Air conditioner really kills mileage

[gone-ot]

..."rule-of-thumb" is 10%-to-13% loss for a/c use.

[H-Man]

I gained almost 30 MPG by fixing my AC system...








By buying an economy car with R134a AC to drive instead of a 3 ton station wagon with a 7.4l engine, a 3 speed non locking up torque converter automatic, and a R12 AC system that had leaked the R12 out years ago.
I have already saved the cost of the car in gas.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by H-Man

I gained almost 30 MPG by fixing my AC system...








By buying an economy car with R134a AC to drive instead of a 3 ton station wagon with a 7.4l engine, a 3 speed non locking up torque converter automatic, and a R12 AC system that had leaked the R12 out years ago.
I have already saved the cost of the car in gas.

...sounds like my Dad's suggestion for "how to" fix my first jalopy: "...jack up the radiator cap, son, and drive a new car under it..."

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Since I live in a city where the summers are dry, I could get some advantages from evaporative cooling (the so-called "swamp coolers"). Since water is still cheaper than gasoline and the usual PMS of an air-conditioneer, it's a good deal

Originally Posted by JeepNmpg2

Freeway at 65 MPH -24.5
Freeway at 65 MPH with aircon -23.2

Not sticking to the steering wheel and the rest of my black interior in the heat of summer - priceless

That's what I hate the most in black interiors. I like light brown interiors, but nowadays they're not so easy to find in the cheaper cars

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Since I live in a city where the summers are dry, I could get some advantages from evaporative cooling (the so-called "swamp coolers"). Since water is still cheaper than gasoline and the usual PMS of an air-conditioneer, it's a good deal




That's what I hate the most in black interiors. I like light brown interiors, but nowadays they're not so easy to find in the cheaper cars

...that's *why* they sell those "beaded" seat cover devices...lets the air through and keeps your butt from physically contacting ANY upholstery.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...that's *why* they sell those "beaded" seat cover devices...lets the air through and keeps your butt from physically contacting ANY upholstery.

That was very usual in Brazil, but more due to some supposed therapeutical effect. I still usually see them in bus driver seats and taxis.

[H-Man]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...sounds like my Dad's suggestion for "how to" fix my first jalopy: "...jack up the radiator cap, son, and drive a new car under it..."

It is a good fix when a running car has a scrap value of $1000, all cars in California have a scrap value of $1000 as long as it runs because the CARB decided to pay people to retire perfectly good economy cars, I see many geo prizms that have at least 100k left in them at the salvage yard.

My Prizm cost me $1400 and so far $500 of gas since October (I have to drive 35 miles a day 5 days a week to get to the community college, the bus doesn't run a decent schedule where I live.)

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by H-Man

It is a good fix when a running car has a scrap value of $1000, all cars in California have a scrap value of $1000 as long as it runs because the CARB decided to pay people to retire perfectly good economy cars, I see many geo prizms that have at least 100k left in them at the salvage yard.

I'm not so favorable to those gov't subsides to scrap well-mantained cars. Some older ones, altough won't eventually have too much safety or comfort features, already have a good fuel-efficiency and eventually could be updated regarding emissions-control systems quite easily.

[H-Man]

I hate it myself. It props up used car prices by putting up an artificial price floor. I think I would have been able to get the Prizm for $700 if it wasn't for CARB throwing money at junkyards.
The only upside is that good parts are super easy to get and the money saved by this is negligible compared to the higher cost of the car.