Air con & performance

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi guys,

With the recent hot spell around, i have been using the air con more often, beautiful, very cold n cooling.

However, i think i am noticing slower take offs when the aircon is switched on, it feels as if i have to put a little more power down, overall car feels very slightly sluggish, am i imagining it or is their a link between air con & performance??? As soon as i switch the air con off...hooray...all seems happy again. 

 

Interesting one this is !

Sammy

[Heidfirst]

Sammi, how do you think that the aircon compressor etc. is driven? That takes power from the engine ... I believe it's about 3-4hp  which on an Aygo with ~68 to start with is 5%.

[Catlover]

and it is reckoned your mpg will be worse off when you have air con on.

Its good to use the air con for a short period, keeps the air con system lubricated, so there are advantages.

[FROSTYBALLS]

We've had air con on each of our new cars since 1998 (13). Performance with air con on can seem more stilted, depending on engine size and whether the aircon is working to capacity to initially cool the car down or just maintaining a low temperature. However, think with more efficient condensors, the effect has become less noticeable over the years. With both of our cars we keep the aircon all the time and any loss of economy is negligible. 

[Bike_loon]

As above.... unless you have a 3.4 litre 6 cylinder Porsche like me, in which case you dont notice any drop off in performance lol

[RUToyota]

As above...A/C draws a few BHP from your engine when it's deployed....3-5 bhp I believe.

On a small engine that's probably noticeable...but (like biki-loon) I have a 3 litre V6 with 220 bhp and frankly don't see/feel any difference.

Any cost is surely minimal and acceptable for the benefit A/C gives.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Guys guys guys

cheers for all the input.

I think what i was trying to say, is that i didnt expect it to draw that much power, but hey ho...its worth the struggle on a hot summers day.

[Planemo]

On many small cars, even up to 1.6 litre I would say, using the aircon noticeably affects power output. I was using a 1.3 Hyundai once, and at a steady 50mph you could feel the car 'jolt' ever so slightly when the aircon was switching in and out. Didnt get that on my Dads old Rover V8 3500 SDI, but then that was in the good old days when aircon was proper aircon, and often you could actually get frost blowing out the vents. I kid you not. The latest enviromentally friendly aircon gases just never seem as good imo. But yes, when driving an aircon (or even better, climate controlled) car I always keep it on, brilliant invention. Set it to your comfortable temp (even in winter) and never touch it again. I find the dehumidification aspect alone very worthwhile. What really gets my goat is people who dont understand how climate control works, treat it like a normal heater/cooler and keep faffing around with the temp control, cranking it right up when they first get in, thinking it will make the car hotter faster!

[mickburkesnr]

Until the gas ran out on my 107, I would have the Air Con all the time. One week going to work I filled it up and had the air con on. The next week I drove the week without the air con on. Over the course of a full tank, the air con cost me about 20/25 miles on a tank. So in economy respect I don't think the air con makes a fat lot of difference.

[Stuartj]

I own a 15 plate Aygo as a second vehicle and would agree the car does lose a bit of power with the air con on. It tends to be more noticeable when u floor the throttle. The Aygo is only 1000cc with 68/72bhp so u can expect to notice a difference because of the small power unit and the way these new air con systems work off the engine. Mind you I’d rather have air con that not have one and the Aygo air con is excellent and I still get 55+ to the gallon

[AL21784]

Have you tried using premium fuel? In my Aygo I use Tesco momentum 99ron and I've noticed a big difference in performance and especially when running air con.

 

Alan

[Stivino]

Whether it be air con or anything else on your car, or anywhere else for that matter, you only have to remember one rule. i.e. you can’t get something for nothing.