HOW YOU AND YOUR CAR CAN BEAT THE HEAT IN THIS SEARING SUMMER

and check if it’s murky or muddy in color.

Keep your aircon in shape

Your car’s cooling system may be on-point, but if your air-conditioning system is kaput, you’re gonna be in big trouble.

Make sure to follow the designated intervals for cleaning and maintaining your air-con system to prevent pricey components like the compressor and evaporator from getting destroyed. And if you need to refill the refrigerant (or Freon) frequently, this is a sign of a leak in the system.

And don’t forget – the aircon relies on your car’s cooling system to function, so both must be in good shape so that your cabin temperature doesn’t feel like the surface of the Sun.

Invest in modern tint

Vehicle tint contributes greatly to keeping your interior cool and, thus, lessen the strain on your air-con.

In the olden days, motorists would install the darkest tint that they could get their hands on. Although this was very effective in the day, it was extremely dangerous at night as it was akin to driving while wearing sunglasses.

Thankfully, nano-ceramic car tints that have gotten cheaper over the last decade, so even clear films offer superb heat and UV light rejection without making you blind at night.

Stay hydrated

Until self-driving cars become a safe and proven reality, your car won’t move unless there’s a human behind the wheel.

And given that our bodies are up to 60-percent water, we need to drink up so that we are fully alert while driving. Doctors recommend drinking at least 3 liters of water a day – liquids like softdrinks don’t apply because of the huge amount of sugar that’s included.

Bringing a jug of cold water is never a bad idea. And you can even go a step further by carrying a cooler box with ice packs or chilled wet towels for when it gets especially hot.