Did You Know? There's a Forgotten Button on the Dashboard That Saves Fuel When Used Correctly

This button on your cars dashboard could actually reduce your fuel consumptions and save you money when used properly.

As the weather is getting warmer in the summer months, our cars air conditioning will need to work harder to keep the interior of our cars cooled to the desired temperature. The energy that is required to cool a car isn't negligible as the interior temperatures of a car that is left in direct sunlight can easily rise to 50-70 degrees Celsius (around 120-160 Fahrenheit). 

However, there is a way to significantly speed up the cooling process, and in turn reduce the amount of energy required to keep your car cool. That feature is the "Recirculation button," the button with a outline of a car and U-shaped arrow inside. This function tells the car's air conditioning system to recirculate the already cooled air inside the cabin instead of drawing in warm air from outside.

This way, the car's interior cools down faster, and the air conditioning consumes less energy, which translates to fuel savings. Although it's important to note that recirculating air is only beneficial once the interior temperature is lower than the outside temperature.

In some car models, the recirculation function works manually, while in others, it operates automatically. Some cars also have a timer function to prevent the recirculation mode from staying on accidentally. It's wise to find out how the recirculation works in your specific car model by checking the user manual.

However, the recirculation function should not be used for too long, as the car won't get enough fresh air. This is especially important if there are many passengers, as the carbon dioxide level in the cabin will rise, meaning there will be less oxygen. The recirculation mode should be turned off immediately if the windows start to fog up. 

In winter, it's not advised to use the recirculation function due to the risk of fogging, but it can be used briefly in winter conditions, for example, if you are somewhere the outside air isn't clean (for example in a tunnel). Using the recirculation function might alleviate allergy symptoms in some cases if it's kept on in risky areas, such as when driving through large fields.