Running the heat in the car

To everyone who lives in the south – what is up with ya’lls cars breaking down on the side of the road? In the far north, no one seems to have this much car trouble.

  • No matter what highway you’re cruising down here, you can expect to see dozens of vehicles abandoned on the sides of the road.

I’ve always wondered why this takes place here, in particular. I assumed it had something to do with poor car maintenance or low quality vehicles, but in fact, I was totally wrong. The problem with vehicles in the south is overheating. Apparently, it’s extremely easy for an engine to become too hot when it’s 90 degrees outside. At that point, your engine will basically explode unless you stop driving. Then you’re stuck outside in the pounding sun, trying not to explode yourself. I learned that you can get a few more miles down the road, however, if you turn off the onboard AC system and turn on the heat. Apparently, running the onboard heater at full blast will cool down your engine a few degrees. You can bypass the air over the engine and cool down the machinery, possibly saving your car. This might get you home without a tow truck, but it comes with some clear limitations. Namely, if you’re running the heat in a 90 degree car, soon it’s going to be a 100 degree car. You won’t get stuck waiting in the sun on the side of the road, but you might pass out from heat exhaustion before that point.

 

 

Click to read more