Auto Cool

[chief302]

With warmer weather on its way, I am looking for ways to prevent AC use. I got some sun shades from Wal-mart and noticed the 'Auto Cool'. It's a solar powered fan that circulates the hot air out of your cabin. For 10 bones, i thought i'd give it a whirl. Has anyone familiar with products like this or any other temp lowering devices?

Thanks


A quick google search reveals it may melt in the sun:
http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/auto_cool

[krousdb]

I remember someone testing those out. One in the drivers side and one on the passenger side window. The difference in interior temp with and without was 3F IIRC. Not enough to even bother.

[chief302]

Yeah, I just put it out in the sun and the fan doesn't seem too stout. Guess that's what you get when it's 'As Seen on TV'.

[Tochatihu]

I received one (similar) as a gift and used it briefly in the left rear window of 2001 Prius. It made too much wind noise with the vehicle in motion, and I was not inclined to remove/install every time. It is now in a box somewhere.

DAS

[jimepting]

It really surprises me that it would only be worth 2-3 degrees. It would seem that any air movement would be a vast improvement to stagnant air in a closed car in the sun. But, I haven't tried it yet. I'm starting a separate thread on window films. Of course we all know about windshild sunshades, which seem to provide some help.

[chief302]

Yeah, I thought it sounded like a good idea...I'm still going to test it out, perhaps with the other windows cracked as well.

[bomber991]

They ought to just manufacture cars with a 120mm fan in the ceiling that moves 20 CFM, then the interior wouldn't get so hot, and you could power the fan with a rechargeable battery similar to a cell phone.

[JusBringIt]

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It really surprises me that it would only be worth 2-3 degrees. It would seem that any air movement would be a vast improvement to stagnant air in a closed car in the sun. But, I haven't tried it yet. I'm starting a separate thread on window films. Of course we all know about windshild sunshades, which seem to provide some help.

that depends heavily on the actual temperature of the air. stagnant air at 100 deg. is cooler than moving air at 100 deg. if it is lower than 98.3 deg, then moving air is cooler. it is relative to your body temperature.

[jkam210]

I too tried it but the result was poor. I believe a sun guard over the front windshield would work much better. It didn't seem good at all.

Among other things the sun had to be directly on it to get the fan to run at all and even then there was no noticable difference. Many times I would park with fan running and come back and fan was stopped due to sun angle.

This is just one of those things that seem like it should work but don't.

[hobbit]

I thought about it and came up with a much better solution.
.
_H*