Is it true that if I turn my AC in my car off it’ll save gas?

it actually does save gas because the ac compresser takes hp away causing more load on engine

yes it is true.

indeed it does, and it also conserves battery power

Turning of the AC can save you a little gas. And when I say a little. I mean maybe an extra 5 miles out of a tank of gas. It’s not really going to make a lot of difference. So, crank up the cold air and enjoy they ride.

yes it is a fact because if you turn your A/C on it make all your car work a little harder to produce the cold air making it use more gas i would give the specifics but its really confusing lol

very true ac takes power to run absolutely true

If you open the windows, you will cause more drag, especially at higher speeds. Using the AC won’t cause that much more gas usage (at least not that you will notice). Use your AC and enjoy it.

oh its true, some AC compressors can take up to 14 horsepower to run, when you compare 14 to the average 40-50 hp needed to maintain highway speed (55mph) for most passenger cars, it really adds up, so if its not blazing hot, crack the windows a bit, but cracking the windows all the way down causes more drag in the form of wind resistance and can nearly defeat the purpose of not running the AC.

It takes a couple of horse power to run the compressor. Driving at high speed with the windows down produces drag.
There is a balance point between the two, but it is hard to know where it is. Running with the windows slightly cracked and only the fan on will save some fuel. I do that and turn on the AC occasionally. I let the temp in the car cycle up and down just enough to stay comfortable.

you would see more of a mileage increase if you went with a electric fan and done away with the one on the engine ..even a electric water pump helps ..roll the windows down and the aero dynamic drag will eat all you gain by turning off the airconditioner ..Myth Busters did it on a track and there was very little difference in mileage ..the tail gate down on a truck is a myth also ..don’t help the truck at all up or down

It’s nice to hear that your mom is still right on the money. I’ve heard this argued up and down but Car and Driver did a test a year ago with the windows rolled up with the air on as opposed to windows down with no air. No air used less fuel every time weather the windows were up or down.

Yes it will save a little, but not enough to notice.With the windows open you’ll burn more gas with the wind blowing in an slowing the car down. Cars are aerodynamic an cut the the wind better with the windows up.

TRUE

i havent used AC in 3 yrs. and i live in Florida!

No one really understands that there are so many variables in this question that makes it hard to flat out say true or false. If you’re driving a huge SUV that is a tank in weight then the AC won’t matter hardly at all, respectively. However, in 4 cylinder and smaller sized engines, you sometimes can even feel a noticeable change in acceleration and the load on the engine when the AC button is toggled on and off.

Either way, yes the AC creates an additional load on the engine because the compressor (what builds pressure in the AC system) is indirectly ran off the revolutions of the engine through the means of a belt (hence many cars have 2 or more belts to replace).

Another huge role of determining whether it really saves gas is aerodynamics. Rolling down the windows allows the air that was flowing over the window to come rushing into the void that is your car, creating an even greater resistance at times than the load that is created by turning on the AC, negating the positive effects of rolling the windows down.

So it has a lot to do with what youre driving, but as everyone will tell you… start with your driving technique first. That will be your best fuel saver

Hope this helped you!

Edit: Also the idea that there is a happy medium for the two is absurd, simply because no matter if the AC is on the lowest low or the highest high then the AC compressor has to be running. And there is no variation of speed on the compressor, it is strictly one speed; engine speed. So, if you use your AC put the windows up… or the other way around

NOT IF YOUR DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, IF YOUR ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE AC OFF AND THE WINDOWS DOWN YOU’LL BURN MORE GAS DUE TO THE AERODYNAMIC DRAG. TRUST ME LOOK IT UP.

The Mythbusters TV show did a show on this….. At highway speeds they proved it is more efficient to leave the windows closed and the AC on…. The fuel economy was better……

i can,t see any difference.