Cracking the windows in the summer, which lasts six months in Arizona.

[PaleMelanesian]

I tried the remote unlock auto-lower the windows trick, but no dice on the Fit. It's Honda's economy model so they cut some corners.

I have two cars, one white and one silver. I can tell you that the silver one gets hotter in the sun. Just touch the painted roof when they're parked side by side and it's a noticeable difference. Certainly better than black, but white is best.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

I tried the remote unlock auto-lower the windows trick, but no dice on the Fit. It's Honda's economy model so they cut some corners.

I LOL'd! Not only does it not work on the Fit, it does not even work on my wife's leather-clad CRV. Honda must pay dearly for those 5-cent relays...

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

I have two cars, one white and one silver. I can tell you that the silver one gets hotter in the sun. Just touch the painted roof when they're parked side by side and it's a noticeable difference. Certainly better than black, but white is best.

I used to have a silver car with a black interior. the next car I bought was black with a tan interior. The silver car was an oven inside in the summer. The black car was far, far cooler. Moral: as far as interior temperature is concerned, interior color matters more than exterior color.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by wdb

I used to have a silver car with a black interior. the next car I bought was black with a tan interior. The silver car was an oven inside in the summer. The black car was far, far cooler. Moral: as far as interior temperature is concerned, interior color matters more than exterior color.

One thing I really hate is the lack of option for tan interiors in cheaper cars back here in the Republic of Bananas. Regarding the external color, well, the interior trims also usually have some thermal insulation properties...

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

The BEST method of limiting interior heat is the STOP solar radiation (sunlight) from getting inside (through the glass) in the first place...which is *why* placing the shiny silver reflector on the OUTSIDE of the front windshield works far better than placing it on the INSIDE of the front windshield.

Both would just be silly, wouldn't it?

[Swordsmith]

Like Slowmover, I got deflectors on my car, this means I can lower the windows a good inch and a half and leave them down there any time I'm parked, without fear of rain soaking my seats. I was down in Texas for two months, and the temps would climb to the high 90s OR it would pour rain in the inch per hour range, sometimes both the same afternoon, and I could never predict which. Tinting the windows and cracking them open every time I parked made getting into the car much more pleasurable.

On the other hand, I have owned a sunshade in the past and putting that in and out always got old. I guess I'd do it if I were in Texas or Arizona in the 110+ heat of summertime, but since it's always early spring for me when I'm down there, it just doesn't quite seem worth it.

It would be cool if someone would come up with an add on, Arduino maybe, that would automatically lower all four windows that inch and a half each time I stop the car... but it really isn't THAT much effort.

[ERTW]

35% tint on the front and 5% on the back cut a lot of heat. The seats reach 60+ degrees on a 30 degree day. I made a windshield reflector with mylar diamond sheet and it keeps the seats very comfortablel. Putting the reflector on the outside keeps the windshield itself cool, which radiates less heat and is a huge load off the a/c.

[wyatt]

My Suzuki Swift had very square rear windows, so I invented and implemented this Window Rain Shade.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B20U...it?usp=sharing

I used it pretty much every time I parked. If it was going to rain lightly, but there was going to be sun, it was great. If it was going to be sunny, it was great. It allowed excess heat to escape. You can see in this picture that I coupled it with a windshield shade for best results. Actually, for best results, I coupled it with the SedanKamm that more or less shaded the whole back window... The Window Rain Shade only took about 30 seconds to install, and less to uninstall. Roll the window down a few inches, slide the sides into place, push up so that the rain would go over it, and roll the window back up to hold things in place. It was made of coroplast that was left over from something else. It would have been nice to have a second one for the other side, that way you could get a cross-breeze. No rain ever got in while it was in use.

I should add that the Swift had manual windows, so it was easier to install. With auto windows, or an irregularly shaped window, it could be much more difficult to install.

Before I had the Window Rain Shade, or even the solar reflector, I tried one of those solar powered window fans, it was a joke, it wouldn't run unless the sun was low enough in the sky to penetrate the window, and even then, the Window Rain Shade did a better job. I also wondered how hot it would get in the car, so I got a huge thermometer and put it under the passenger seat. Most days, I would come out to the car, and if it was over 70 outside, it was maxed out at 120 (it only went to 120). One day, it was really HOT, I pulled the thermometer out and it had actually exploded and there were chunks of glass on the passenger's carpet. After that was when I invested in a meat thermometer (that you can just leave in the oven), and a solar window reflector.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Diesel_Dave

Where in the world is your ECU located where it'll get wet it you leave the window open? Every one I've ever seen is under the hood.

Some Audis (mid-2000's A6 for example) have control modules under the seats, you know... the lowest point of the interior. They also have a tendency to leak water into the car with the vents get clogged with leaves. That's a nasty combo.

[samwichse]

Solar powered venting fans for forced air cooling of Honda Insight

I'm working on a setup like this for my Civic... I figure I can lay the panels on the shelf behind the back seat and get insolation.

Sam

[RiderofBikes]

Hotter during closed periods... period. Cloth interior absorbs the heat more, while leather or anyother reflective type material will reflect it onto other surfaces and prevent heat build up in the cushioning, with that said, yes shiny material will burn the crap out of you, it is also easier and takes less time to cool the surface. The light fabrics hold in heat, as well as your body heat, and while your sitting in the seats even with the A/c, your contact with the material is trapping heat inside the cushioning...

I've been a car detailer for a month now(Budget rental), and we always leave the windows down when que to be cleaned, when we get in, we roll up the windows and crank the A/c, let the car continuously run until were done and park it again.(which at that point we leave them up) ready for customers