Blasting your car's AC in this heat? Here's how to cool it quickly without wasting time and gas

When it's hot outside, many of us like to keep the temperature inside cool, especially when we're in our cars.

According to Consumer Reports' auto testing center, there's a strategy to cooling your car quickly without wasting time and gas. First, skip pre-cooling the car, which Consumer Reports' Benjamin Preston says is not as effective as it sounds.

"You're really not helping yourself much," he said.

The air conditioning system works better when the car is moving because as the engine turns faster, the AC compressor runs more efficiently.

"If you really want to pre-cool the car, the best thing to do, if you can, is to park it in a shady spot so that the sun's not beating on the car, because I'm sure you've noticed that even on cool days, if the car is in the sun, it gets pretty warm inside pretty quickly," said Preston.

If you're hitting the road in a newer vehicle with automatic temperature controls, Preston suggests you choose your preferred temperature then set it and forget it.

"Like I tell my kids all the time, don't touch the thermostat," he said. "It's going to get there. You're not going to make it go faster by turning it down to 60."

Older vehicles, on the other hand, may require more manual adjustments.

"Your best bet is to move the control all the way to the cold setting and then adjust your comfort with the fan," said Preston.

When it comes to recirculation mode, consider how many passengers are in the car.

"If you recirculate cabin air, that can cause it to cool off more quickly, but if you have backseat passengers, it might not get cool air back to them as well," said Preston.

On hot days, Preston suggests turning off the stop/start technology.

"You'll notice right away if you're sitting at a light and the engine switch is off to save gas and the compressor is not running anymore, it will be like, 'Why is there a hot air blowing out of my vents?' and that's why. Because the compressor is no longer turning because the engine's not on."

When it comes to car maintenance, make sure your cabin air filter is clean.

"They get clogged up with leaves and debris and all kinds of dust and that sort of thing. It reduces the airflow in the HVAC system, and you won't feel as cool when you turn it on," said Preston.