does a car AC use gas?

[busmaster11]

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt

Originally posted by: busmaster11
Also, I heard that you can't control how much AC your car produces, only how much of it goes into your cabin, so if you're going to use the AC, turn the red/blue knob all the way toward blue.

The compressor will just run more or less depending on where you set the temp, but the AC can't produce any specific temperature...this is the case with pretty much any heating or cooling system

I thought it was either on or off and nothing in between, no?

 

[Rob9874]

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I heard that AC only has a 10% effect on your mph. The wind drag from driving with your windows down is something like 8%. So it's not worth it to go windows down over AC.

mph? I assume you mean mpg... but that seems a bit excessive from my experience. I certainly haven't noticed a 10% decrease in summertime versus spring or fall. I would guesstimate a maximum difference of ~4% @ 24mpg (altima).

You're right, my bad. That's what I get for typing too fast. And yes, I would assume newer and foreign cars would even see less of a performance hit.

And you won't notice the difference. As it was said before, most cars shut power to the compressor when you need power. If I have to pull onto a street real fast and accelerate with oncoming traffic, I'll notice my AC shut off for a second. The air will get warmer.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Rob9874

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I heard that AC only has a 10% effect on your mph. The wind drag from driving with your windows down is something like 8%. So it's not worth it to go windows down over AC.

mph? I assume you mean mpg... but that seems a bit excessive from my experience. I certainly haven't noticed a 10% decrease in summertime versus spring or fall. I would guesstimate a maximum difference of ~4% @ 24mpg (altima).

You're right, my bad. That's what I get for typing too fast. And yes, I would assume newer and foreign cars would even see less of a performance hit.

And you won't notice the difference. As it was said before, most cars shut power to the compressor when you need power. If I have to pull onto a street real fast and accelerate with oncoming traffic, I'll notice my AC shut off for a second. The air will get warmer.

why would you expect imports to take a smaller hit

 

[Soybomb]

Originally posted by: Confused

Originally posted by: Quixfire
Yes it does, most modern cars use a gas called R134a, but older vehicles, pre1993, use R12.

Does this answer your question?

I saw the best registration plate on a Lotus Elise a couple of years ago: R12 GAS

Owner must have thought he had a cool car


Confused

Maybe he was comparing the price of r12 to the price of his car....probably pretty close

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: Soybomb

Originally posted by: Confused

Originally posted by: Quixfire
Yes it does, most modern cars use a gas called R134a, but older vehicles, pre1993, use R12.

Does this answer your question?

I saw the best registration plate on a Lotus Elise a couple of years ago: R12 GAS

Owner must have thought he had a cool car


Confused

Maybe he was comparing the price of r12 to the price of his car....probably pretty close

I have 93 lbs of R12 left, maybe I should sell it and get a Lotus.

 

[Rob9874]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Rob9874

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I heard that AC only has a 10% effect on your mph. The wind drag from driving with your windows down is something like 8%. So it's not worth it to go windows down over AC.

mph? I assume you mean mpg... but that seems a bit excessive from my experience. I certainly haven't noticed a 10% decrease in summertime versus spring or fall. I would guesstimate a maximum difference of ~4% @ 24mpg (altima).

You're right, my bad. That's what I get for typing too fast. And yes, I would assume newer and foreign cars would even see less of a performance hit.

And you won't notice the difference. As it was said before, most cars shut power to the compressor when you need power. If I have to pull onto a street real fast and accelerate with oncoming traffic, I'll notice my AC shut off for a second. The air will get warmer.

why would you expect imports to take a smaller hit

Because they're better cars (Japanese cars anyway). I have a Dodge Durango, and the AC sucks! I have many friends with 4Runners, and their AC rules. We were just saying today how I have to turn the AC off when driving up a steep grade, or my temperature starts rising. They say they take inclines full speed, and never see an increase in engine temp.

 

[jsbush]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Ime
That's strange about the A/C sapping power, I've never noticed it.

In fact, I used to have a '98 Firebird, and whenever I floored it from a dead stop I'd actually stop getting cold air for a little while, as if the compressor was cut off.

Was I dreaming, or was the engine turning the compressor off doing heavy acceleration?

Mustangs do the same thing.

So do civics!

 

[chin311]

Originally posted by: jsbush

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Ime
That's strange about the A/C sapping power, I've never noticed it.

In fact, I used to have a '98 Firebird, and whenever I floored it from a dead stop I'd actually stop getting cold air for a little while, as if the compressor was cut off.

Was I dreaming, or was the engine turning the compressor off doing heavy acceleration?

Mustangs do the same thing.

So do civics!

AND COROLLAS!!1

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: Rob9874

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Rob9874

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I heard that AC only has a 10% effect on your mph. The wind drag from driving with your windows down is something like 8%. So it's not worth it to go windows down over AC.

mph? I assume you mean mpg... but that seems a bit excessive from my experience. I certainly haven't noticed a 10% decrease in summertime versus spring or fall. I would guesstimate a maximum difference of ~4% @ 24mpg (altima).

You're right, my bad. That's what I get for typing too fast. And yes, I would assume newer and foreign cars would even see less of a performance hit.

And you won't notice the difference. As it was said before, most cars shut power to the compressor when you need power. If I have to pull onto a street real fast and accelerate with oncoming traffic, I'll notice my AC shut off for a second. The air will get warmer.

why would you expect imports to take a smaller hit

Because they're better cars (Japanese cars anyway). I have a Dodge Durango, and the AC sucks! I have many friends with 4Runners, and their AC rules. We were just saying today how I have to turn the AC off when driving up a steep grade, or my temperature starts rising. They say they take inclines full speed, and never see an increase in engine temp.

I drive a V6 3.2L Isuzu Rodeo and I definitely take a power hit when the A/C is on. Going uphill is a trek (it is for most SUVs in the first place), and I don't want to gas it too hard since my belts are due for replacement at 77k miles. Then I see other cars flying up the hill with their A/C on (hot and windows were up)... I think to myself... do all my cars just suck or are they putting undue pressure on their engine ?

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: busmaster11

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt

Originally posted by: busmaster11
Also, I heard that you can't control how much AC your car produces, only how much of it goes into your cabin, so if you're going to use the AC, turn the red/blue knob all the way toward blue.

The compressor will just run more or less depending on where you set the temp, but the AC can't produce any specific temperature...this is the case with pretty much any heating or cooling system

I thought it was either on or off and nothing in between, no?

That's what I said.

 

The average A/C compressor consumes 4 hp to run in the modern automobile, expect a 1 to 2 M.P.G. drop with the A/C on.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Roger
The average A/C compressor consumes 4 hp to run in the modern automobile, expect a 1 to 2 M.P.G. drop with the A/C on.

finally.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Roger
The average A/C compressor consumes 4 hp to run in the modern automobile, expect a 1 to 2 M.P.G. drop with the A/C on.

finally.

 

[crumpet19]

I have to turn off my A/C just to get up the hill to leave my buddy's apartment complex.

-'89 chevy corsica

:frown: :frown:

 

[stonecold3169]

Originally posted by: Roger
The average A/C compressor consumes 4 hp to run in the modern automobile, expect a 1 to 2 M.P.G. drop with the A/C on.

Wow, a 4hp loss will cause a 2mpg drop? I have a 206HP 3.4L V6 DOHC that gets around 20mpg, would an AC really drop that 10%? Or was that speaking more for your typical 100-150 horsie cars?

 

[sharkeeper]

About 4 kW.

-DAK-

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: jsbush

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Ime
That's strange about the A/C sapping power, I've never noticed it.

In fact, I used to have a '98 Firebird, and whenever I floored it from a dead stop I'd actually stop getting cold air for a little while, as if the compressor was cut off.

Was I dreaming, or was the engine turning the compressor off doing heavy acceleration?

Mustangs do the same thing.

So do civics!

my 91 civic did not.

 

[DJFuji]

Originally posted by: Bryan

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: busmaster11

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK If you have a newer car riding with the windows up and AC on will give you a better MPG than the AC off and windows down. At least thats what my internet told me once.

You have an internet? I want one!

I have a copy on diskette that I could send you.

Don't copy that floppy!

well I don't need an internet. I can DOWNLOAD it.

 

[psianime]

My 87' Civic runs hot when I turn on the AC. I think the engine has to work harder if the AC is on.

 

[catnap1972]

Originally posted by: psianime
My 87' Civic runs hot when I turn on the AC. I think the engine has to work harder if the AC is on.

Depends...my '99 Escort runs cooler with the AC on (probably because the electric fan is programmed to run constantly with AC on). Of course you take a performance and gas mileage hit, so you win some and you lose some.

 

[NewSc2]

I heard that above ~40mph, the wind drag if you leave your window(s?) open causes your car to have less mpg than the A/C, so you should close your windows and turn on the A/C if you go faster than 45mph.

 

[PCMarine]

Originally posted by: NewSc2
I heard that above ~40mph, the wind drag if you leave your window(s?) open causes your car to have less mpg than the A/C, so you should close your windows and turn on the A/C if you go faster than 45mph.

I've heard that as well.

 

[thomsbrain]

my car (91 accord wagon, 140 HP) gets a signifigant hit in power and torque with the A/C on. I would put the drag at closer to 10-20 HP. it's like the difference between an accord and a civic. MPG hit seems to be in the neighborhood of 5 MPG, from 30 to 25 (about the same as having windows down, but a lot quieter and cooler).

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Rob9874

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Rob9874

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I heard that AC only has a 10% effect on your mph. The wind drag from driving with your windows down is something like 8%. So it's not worth it to go windows down over AC.

mph? I assume you mean mpg... but that seems a bit excessive from my experience. I certainly haven't noticed a 10% decrease in summertime versus spring or fall. I would guesstimate a maximum difference of ~4% @ 24mpg (altima).

You're right, my bad. That's what I get for typing too fast. And yes, I would assume newer and foreign cars would even see less of a performance hit.

And you won't notice the difference. As it was said before, most cars shut power to the compressor when you need power. If I have to pull onto a street real fast and accelerate with oncoming traffic, I'll notice my AC shut off for a second. The air will get warmer.

why would you expect imports to take a smaller hit

Because they're better cars (Japanese cars anyway). I have a Dodge Durango, and the AC sucks! I have many friends with 4Runners, and their AC rules. We were just saying today how I have to turn the AC off when driving up a steep grade, or my temperature starts rising. They say they take inclines full speed, and never see an increase in engine temp.

Well, I had a Civic, and a Saturn, and the Civic took a much bigger performance hit from the AC than the Saturn did. And neither of them saw an increase in engine temp from hard driving or going up a hill with the AC on.

What do you think of that?

(RIP, little Civic. A dude turning left forgot to look forward and yeild the right of way to my oncoming car. By the time he was in front of me, it was too late to stop or turn.)

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: jsbush

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Ime
That's strange about the A/C sapping power, I've never noticed it.

In fact, I used to have a '98 Firebird, and whenever I floored it from a dead stop I'd actually stop getting cold air for a little while, as if the compressor was cut off.

Was I dreaming, or was the engine turning the compressor off doing heavy acceleration?

Mustangs do the same thing.

So do civics!

my 91 civic did not.

Nor did my '92 (LX, factory air). I haven't checked to see whether my dad's 2000 (EX, factory air) or my sister's 2001 (HX, dealer installed Honda parts) do.