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air con = less power? 

 

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 Post subject: air con = less power?
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:06 pm 
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can air con reduce power in any vehicles? ive heard from many sources air con uses more fuel. are these true or just fibs

 

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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:13 pm 
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Yes
Theres HUGE power loss with AC running.
It Does affect your Fuel Usage


However its debatable that driving with AC on drains about as much as driving with the windows open.

 

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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:13 pm 
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Sure does.

I don't know what the figures are but it is there. Thats why Underdrives are a popular mod as the parasitic loss is less, due to the reduction in revolutions with the water pump.

 

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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:14 pm 
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yes and yes.
when compressor engages, then more drag on engine. more drag on engine, less power to drive car and more fuel used.
modern aircons are much more effecient than a few years back, but still equal more load on than off.

 

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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:16 pm 
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Of course air-con will drain the car of some power, and use more fuel.
It's another load than is placed on the motor when the clutch of the compressor kicks in. You don't notice it so much on larger cars as you do smaller cars.
Also, some tests were done a while back, that you use less fuel if you have the air-con on whilst driving at 100km/h than you would, if the air-con was off, and the windows were down.
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:27 pm 
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So basically at cruizing speeds aircon is more efficient than windows down but around town and in heavy traffic windows down the whole way?
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:34 pm 
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It never ceases to amaze me why people with V8s, worry about any fuel consumption increases with the air-con/climate control on. It's not like a V8 is working hard turning a compressor.

 

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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:50 am 
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if u have an aftermarket computer, you can turn it on and off at certain parameters, eg, if forced induction, u can turn off after certain boost etc etc.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:36 am 
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xcabbi - I heard that theory a few years back. It was basically saying that at 100km/h, the effects of the drag from having the windows down, actually made the car load up more and consequently use more fuel than if it was running the compressor.

Barnacus - I totally agree with you there. On a V8, the fuel consumption goes up by about .5l/100km with the a/c on. If you're cruising down the hwy. If its hot and i don't want the windows down, the A/C goes on.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:22 pm 
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On modern cars, the effect of the air-con is virtually negligible. It's older cars you gotta worry about. Here's a link to read more if you're interested:

http://www.solveyourproblem.com/save-mo ... line.shtml
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:28 pm 
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Having the compressor pulley driven while the aircon is turned off is nothing to worry about, i cant see ANY possible power loss.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:06 am 
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vertg0 wrote:
On modern cars, the effect of the air-con is virtually negligible. It's older cars you gotta worry about.


i agree in my 97 ghia i barley notice any difference. actually when i had the belt off i could turn the clutch by hand it was hard but i was able to.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:45 pm 
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RSWEPN wrote:
if u have an aftermarket computer, you can turn it on and off at certain parameters, eg, if forced induction, u can turn off after certain boost etc etc.


Don't need an aftermarket computer to do that....the EEC already cut's it under WOT and other conditions.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:06 am 
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I have noticed my EL mont ghia that the a/c used on average 1 ltr more per 100 k's. I also saw on mythbusters that driving with the windows down gets about the same mileage as with the windows up and the a/c on. What i try to do to conserve fuel with a/c on is to set the climate control to about 22c as this allows the cabin to cool to a comfy level and lets the compressor turn off as opposed to having it on max cold or say 19c and the compressor on all the time.
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:43 am 
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if you run with the windows down will use less fuel than the A/C until you hit 80km/h. the A/C will use less fuel than the windows down OVER 80. This was on Mythbusters several times.

i've had a/c on lots of cars, in a four cylinder car, the power drain is sufficient enough that i'd turn it off before going up a steep hill or overtaking. now that i have a v8, you don't even feel it turn on/off.
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