As summer is getting closer, our cars are bound to heat up exponentially quicker and to higher temperatures as the hot sun shines on them. Therefore one has to take measures to make sure he or she doesn’t faint the moment they get into their car. BMW put together a short guide on how to quickly cool your car during summer months. The title may refer to BMW only but some of these tips can be applied to other cars as well.

There are several ways this can be done. Of course, if you take care of where you park in the first place, choosing a parking spot with shade will help. If that’s not possible, BMW has, on some models, the option of installing a sunshade for the rear window on the 5 Series, and rear doors as well on the 7 Series and X5, X6 models. Using it will diffuse the sunlight and reduce the scorching heat inside.

Some cars are also fitted with pre-departure climate controls, which help you further reduce the heat inside. You can set a departure time and the car will use the ventilation system for up to 30 minutes to get all the hot air out of the cabin. To do so, go to the My Vehicle menu on your iDrive screen, Vehicle Settings and scroll down to climate settings. Select Comfort Ventilation and then choose your departure time and day. Your car will automatically ventilate at the selected time and date.

The ventilation can also be set up using the BMW ConnectedDrive app. On your phone you can activate the ventilation one time by keeping the ‘Activate Now’ button pressed for 2 seconds, or you can configure the car to activate for your departure, on a specific date and time. Once inside the car, the fastest way to cool down is to press the MAX AC button on the HVAC controls. This activates the climate control system, turns it up to the highest speed and lowest temperature while also recirculating the air. Once you’re satisfied with the temperature, press the same button again and the system will return to the original settings.