Proper way to park your hybrid in the heat...

[xcel]

Hi All:

___I was at the Ford Transit Connect Media Preview all-day but saw some other interesting things.

___The wife took her mom to Dialysis this morning and took my Accord’s keys with her so I had to take my son to work in his Corolla and use it to drive into Chicago...

___On the way there, it was offering a high of 56.7 w/ the A/C running before the last 28-miles of stop and crawl beginning on the Eden’s about Half Day to the Kennedy Junction to Ogden to the Loft on Lake on the near west side. 48.7 to the valet’s. I left with 2:15 before the presentations began and made it with 5-minutes to spare with the ***** traffic

___The cool thing however was when I pulled into my sons work to pick him up at 04:45. There was a lonely HCH-II with its windows cracked (on both sides) in the 95 degree temps. Talk about getting it right!



___Good Luck

___Wayne

[Right Lane Cruiser]

That's how I park my Insight -- with mylar sunshades behind the windscreen. I've got some for the cargo hold as well reflect the direct radiation above the hybrid battery.

[Elixer]

I've heard however that cracked windows say "please take me" to car thieves, so I don't think I'd ever do that in a big city or anywhere else with a high potential for a few shady people.

[Kacey Green]

It's an '09 at that. My concerns are always:

• theft
• uninvited guests (don't like bugs, small mammals, or birds popping out unexpectedly)
• the weather here in the southeast, it can always rain unexpectedly at the drop of a hat.
• laziness I won't have the car past the warranty and if the manufacturers poor design damages the pack, they'll buy me a replacement

I do sometimes park with the windows cracked (when I can quicly get to the car in case of a weather change, or other issue) it is usually a selfish reason, i don't like getting in a hot car.

On any hot day, windows in either position, I baby the car for a while to get some thermal management systems cranked up, I know I like it, why wouldn't all those electronic systems.



I'm not being critical or contridictive, its late and someone mentioned theft/vandals, which were just one of my concerns

[xcel]

Hi All:

___If thieves are that active in a work parking lot, I think the vehicle is the last thing one would or should worry about

___In the case of this HCH-II, I can bet the interior is no more than 110 degrees F vs. 160 + if it were buttoned up tight in the 95 degree ambient temps.

___This individual got it right.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[Kacey Green]

Right, but when I'm at work I can't do anything about the flash storms that roll through the SE, (It was much worse in FL with the Prius, but I was able to get to the car all but one time, I no longer have the luxury of being able to handle that type of situation while on the clock)

And I'm scared out of my mind (keepin' it rated G) when I'm driving and an unannounced critter or person pops up when I'm underway.

[GaryG]

Originally Posted by xcel

Hi All:

___I was at the Ford Transit Connect Media Preview all-day but saw some other interesting things.

___The wife took her mom to Dialysis this morning and took my Accord’s keys with her so I had to take my son to work in his Corolla and use it to drive into Chicago...

___On the way there, it was offering a high of 56.7 w/ the A/C running before the last 28-miles of stop and crawl beginning on the Eden’s about Half Day to the Kennedy Junction to Ogden to the Loft on Lake on the near west side. 48.7 to the valet’s. I left with 2:15 before the presentations began and made it with 5-minutes to spare with the ***** traffic

___The cool thing however was when I pulled into my sons work to pick him up at 04:45. There was a lonely HCH-II with its windows cracked (on both sides) in the 95 degree temps. Talk about getting it right!



___Good Luck

___Wayne

I do this every day with my windows but I also crack open my Sun roof I" in my heat if I see no rain. My windshield has the top legal amount of screening as well as the side fronts that come unprotected. I also have the Walmart shades that block the Sun from the remainder of the windshield.

I find the sun block film is better than open widows to get cool so I open the other side for cooler air while driving. I'm in some hot weather now but me and my Ford hybrid will make it!

GaryG

[hobbit]

My "minimal life-support" fan controller can mitigate that a
little with the windows all the way up, but it's not solar powered..
.
_H*

[JimboK]

Even better would be to park in the shade, at least with a Prius. During record-setting heat two summers ago, I had a couple of episodes of battery temperatures exceeding 104F and the car refusing to glide. After that I started parking in any available shady spot on the hottest days, regardless of how far I had to walk.

I also added WeatherTech window deflectors on the fronts a few months ago. The main purpose was to protect from rain -- to allow some window ventilation while driving and to guard against a sudden unexpected summer shower while parked. Serendipitously, because of the deflectors' shading, windows cracked only an inch or so aren't nearly as obvious to would-be thieves.

[diamondlarry]

I usually always have the windows cracked on the rear passenger and driver's doors. I also have one of those foil covered sunshades in the front. With the anti-theft system, the only thing that I'm ever concerned with would be the pop-up showers.