Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
....
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.
|
Thanks for this JM.
I checked out the manual for my truck, and it looks like there is a fuse and a relay for the A/C clutch solenoid. My guess is that popping the fuse would disable the A/C -- it will be easy to test that.
I will explore the belt swap option as well. If anyone here has a recent B-series Mazda or a Ranger, I would like to know if you have any experience with swapping belts.
My 2008 B2300 came with a block heater, so that piece is covered. I will likely buy a timer so it switches on at 5 am or so -- two hours before I leave for work.
The grill block idea is straightforward, but under-hood insulation is a new concept for me. Can someone explain what it would look like so I can see if I am factory-equipped in that area?
EDIT: I get it now -- insulating the underside of the hood. "I was associating "under the hood" with the entire engine compartment...
Thanks,
bluesfan