Malaysians enjoy the drive: 5 A/C mistakes to avoid

Do you use the air conditioners of your cars improperly? A lot of motorists do not use their climate control correctly and do not understand how to keep their car as cool as possible when the mercury is on the rise. From bursting the AC from the very start to pointing the jets in the wrong direction, realizing a perfect temperature for your car is something of a fine art. And according to the car manufacturers, a swelling car can seriously affect the reaction times of the drivers. A cabin with a scorching temperature can see the drivers’ reaction speed drop by 20 per cent, compared to a cool interior.

So, here we have listed some of the most common mistakes committed by people while using their cars which could be leaving you hot and bothered.

Turning on the AC in full flare right from the beginning

The most common mistake drivers make is turning their climate control up full blast as soon as they get in the car. But all that it does is re-circulate the same hot air inside the car. It is enticing to turn the air conditioner on to maximum as soon as you get into the car. If you do not open the windows, the hot air will be circulating inside your car. Instead, open the doors and lower the windows for a minute or two before shutting it all up and then switch on the AC. The quickest way to get your car cool is to open its doors and windows for a minute while the system gets started, then close the car up and turn your air conditioner to the coldest setting.

Directing the air jets towards you

While you may feel colder, pointing the jets at you debars the car from getting an even distribution of air. Angling the jets towards the roof lets the cool air spread around the car more efficiently and allows it to reach everyone in the car. The drivers who point the jets directly towards themselves could actually be making the rest of the car hotter. Directing the jets towards the roof lets cool air spread around the car cabin, and reduces the overall temperature in the car, rather than just cooling off one person.

Not maintaining the car regularly

The air conditioning system of your cars need regular maintenance similarly as the tyres, oil or the brake fluid requires to be maintained on a regular basis. The cabin air filters of the cars need to be changed at standard intervals to make sure that they are working properly. Regular maintenance of your air conditioning will ensure that your system is working to its full capacity when you need it most.

Using the air recirculation option

Those car users who keep the air recirculation option switched on will also find it more difficult to quickly cool down their car. Keeping this in on mode can make the windows fog and reduce visibility, and also make it more difficult to cool down the car quickly. Most of the cars have an Auto option, which can adjust itself to prevent fog while keeping drivers and passengers feel comfortable. Using this option will ensure your cabin holds onto cool air, but circulates enough outside to make sure your windows don't fog up.

Switching on the air conditioners after rise in temperature

In some summer mornings you may feel cool, but the sun can heat up your car rapidly. So, it is a good idea to keep the air conditioners on from the morning to prevent windows from fogging up when the outside temperature rises.

As the temperature here is now around 32-34 °C, it is even more important for the drivers to get the air conditioners of their cars to work properly, as we start another week where the mercury is expected to reach 35 °C.

So, if you are in the group of people doing the listed mistakes, it is time to change the way you operate the car’s air conditioning system.