How to keep car cool in the heat

Tilt the vents

Avoid pointing the air vents directly towards you, because this stops air from being evenly distributed around the car. “It isn’t a matter of temperature, but in which direction the air is flowing inside the car,” said Ángel Suárez from Seat’s Technical Centre.

“The nozzles should be pointing upwards, not towards people’s faces. Then the air flows all around the interior of the car and reaches every passenger consistently.”

If your car has climate control, rather than a more basic air-conditioning system, Seat also recommends using the Auto setting. This not only controls the fan speed but also whether the air is recirculated in the cabin or drawn from outside, helping to cool the car more quickly and minimising fogging.

Use it or lose it

In addition to the advice above, it is good practice to use your car’s air-conditioning on a regular basis, even throughout the winter, to help ensure long-term reliability, while regular maintenance such as replacing filters every year or two will keep it operating at its maximum efficiency.

Be aware too that over time dirt and bacteria can build up in an air-conditioning system, particularly one that is rarely used. If you find there’s a strange odour when the air-conditioning is running it is important to have the system checked and cleaned by a specialist.