Aircon / climate control and fuel consumption
Discussion
I've never switched the air conditioning off in my car for long enough to find out if it makes any difference. I bought a car with air conditioning and intended to use it.
At idle the tractor seems to show an increase of 0.4 litres/hr to run the air con.
I'd be interested to know how many kw's air conditioning takes, not much is my guess.
At idle the tractor seems to show an increase of 0.4 litres/hr to run the air con.
I'd be interested to know how many kw's air conditioning takes, not much is my guess.
Willy Nilly said:
I've never switched the air conditioning off in my car for long enough to find out if it makes any difference. I bought a car with air conditioning and intended to use it.
At idle the tractor seems to show an increase of 0.4 litres/hr to run the air con.
I'd be interested to know how many kw's air conditioning takes, not much is my guess.
This is what I'm on about, I wouldn't have thought it'd make much difference but in my car it looks like it does.At idle the tractor seems to show an increase of 0.4 litres/hr to run the air con.
I'd be interested to know how many kw's air conditioning takes, not much is my guess.
When it's 30 degrees outside and I'm stuck in a traffic jam with kids in the car, I couldn't give a f
k even if my economy dropped to single figures, as long as it's cool inside the car.
It'd probably be almost slightly interesting to know the actual cost over the summer of having the aircon on, maybe.
k even if my economy dropped to single figures, as long as it's cool inside the car. It'd probably be almost slightly interesting to know the actual cost over the summer of having the aircon on, maybe.
Riley Blue said:
The smaller the car, the more noticeable the effect of turning on the A/C - a 1.4 Fiesta diesel slows as if you've touched the brake.
Depends on the car. On the GFs Corsa C 1.2, turning the air con on seems to have little effect on the way it drives.On the Puma, the car runs noticeably worse with it on, yet that's more powerful. I tend not to use it, and just stick to 60 - 70 with the windows half down and it does a better job of keeping me cool anyway.
I drive an EP3 civic type r and if I have the air con on I notice a huge difference in performance. Doesn't pull like crazy toward the limiter like normal. Front tyres don't try to spin through first in the dry like they do with it off. Vtec is a much softer hit.
If I'm gonna give it some I knock the a/c off.
If I'm gonna give it some I knock the a/c off.
UrbanSports said:
Riley Blue said:
The smaller the car, the more noticeable the effect of turning on the A/C - a 1.4 Fiesta diesel slows as if you've touched the brake.
I can't detect any change in performance! I don't really care either way, my parents' cars both have climate, the AC is never off. My car has a panoramic sunroof and climate, I tend to leave mine on too, even with the roof open, unless it's chilly. If I drop the windows too, I turn the AC off but leave everything else alone.
Willy Nilly said:
Aren't cars supposed to use less fuel running the air conditioning that driving with the windows open? The extra drag is worse than the AC load.
motco said:
Windows open up to 30-40mph, aircon thereafter is most economical apparently.
This is what I've heard, "about 40mph" is the efficiency crossover - although of course having the windows open just increases air movement through the car, whereas AC cools the air.We drove my petrol Octavia on a long run and saw 40+ mpg (verified by fill ups) and this was with the aircon on max.
The flip side is that during winter it takes seemingly a huge amount of fuel to warm up and we drop to high 20s (at least initially)
So the cold costs far more than the heat, and you can't turn the cold off...
The flip side is that during winter it takes seemingly a huge amount of fuel to warm up and we drop to high 20s (at least initially)
So the cold costs far more than the heat, and you can't turn the cold off...
I think a compressor can use as much as 3-5 horsepower, at least that's what I read.
The Honda I was driving seemed unusual in that the compressor would engage for approx. 20 seconds before switching off for 10 seconds or so rather than running continuously, never driven a car that does that before
The Honda I was driving seemed unusual in that the compressor would engage for approx. 20 seconds before switching off for 10 seconds or so rather than running continuously, never driven a car that does that before
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