Press Releases

Is your car an oven?: testing shows that the temperature inside your car can reach up to 181°F

01/04/2005

You wouldn't stick your hand into a hot oven without the protection of an oven mitt, right? Well, the same notion holds true for getting inside your car on a hot day.

Believe it or not, when the temperature rises outside, the combination of extreme heat, direct sunlight and closed windows can turn your parked car into a virtual oven with temperatures reaching up to about 181°F. Not only can this heat build up be uncomfortable for you and your passengers — it can be damaging to your car’s interior as well.

On a typical sunny day, the sun’s radiation combined with the external ambient temperature is being absorbed through your car windshield and windows and is converted into heat that remains inside the vehicle.  Testing conducted by AUTO EXPRESSIONS™, a leading brand of automotive accessories including sun protection products, found that on a 95° F day The link you have entered "#_ftn1" is:
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, air trapped inside your vehicle can heat up within minutes. Results showed that a parked car without the use of a sunshade experienced extreme heat with the dashboard heating up to 181°F, high enough to cook poultry; the car seat reaching up to 162°F, high enough to cook ground beef and the steering wheel topping out at 159°F, high enough to cook a steak, medium-rare.  The testing further revealed that, in the same extreme conditions, a car using an accordion style sunshade in the windshield, was able to keep the dashboard surfaces an average of 38° F cooler.

Sunshades reflect sunrays and insulate your car by trapping heat between the windshield and shade. They were designed primarily to help cool and protect your vehicle.  Since they act as insulators, they can help reduce the heat in your car in addition to blocking 99% of  damaging UV rays.  Sunshades help protect your car’s interior since heat and prolonged exposure to the sun can cause your car’s interior to fade, crack, discolor and chalk.

“Using a sunshade and other sun protection products in your vehicle are simple and effective ways to help keep you and your car cooler,” said Laurie Stevens, Group Product Manager for Auto Expressions™ accessories. “When the temperatures rise and the heat becomes unbearable, it’s vital that drivers take extra precautionary steps to help protect themselves, their passengers and their vehicle from the sun’s damaging rays.”

<i "mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Tips for Having a “Cool Car” This Summer

How to Beat the Summer Heat

• Park in the shade whenever possible.
• Use a sunshade to help reduce the heat build-up.
• Use a steering wheel cover to help protect your hands.
• Open doors and let the air circulate in the car for a few minutes before getting into the car.
• Set your air conditioner to “recycle” before switching to “maximum”.

How to Reduce Car Damage

• Use a sunshade to help reduce heat and sun-damage in your vehicle.
• Reduce harmful UV rays with tinted windows.
• Use a tire coating to help protect tires from the sun’s rays.
• Protect steering wheels, dashboard and seats with covers.
• Wash your vehicle regularly and use a wax with a UV absorber.
• Maintain vinyl and leather interiors with a UV absorbent cleaner/protectant.
• Have your cooling and air-conditioning systems serviced annually.

AUTO EXPRESSIONS™  products are widely available to consumers in the automotive aisles of many major retail and automotive chains. The sun protection product offerings include the accordion fold reflective AutoShade™ sunshades; the spring like collapsible AutoShade™ sunshades; and side and rear window glare reducers that help protect backseat passengers.  For more information, visit www.auto-expressions.net.

About Auto ExpressionsTM

Auto ExpressionsTM products are produced and marketed by Shell Lubricants.  Shell Lubricants collectively refers to the companies of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group engaged in the lubricants business. Shell lubricants companies are global leaders in lubricants and operate in approximately 100 countries worldwide. They manufacture and blend products for use in a range of applications from consumer motoring to food processing and heavy industry to commercial transport. The Shell portfolio of top quality lubricant brands includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, FormulaShell®, Shell Tellus®, Shell Cassida®, Shell ROTELLA® T, Shell Spirax® and a portfolio of car care products and Jiffy Lube® services.

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  Actual results may vary depending on geography, time in sun, make of car, size of window and direction to which car is parked.