What Does The Air-Recirculation Car Button Really Do?

I've been driving a car or truck since I was 16 years old...Okay, since I was 14 but driving my dad's truck on the back roads to the local swimming hole doesn't officially count.

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So you would think that I would know what the recirculation button is all about. It took the Air Quality Alert to learn what that button really does. When I was driving around, I thought that I was smelling the smoke inside my car.

I thought it might be on my clothes or it had seeped in when I opened the door to get in. Well I've learned that it could be coming in from outside when I had my air conditioner running. That's when I found out what the recirculation button is all about.

What The Recirculation Button Does In Your Vehicle

The recirculation button takes the air from inside the car and recirculates it inside your vehicle instead from the air from the outside. So when the latest Air Quality Alert hits or it's really hot outside, turn on your recirculation button. The recirculation button will help to cut off the outside air by 'recirculating' the air inside your vehicle.

Now that it's summertime, it's going to be hot outside. You'll want to recirculate the cooler air in your vehicle, so hit that recirculation button. This will get your car cooler and it'll decrease the wear and tear on your AC system.

Here's something else to keep in mind. When you get into your vehicle and it's really hot, it's better to roll the windows down (when there is no Air Quality Alert) and let the really hot air escape. Once the heated air has gone, roll up the windows and turn the recirculate button back on.

Finally, if you are stuck in traffic make sure that you turn on the recirculation button. Anytime of the year, your vehicle is pulling in carbon monoxide from other vehicles. If you recirculate your AC, it'll cut down on the pollutants that is coming into your vehicle while you are idling in traffic.