Phew! What a Scorcher!
A newspaper title previously declared in the press of yesterday. Officially, the UK has now experienced a heatwave this month. The hottest day of the year was recorded too with readings of over 32C. That’s nice in some respects, although it’s not recommended to sunbathe in these temperatures even when donning good sun protection products. What does this temperature mean though for our vehicles?
Cars are tested by manufacturers when developed to withstand extreme temperatures and weather conditions. The hot weather testing evaluates the cooling efficiency and performance of the mechanics, designed to keep the engine from overheating. But what about when the vehicle is a few years old and the impact of hot weather on the paintwork, interior furnishings and rubber trim ?
Most of us have entered a car on a hot sunny day and experienced a pseudo furnace. If the seats are leather or vinyl, they will burn you! The air feels like you are at altitude and you may find your dashcam has fallen off the windscreen as the sticker glue has softened. This may be the time you find out if the Air Conditioning (AC) if fitted is working. Does it need a gas recharge? This is a periodically required task by a qualified AC establishment as the refrigerant gas can leak out via the naturally wearing rubber components over time. AC has become a must have in the UK in recent years – we all expect these creature comforts to be available. Some cars have cooling seats too.
It’s a bit of a first world problem, but what if you want to wash the car as it’s filthy? Off to a car show and need it clean ? Forget it! When you come to rinse the car and chamois off the water drops, they won’t budge. The other problem are any light showers of rain between the hot spells. They usually bring with them dust from the Sahara desert. The dust gets transported thousands of miles via the winds, which is picked up by the rainfall. This can be brown, golden or red in colour when hitting the paintwork. Probably best to leave the car dirty during these hot spells – the additional dirt may even help shield the paint. But, if you have an empty garage or car port, hide the car in there to keep it clean.
If your vehicle does remain outside exposed to the elements, to help keep the car interior cooler and avoid being vapourised when you open the driver’s door, various sun shield products are on the market. Place the reflective side on the inside of the windscreen against the sun. It will help keep the interior a few degrees cooler.
In the UK, we shouldn’t moan though about the hot spells. Aside from other non vehicle related problems hot spells bring, such as pet welfare and humans that are vulnerable in hot weather, the sunshine generally cheers people up and is welcomed opposed to miserable cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days. It also brings with it safer road surface conditions, no water or ice to contend with and driving visibility is improved. Don’t forget your sunglasses though !
