For a car that has stood in the sun for a while, a quick way of getting rid of the superheated air in the passenger compartment is useful. It can easily be 20 - 30 Centigrade hotter than the outside air (Figures taken from my inside/outside thermometer today gave a difference of 26 C)

This is an adaptation for cars with electric sunroofs.

On pressing a control button, the front edge of the sunroof lifts up about 100 mm, forming a scoop to force the oncoming airflow from the moving vehicle into the cabin. At the same time, the rear windows automatically drop down 50 mm to provide a high flow-rate vent.

This will cause a lot of buffeting and turbulence, but quicky purge the cabin, something that just opening the windows doesn't seem to do effectively.

At speeds above 30 MPH the sunroof starts to drop down automatically, closing completely by the time the car reaches 50MPH. The windows shut too.
-- 8th of 7, Jul 18 2002

It's times like these when convertibles are appreciated. I like the concept, but it only works if you have a sunroof and rear windows?

How about lowering or tilting the front and back windscreens?
-- dag, Jul 18 2002


...or opening vents in between the trunk and the passenger cabin, or any other method that doesn't involve creating a hurricane inside the car...
-- phoenix, Jul 18 2002


stop me - please - stop me - hot air - stop me - please
-- po, Jul 18 2002


Certainly not the automatic part but the concept has been baked for a few years. Some of the old VW buses had a "safari window". This let the bottom of the windshield tilt outward.

My 1936 Ford pickup has a windshield that does the same thing.
-- half, Jul 18 2002


<oldtimer story>Reminds me of the old days before the middle class could afford air conditioning, when the five of us children went to bed in the hot upstairs, in Kansas summers. Dad had built an electric fan in a 1.5 yard square box. It roared like a wind tunnel, but we slept like cherubs.</oldtimer story>

For the car, you could have a powerful fan in a vent in the roof that blows down an airbag-like "diaphram" that would cover everything and push out the hot air through floor vents. Then the fan would reverse and, as the diaphram is sucked back in place, new air fills the car. It would not activate with anyone sitting on a seat.
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 19 2002


<newbie relevance="95%" debatable=1> Until [8th of 7] gets the patent on this not-bad-at-all idea, try opening diagonally opposing windows, drivers rear and front passenger. Or detonate a small explosive 5 feet away from all open windows on one side of the vehicle (useful for 2-door coupes also), thus causing a vacuum outside the car to which the heated air will rush to. It'll impress the ladies, or asphyxiate them.

Many factory sunroofs have a small deflector that will raise into the airstream. A simple modification for that could work just as well, and also allow for the sunroof to remain fully open for those nice sunny day trips.</newbie>
-- Johnny Mash, Jul 20 2002


Croissant just for the fact half has a '36 Ford Pickup. '37 is my fave.
-- thumbwax, Jul 20 2002


The sunroof on my 626 raises up a bit, creating an area of low pressure in the car. Then I just switch the vents from blow to the "pass through" mode, and have a nice refreshing breeze on me.

As for purging hot air quickly, and windows being inadequate... are you sure that you're windows are rolled down? I've never had a problem in that regard.
-- rapid transit, May 19 2003



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