Heat, lot of heat, and you’ve left the car parked in the sun. Getting inside feels almost like joining Frodo to destroy the ring, or like what a Thanksgiving turkey must feel when it goes into the oven. Hell feels cool compared to the inside of your car. Even though many people think it’s impossible to survive in there without air conditioning, TikTok once again has the solution in one of its viral videos.
It turns out a British mathematician has revealed her secret trick to cool down the car without turning on the engine and without spending a dollar, just physics! Want to know how this trick works? We’ll tell you!
Why does the inside of the car get so hot?
During the summer, leaving the car in the sun without protection is almost a guarantee of suffering the so-called sauna effect, reaching up to 50ºC inside the vehicle in some cases… Heat enters through the windows, bounces off the interior surfaces and gets trapped because there are no exit points. The temperature can rise quickly to unbearable levels, affecting not only comfort but also the car’s own safety.
The steering wheel, seats and metal surfaces burn, reaching temperatures that can even cause burns on contact. If there’s no shade or sunshades, the situation gets worse…
What’s the trick?
According to Fry, the trick is as simple as strategically opening two parts of the car. Lower the rear right window and fully open the front left door. Then, open and close the door repeatedly, like airing out a room.
Why does it work?
It’s not magic, it’s that the quick movement of the door creates a low-pressure zone inside the car, forcing the hot air to exit through the open door while cooler air enters through the window. In just a few seconds, the built-up hot air is displaced, reducing the interior temperature without turning anything on!
Better than air conditioning?
Air conditioning is effective, yes, but it also uses fuel and can take several minutes to work if the car has been in the sun for hours and its interior is very hot. This trick, on the other hand, works in seconds, doesn’t use energy and can be used in any car, regardless of brand or model!
It’s also ideal if you’re waiting for someone or making a short stop and don’t want to start the engine just to ventilate. You save gas, money, and you don’t bother the environment with your car’s emissions!
It went viral!
Of course, thousands of users have replicated this method and shared its effectiveness on social media. And it’s no wonder: in a summer where extreme temperatures are affecting more and more regions, any way to relieve the heat in the car is welcome, right?
Plus, it’s an easy trick with a scientific basis, it’s not magic, it’s not a placebo effect, it’s taking advantage of the basic principles of physics to cool down!
Other tips
Although this trick is useful, it’s always a good idea to look for shade when parking, use reflective sunshades and not leave heat-sensitive objects inside the car! You probably already knew these tips, but your vehicle’s safety in summer depends as much on small habits as on clever solutions like this one.
Some people even leave the windows slightly open if they’re going to leave the car parked, others activate the ventilation before getting in, or tint their windows (with certified filters, of course!!!) to reduce heat entering the car. Have you tried putting towels on the steering wheel and seats? That way they won’t burn when you touch them. Our recommendation is to always use sunshades, they’re cheaper and barely get in the way!
@fryrsquaredThat 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♬ Feels Like Summer – Samuel Jack