Outside temp entering car hotter than outside ambient temp
#1
04-10-08, 07:08 AM
Outside temp entering car hotter than outside ambient temp
I am posting this now before the heat of summer strikes.
It's been a long and cold winter here. But I got used to it this year by wearing 5 layers of clothing. Now I am dreading summer and what it might bring. The A/C was yankied out of my car during last timing belt change. It is sitting in a box in my garage. $500 17 year old car is probably not worth reinstallation cost? (Weigh in on this aspect if you will)
I would be satisifed if the car had the old fashion side vent windows. Or, even vents you pull on knob inside car and it opens a damper, the way some of my old cars used to. But the only way I can get fresh air in car is to open windows or put blend door setting to cold air and run blower.
In the first scenario, you can be running around town, parking car here and there, and the inside temp gets up to like 105-120+ degrees. Opening the windows does not even work that well at first. Takes a while. But, even at that, there are times, due to various reasons, you do not want to be driving around with the windows all down. For one thing, I get exhaust gas.
I'd really like to rely on vents where you can leave the window up. But the trouble is, when it is say 70 out and maybe 90 in the sun, I turn on my vent and like 90 degree or maybe even worse, from my memory, temp comes out the panel vents that I have set to blow cold (not!) air in my face. Why isn't the 70 degree coming though the vents?!
Is it my car in particular or are all cars like this, where you never truly get outside ambient temp to enter the car? And if THAT is true, what were they THINKING, with their design? Who wants to be hot - in your car?
Have any of you invested in one of those 6 inch long probe thermometers you can buy in grodery stores, and stuck in your panel vents to see exactly what your vent temps are compared to outside air temps, like I have?
Thoughts?
It's been a long and cold winter here. But I got used to it this year by wearing 5 layers of clothing. Now I am dreading summer and what it might bring. The A/C was yankied out of my car during last timing belt change. It is sitting in a box in my garage. $500 17 year old car is probably not worth reinstallation cost? (Weigh in on this aspect if you will)
I would be satisifed if the car had the old fashion side vent windows. Or, even vents you pull on knob inside car and it opens a damper, the way some of my old cars used to. But the only way I can get fresh air in car is to open windows or put blend door setting to cold air and run blower.
In the first scenario, you can be running around town, parking car here and there, and the inside temp gets up to like 105-120+ degrees. Opening the windows does not even work that well at first. Takes a while. But, even at that, there are times, due to various reasons, you do not want to be driving around with the windows all down. For one thing, I get exhaust gas.
I'd really like to rely on vents where you can leave the window up. But the trouble is, when it is say 70 out and maybe 90 in the sun, I turn on my vent and like 90 degree or maybe even worse, from my memory, temp comes out the panel vents that I have set to blow cold (not!) air in my face. Why isn't the 70 degree coming though the vents?!
Is it my car in particular or are all cars like this, where you never truly get outside ambient temp to enter the car? And if THAT is true, what were they THINKING, with their design? Who wants to be hot - in your car?
Have any of you invested in one of those 6 inch long probe thermometers you can buy in grodery stores, and stuck in your panel vents to see exactly what your vent temps are compared to outside air temps, like I have?
Thoughts?
#2
04-10-08, 07:48 AM
Rehabbing the A/C would be way too expensive. Whether the air comes through your window or through the vent, it's the same air. When it comes through the vent, it is drawing the air over your hood (hot in summer) and around the back of the firewall (also hot).
My suggestion is to run with the windows down or upgrade your ride.
My dad's air went out and he didn't want to spend a few bucks to fix it, but still wanted people to think he had air. This was thirty years ago when fewer cars had air. Bottom line was he overheated, had a heart attack and spent weeks in the hospital where he had a second attack - and died.
My suggestion is to run with the windows down or upgrade your ride.
My dad's air went out and he didn't want to spend a few bucks to fix it, but still wanted people to think he had air. This was thirty years ago when fewer cars had air. Bottom line was he overheated, had a heart attack and spent weeks in the hospital where he had a second attack - and died.
#3
04-10-08, 11:24 AM
Originally Posted by goldstar
Bottom line was he overheated, had a heart attack and spent weeks in the hospital where he had a second attack - and died.
Very annoying that they don't have the design to ONLY pick up outide air temp without, as you say, going over a hot hood/hot fire wall, etc. They should have used side doors or something on the fender, if that really is the case. Very annoying to have it 70 out and read the thermometer in the panel vent saying 90, etc. Very maddening actually, because I could live without A/C if only you could get that outside temp to come in.
We can send a man to the moon.......
I highly recommend people to get one of those thermometers as they are interesting to observe for both this business and to see how your heat or A/C is putting out, and what it does at the various blower speed settings.
