[Johnny Mullet]

If you have a vehicle that has A/C and would like to save fuel during the coming winter months, then do like I do and unplug the A/C compressor or remove the relay/fuse. Most vehicles are made to engage the compressor when in "Defrost" or other modes on your climate control selector, and this will waste fuel.

Some may argue and say.............

"Not running the compressor clutch will make it go bad!" - Then why do junkyards sell them?
"That freon has to circulate during winter!" - Just like it does in my A/C machine?
"The defroster will not work correctly!" - Um, what?

All incorrect statements. I have done this for years on all vehicles I owned with A/C and never had any problems at all. Not to say that maybe some newer vehicles with complex heater control systems (Volvo XC90, Cadillac, Lincoln, etc) will show some sort of fault, but if you are driving one of those puppies, then you seriously need to rethink what you are driving if you are planning to attempt a mod like this to save fuel.

An even better way to do this would be to purchase a belt for a non-A/C vehicle and bypass the compressor, but this does not work on some vehicles depending on the belt routing.

This mod along with installing a block heater to keep the engine warm and for warmer startups, a grill block, under hood insulation (if not equipped), etc will really help you in the fuel saving department over time.

Discuss.