Poll: Do you roll your car windows down in nice weather?

[actaeon277]

This right here.

I will admit to running the A/C with the windows down at times.

I do that in the early winter/late fall with the heater, instead of the a/c.

 

[Bigtanker]

I do that in the early winter/late fall with the heater, instead of the a/c.

This I do also.

 

[ghuns]

Windows up, all the time. I just don't like the noise from driving with them down.

Our minivan suffers from "inside thunder" as the kids call it. Bernoulli effect is what Tom and Ray from Cartalk called it. So the windows are almost always up.

Years ago, my inlaws bought a used Buick Century, think it was a 1998. I had checked the car out for them and it was in tip top shape. They left the South Bend area on a Friday afternoon to visit family in Kentucky. My mother in law called me from Kokomo and told me there was something SERIOUSLY wrong with the car. There was this thumping sound coming from the back. She was sure it was a wheel bearing or a tire problem because the thumping increased with speed. I told her the brakes were fine and if it was a bad wheel bearing or tire, it went bad between here and Kokomo. I advised her to stop at mechanic and have someone drive it. She did. The mechanic heard no thumping or noise of any kind. They got back in and set off. Just south of Kokomo, she calls back. The thumping is back. She says it's not safe to drive and wants me to hitch up our trailer and come get it.

Our trailer lives in the back of the barn, behind several old John Deere tractors that don't have electric start. I told her turn around, start driving back north at a speed that feels safe. It would take me an hour to get the trailer out and hitched up, I'd meet them on 31, somewhere.

They drove back to Kokomo at which point she decided they couldn't safely go any further. When I finally got there, I jumped in the Buick and drove it myself. There was NO noise. NO thumping. I told her, not for the first time, you're crazy. She insisted, also not for the first time, she was not crazy. I told her to get in the car, we'd go for a drive together. She protested that she didn't want to spend another minute in that screaming, metal death trap. I assured her, we aren't gonna die, the car is fine. We took off going north on 31 with me driving. I ran it up to 65MPH. No noise, no thumping. I said, see it's fine. She said, let me drive. So we stop and switch places.

The first thing she does is light a cigarette and run the back windows down halfway. Guess what? The thumping returned and got progressively louder as the speed increased.

 

[Leadeye]

I can say that there are few things more fun than driving my 68 charger around with the windows down. Listen to the full song down the highway or the agitated cam rumble at the stop light. Sometimes mix in a little music.

 

[x10]

I keep them down so as I shoot as I go down the road I don't break my windows. Now if I could just get a left hand eject firearm my passengers wouldn't be hit with the brass

 

[Mark 1911]

I will keep them down around town, will roll them up at least partially at higher speeds. If wife is with me, she has less tolerance for wind than I do, she doesn't like it blowing her hair.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

My car window down unless it's raining in. Wife's mini van depends on temp/speed/etc.

I do that in the early winter/late fall with the heater, instead of the a/c.

I do that as well.

Our minivan suffers from "inside thunder" as the kids call it. Bernoulli effect is what Tom and Ray from Cartalk called it. So the windows are almost always up.

Years ago, my inlaws bought a used Buick Century, think it was a 1998. I had checked the car out for them and it was in tip top shape. They left the South Bend area on a Friday afternoon to visit family in Kentucky. My mother in law called me from Kokomo and told me there was something SERIOUSLY wrong with the car. There was this thumping sound coming from the back. She was sure it was a wheel bearing or a tire problem because the thumping increased with speed. I told her the brakes were fine and if it was a bad wheel bearing or tire, it went bad between here and Kokomo. I advised her to stop at mechanic and have someone drive it. She did. The mechanic heard no thumping or noise of any kind. They got back in and set off. Just south of Kokomo, she calls back. The thumping is back. She says it's not safe to drive and wants me to hitch up our trailer and come get it.

They drove back to Kokomo at which point she decided they couldn't safely go any further. When I finally got there, I jumped in the Buick and drove it myself. There was NO noise. NO thumping. I told her, not for the first time, you're crazy. She insisted, also not for the first time, she was not crazy. I told her to get in the car, we'd go for a drive together. She protested that she didn't want to spend another minute in that screaming, metal death trap. I assured her, we aren't gonna die, the car is fine. We took off going north on 31 with me driving. I ran it up to 65MPH. No noise, no thumping. I said, see it's fine. She said, let me drive. So we stop and switch places.

The first thing she does is light a cigarette and run the back windows down halfway. Guess what? The thumping returned and got progressively louder as the speed increased.

My Mom had a 95 Buick Roadmaster, if you had one of the back windows down (maybe both) at about 40 mpg the whole car would start shaking with horrendous noise. She did freak a bit the first time it happened.

 

[Vigilant]

I don’t have doors. Or windows, or a roof.

 

[actaeon277]

I don’t have doors. Or windows, or a roof.

Sounds chilly

 

[jsx1043]

I always roll mine down. If it's really hot, I still roll them down AND run the AC. I even keep at least my driver's side partly rolled down in the winter time. About the only time I don't is if it's raining hard enough to come in from the side.

Exactly this /\. More of my life is spent in a car than sleeping. Gotta have fresh air, and I like to hear what’s going on around me. Plus, I can’t share Waylon, Cash, Skynyrd and Hank with the world if my windows are up!

 

[Lex Concord]

My uniform is shorts and a t-shirt any time the high is forecast to be above 60 F. My A/C doesn't work. Yeah, windows down most everywhere most of the year.

Unlike jsx1043, though, I'm usually sharing Soundgarden

 

[Bigtanker]

It's 54° right now. Perfect night for windows down.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I put windows down tonight. Felt great

 

[actaeon277]

It's 54° right now. Perfect night for windows down.

54? I just got to work, it was 60. Must be the Lake, storing heat.

 

[mom45]

Windows down, radio up is my daily routine, especially on the way home from work. In the suburban with power windows (the newer '89), I put all of the back windows down including the tailgate and the air cools it down fast on hot days. In the '84, I have crank windows so it is just the ones I can reach easily. I have turned the air on once in it to make sure it worked when we first bought it but hate using air. I'm stuck in it all day at work.

 

[Jludo]

This is why I dont want to live somewhere it's nice out year round. I think people need seasons. When I travel to places like Florida or California I notice locals never have their windows down on nice days. People get accustomed then stop appreciating. That goes for a lot of things.

 

[actaeon277]

Driving down the street, I see a LOT of people with their windows up, even up here with seasons. Probably 7 out of 10.

 

[Jludo]

Informal survey of rural Virginia I see 80% up in town, 50% in country.

 

[terrehautian]

Yes, had my windows down more in the past week then up. I found out I get better gas mileage with air off them on by a few mpg. I guess it is because it is a bigger suv (Chevy equinox) with a four cylinder motor that is super sluggish with it on.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

119 on the main aisle the other day. Away from the shops. I leave 'em down most of the summer.