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by piepai on June 2nd, 2007

piepai

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Does turning on the air conditioner when driving waste gas?

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  • by theredbaron on June 2nd, 2007

    theredbaron

    There was a "Mythbusters" episode on this very topic where they compared fuel usage on a car with the a/c running vs. the windows rolled down. The result was that the drag caused by the windows being down used a lot more gas than the amount needed by the added engine demand from the a/c compressor. Of course, the optimal result is to drive windows up with just a vent on, but heat exhaustion isn't condusive to safe driving.

    Comments

    • I watch that show,and disagree with that finding.I have personally drove my car with the AC off,then on and there was at least at 15% increase in gas milage wasted with the AC on.

      jin jang

      by jin jang on June 2nd, 2007

    • Did you have the windows down instead? Or just the a/c off?

      theredbaron

      by theredbaron on June 2nd, 2007

    • Windows were closed.I have watched the show and these people are no scientests but entertainers,so I take their findings with a grain of salt.I work behind the scenes in the film and TV industry and I see the reality of the situation.

      jin jang

      by jin jang on June 2nd, 2007

    • I know TV isn't fully "real". But the point of their experiment was to compare driving with a/c vs. driving with windows down. Between the two, driving with a/c used less gas. Either option, though, will use more gas than having no a/c and the windows up. Once you increase drag on the engine, either by reducing the aerodynamic efficiency of the car or by turning on the compressor for the a/c, gas use will rise. That was the point I was trying to make.

      theredbaron

      by theredbaron on June 3rd, 2007

    • Mythbusters is a load of crap they make more myths than they "bust"

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on December 6th, 2008

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