Latest news with #carCooling
Motor 1
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘It's What My Ph.D Is In:' Doctor Shares Scientific Trick to Instantly Cool Down Your Hot Car This Summer. Here's What to Do
It's summer, and a heat wave is sweeping across the United States, which means your car is probably a rolling oven. According to Hannah Fry ( @fryrsquared ), a fluid dynamics expert with a Ph.D. and a knack for social media, there's a surprisingly simple hack to cool your car down fast. 'That age-old dilemma of choosing between having a non-sweltering car or baffling a passerby because you look like a fool who doesn't know how to use a door,' Fry jokes in the caption of her Instagram Reel, which has racked up over 6.5 million views. Cool Your Car Down Fast Fry swears by it and says she uses it herself. Other content creators on TikTok have shown similar tricks using windows on opposite sides to create airflow. 'This is the trick I continue to use,' Fry, a Cambridge University math professor, says. 'It's what my Ph.D is in: fluid dynamics.' Here's how it works: Open one of your car's rear windows. Then, on the opposite side, rapidly open and close the front door. For example, if you roll down the window behind the driver's seat, swing the passenger-side front door open and shut quickly multiple times. The idea is to create airflow: the door movement forces the stale, stifling air out and pulls fresh and hopefully cooler air in. 'When you open and close the door, it sweeps out all the air already in the car,' Fry explains. That action creates a low-pressure zone that draws out the 'hot, sweaty, horrible' air—via what she calls 'bulk flow'—and replaces it with 'nice, fresh, easy air' from outside. Is This Legit? While Motor1 hasn't tested it, the science backs Fry up. Opening a window creates a path for air to enter or exit. Pair that with an open-and-close motion on the opposite side, and you're enhancing airflow, creating a natural breeze that helps flush out hot air. And it's not just for cars. The same technique can help cool down rooms in your house. According to Marvin Replacement , different window types ventilate differently: double-hung windows push hot air out, casement windows catch side breezes, and slider windows let you adjust airflow. Bay and bow windows offer even more ventilation thanks to their wide flanking panes. Viewers Confirm Car Cooling Trick Works Commenters said Fry's trick could save them from a lifetime of sweltering in hot, stuffy cars. 'You've just improved my life more than you know Hannah,' one person wrote. 'This may be the best Reel I have ever seen,' another joked. Some confirmed they've already been using the trick, just without the science. 'This is how I do it—change the air,' one said. 'I may not know the science, but I know the sense of it.' Electric car owners chimed in, too. 'Cool trick. Or just do it from the app,' a Tesla owner wrote. 'Or set 'cabin overheat protection' mode so it never gets too hot in the first place.' Others say it works in tiny rooms, too. 'I do this with my window and door in my tiny room,' one woman said. 'Additionally I also take a towel and move it in giant circles vertically to drag the cool air and flush out the hot air. I play music and dance a lil.' Another added, 'Works with houses too! My husband stands at the back door to stop it slamming, while I stand at the front door wafting it open and closed! Really shifts all that stagnant, hot air!' Sure, doing this in public might draw some stares, as Fry experienced. But fans say it's worth it. 'Lol people look at me like I'm crazy but I don't give a [expletive],' one commenter said. Motor1 has reached out to Fry via email. We'll be sure to update this if she responds. More From Motor1 Maserati GT2 Revealed As MC20 Race Car With 621 HP And Air Conditioning Australian Police Dogs In Volkswagen Tiguan Get Air Conditioning You'll Have To Wait Longer for the Dodge Charger Sixpack Mazda Can't Deliver New Miatas to Customers Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Sun
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Millions of drivers ignore ‘hidden' button that keeps your car cool in hot weather and saves on fuel
MILLIONS of drivers are said to ignore a "hidden" button on their car's dashboard that cools down the motor and could be a summertime saviour. When a heatwave hits, hopping back into your parked vehicle is never a pleasant process. 2 2 But now motorists are sharing a tip about an easy-to-miss button on the dashboard. The button is marked by a little arrow with a symbol of the car. It's called the "recirculate air" button, and it can cool down your cabin even with the air con off. According to Virtual Driving Instructor, the button could be a "life-saver on a scorcher of a day". And it also helps to save on fuel. The expert said: "When you press this button, it stops any air from outside coming through these vents, circulating the air inside the cabin." Pressing both the air conditioning and recirculating air buttons can be really helpful, as they "keep all the cool air inside the cabin". It works by cutting off the outside air, instead recirculating what's already in the car. This brings down the temperature when the air outside the car is hotter than the air inside. To ensure this is the case, blow the aircon for a couple of minutes and then hit the recirculate button - rather than swapping it for warmer outside air. NO NOISE Drivers will risk $1,000 fines if they fail to install car feature under new law – few will be exempt That could even allow you to switch the air con off, saving on fuel. Fuel prices remain high with the average price of a tank costing £75, so it could be a timely piece of financial advice. The RAC agrees and offers another tip to drivers who are looking to save cash on hot days. It said: 'Start driving, but keep the car windows open for a minute or two to let all the hot air escape, do this until the air from the vents feels cooler than the outside temperature. "Once the air conditioning is blowing cold, close all the windows and switch to (pre-cooled) recirculated air." Four-step guide to keeping car cool By Jacob Jaffa First of all, start driving for a couple of minutes before turning on the AC as this can improve it's power. Consumer Reports experts said: "Your car air conditioning works much better when you're actually driving because the faster the engine turns, the faster the AC compressor runs, which lets the system cool more effectively. "Don't waste time and fuel by letting your car run before you go." Once you're up and running, open all the windows fully for between 10 and 20 seconds to let hot air out and make the air con's job easier. Then, when cold air has started to come through the vent, roll up the front windows but keep the rear windows cracked open. Doing this for another 10 to 20 seconds will pull the cooler air through into the back of the car, helping to achieve a better all-around chill. Finally, set the temperature as low as it will go and adjust the fan speed and aim to your preference
