Five Tips About Hot Cars
1. Park in the Shade If you can't park in the shade, pick the best direction. The sun sets in the west, so you don't want to be facing west. Try to park in the direction where the sun will be shining on your rear window or passenger side for most of the time it will be parked.
2. Window Tinting/Sunshades
Mitigate some of the effects of the sun by having your windows tinted. If window tinting isn't in your budget right now, then you can eliminate some of the heat by purchasing a windshield sunshade that you place on the inside of your windshield when you leave your car. This prevents the sun from beating on your dashboard and steering wheel. Dashboards don't like the sun or heat
3. Service Your Vehicle
In hot dry climates, cars need special care. Frequent oil changes and belt checks are a must. Batteries die faster than everyone thinks they will. Make sure fluids are full.
4. Items You Should Have in Your Car
Common sense says that you should always have a spare tire and a first aid kit. Here are some additional items that you might not think of if you aren't used to living in a hot climate.
• Extra water, for drinking and/or for the car.
• Steering wheel cover
• Snacks, such as granola bars or small bags of crackers
• Cooler or insulated shopping bag.
• Cell phone, so you can call if you get lost or get into trouble.
• First aid kit. Items you should consider include ice packs, ace bandages, wrist brace, sunscreen, tweezers, x-acto blade, batteries, (girl stuff), and various meds like Benadryl or Motrin.
• Emergency kit. Items you should consider include a flashlight, flares, jumper cables, blanket, extra clothes and gloves, paper towels, and some basic tools like wrenches, a ratchet and sockets, screwdrivers and pliers.
5. Items you Should Not Have in Your Car
Think about it--does it make sense to buy a milk chocolate candy bar and leave it in your car in the heat? Believe me, no matter how smart we all think we are, at one time or another we've been dopey and left something we shouldn't have in the car. Hopefully, there wasn't a large cleaning bill as a result
• Milk and other dairy products.
• Anything packaged under pressure, like hair spray or soda pop.
• Tapes, CDs, or DVDs.
• Sunscreen in a bottle. Buy little packets or towelettes.
• Crayons, candy, gum, lipstick.
• Credit cards or other cards with magnetic strips on plastic.
• Cleaning solutions with alcohol or ammonia.
• Anything that didn't have a decent smell before it reached 115 isn't going to smell any better after it's been left exposed in direct sunlight all day.
• After shopping, check your trunk carefully to make sure nothing has fallen out of the grocery bags. You really don't want to find those eggs or that salami a week later.
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