Is there a button on the dashboard of your car with a car icon, with a curved arrow in it? This button controls the recirculation mode of your car. Firstly, this can be useful for keeping your car fresh, but it can also save fuel. We explain exactly how this works.
What does the recirculation mode of your car do?
When recirculation mode is on, this function ensures that no air from outside enters your car. As the name suggests, this function only circulates air that is already present in your car. This can be useful when driving into a tunnel. Then turn on the recirculation mode to keep exhaust fumes and polluted air out. What else is involved when driving in a tunnel, explains MAX holiday man in this article.
In addition, this function can come in handy when you are stuck in traffic. Make sure that you switch on the recirculation mode in time. If not, the exhaust fumes and other unpleasant odors have already entered your car. And then these odors start circulating through the car. Also make sure that you switch off the recirculation mode after a few minutes. Because then fresh air can come in again. If you stay in the same, unventilated room for too long, where you also emit CO2, your alertness and concentration may be affected.
Also read: Also turn on the air conditioning in the car in the colder months
How does recirculation mode ensure lower fuel consumption?
The recirculation mode can also help you drive more economically. Especially if you take a short car trip on hot days, you can save on your fuel consumption with this function. The air conditioning uses engine power – and therefore fuel – to cool warm outside air in the car. But if the recirculation mode is on, that warm outside air does not come in and you protect the air conditioning and the engine.
The ANWB also advises to open the windows before departure, so that the car can cool down first. In this case the following also applies: make sure that you switch off the recirculation mode in time. Are you looking for more tips for optimal use of the air conditioning on hot days? You can find this on the website Reporting point.
Manual or automatic?
You often have to manually turn the button on and off. But there are also cars with automatic recirculation. They use sensors to measure how polluted the outside air is and temporarily prevent outside air from entering the car. Extractor hoods and air extraction systems in the kitchen can also have a recirculation mode.
(Source: MAX Vakantieman, MAX Meldpunt, Plus Online, Algemeen Dagblad, ANWB. Photo: Shutterstock)
Tags: recirculation mode car
