, you're all set -- you have a legal and safe amount of tread. However, if you can see above Lincoln's head or any of the "In God We Trust" letters above his head, then you are ready for a new tire.

· Check your tires in several tread locations. Be sure to check both inner and outer and middle grooves of each tire, because tires can wear differently on each side, due to improper wheel alignment and/or low inflation.

Items that you should and shouldn’t have in your car

A couple of items that you should always keep in your car are bottled water, snacks such as granola or crackers, a first aid kit with sunscreen towelettes and an emergency kit. In an emergency kit consider including things like a flashlight, flares, jumper cables, gloves, paper towels and a blanket. A few basic tools might not be a bad idea either.

Now, things you shouldn’t leave in your car. No matter how smart any of us are we have at one time or another left something in the car that we shouldn’t have. Like the time we left a Sippy cup full of milk in the car. YUCK! Anyway in extreme heat never leave bottles of sunscreen (the heat can actually cause a bottle of sunscreen to explode, which is why toweletts are best to have in the car), cleaning solutions with ammonia of alcohol or anything packaged under pressure like hair spray or sodas.

If you can follow some of these obvious yet not always heeded tips, you too can survive the summer of 2011!

Sources

Hedding, Judy. About.com Phoenix. 9 August 2011 <http://phoenix.about.com/od/car/a/summercar_2.htm>.

National Weather Service. 9th August 2011 <http://ggweather.com/heat/hot_car_10min.jpg>.

Smith, Rick. Reviews Online. 28 January 2003. 9 August 2011 <http://www.reviewsonline.com/auto/tt03-1.htm>.

Texas Department of Public Safety. September 2009. 9th August 2011 <http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/misc/faq/tint.htm>.

- Tips For Your Car and High Temperatures

Sources

Moritz of North Arlington -