If the car was small and well sealed and more than one person was sleeping in it for long enough I would assume they would suffocate and die. How long would it take to die. Does a normal car have enough volume of air and/or enough leakage to let someone safely sleep in it for 8 hours with the window up. I used to sleep in my van with windows up but since it was big I assume I have more than 8 hours of supply of Oxygen in it or there was enough seeping in so I am ok.

I would love to see varies combinations of size of car, number of people, old leaky car, new well sealed car and the such. You could use a small flame adjusted to consume the same amount of oxygen as an average person asleep.

Cars aren't airtight at all.

As many motorists pull over and sleep when exhausted (the cops even recommend this rather than drive tired), this myth is really, really busted.

WHAT? dude, first off, all cars have air conditioning which comes from the outside, then, you have to take into concideration the fact that even though the windows have seals, they are only for moisture, not air, and theres bound to be small areas where the carbon dioxide can leak out.. though this does pose the question.. ive seen it in both bad santa and office space.. how long would it take for you to die if you ran the exhaust from your car into the cabin?

DUDE! This is dumb. Do you know how many people LIVE ,yes, LIVE in cars? Thousands. And from what i know, THEY DON'T DIE! Cars aren't built airtight, theres a ventilation system

quote:

Originally posted by Levias:
first off, all cars have air conditioning which comes from the outside

Erm...no they don't. I have to search for cars with air conditioning when I buy a new one.

ALL cars are equipped with a venting system, regardless if it has an air conditioning system. even if you got the basic model without ac and heating, your car still has numerous vents in it. if you open the trunk, for example, and remove the trunk liner and all the plastic panels, you will see vents with one-way flaps on them that will allow air to escape or seep into the car (not air-tight). this is to ventilate the car (or truck) so that the pressure doesn't build up when you close the doors additional all the small air leaks.

now, if you go and seal every nook and cranny of the car with caulk or something to make it air-tight (or buried under 10 feet of snow), it would be just like any other enclosed space and it would be just a matter of time before you pass out or die.

yes you can die if the car gets to hot then you die

quote:

Originally posted by Glyn:

quote:

Originally posted by Levias:
first off, all cars have air conditioning which comes from the outside

Erm...no they don't. I have to search for cars with air conditioning when I buy a new one.

You haven't talked to the marketing departments lately, have you?

Some automakers call any ventilation system "Air Conditioning". What we normally thing of air conditioning (freon or other chemical compressor based cooling systems) is now called "Climate Control".

Sorry; just needlessly nitpicking.

In any case, even recirculating, you're getting usually at least 30% external air through the vents, and that's not to mention any air coming through cracks, openings, etc.

Given that the cars used in the "Escape Sinking Car" myth filled with water, I'd say that they're not airtight. Granted it may be a little stuffy when you wake up if you're in a compact, but you certainly won't be dead. And remember that the MythBusters also did that experiment with death by flatus and that one night's worth of CO2 production during sleep in that tiny room didn't do anything.

You have to litteraly run tape all over the car to make it airtight.. And even then it is doubtful it will be absolutely airtight.

This is similar to a question I asked too that I have not gotten a response to yet.

What if you put the vent on "recirculate"? When I put mine on recirculate and drive by something like a paper mill, dead skunk, etc, I don't smell anything.

I realize air could still be getting in and I don't smell it, but what if you have a car full of people? How much air could 4 or 5 people use vs. what is coming into a car that is not compeletely air tight, but has the vent set on recirculate to minimize outside air getting in?