Would you trade your AC for some extra MPG??

[Daox]

I do the same as wagonman. I very rarely use the AC, but its nice to have here and there.

As for the hybrid feature, I still think the 5th gear hybrid mod is far superior to an accessory belt driven motor.

[95badbird]

no

[nascarnation]

My Saturn coupe appears to lose about 2 mpg (from 35mpg) or roughly 6%.
This is worst case when I run AC basically full time in mid summer.

At 1000 miles/month and $3/gallon (gas is well below that currently here) it costs me about $6 bucks a month for AC. A good value IMHO.

[metroschultz]

Before my trip to CoyoteX' for the newer engine, I ran the car for a month with A/C and got up to 49 mpg.
Then another month (even hotter btw) without A/C and averaged 55 mpg. (yes I realize this is in the range of normal fluctuations, try as I would however, I could not get into the 50's until I ran w/o A/C.)
At Ricks we did not put the A/C stuff back on the car.
With new motor and new trans and Xfi cam and no A/C the difference is amazing.
Just my .02,
S.

[Xringer]

PowerPedia:Hybrid Adapter - PESWiki

It looks like this guy wanted his AC and some extra MPG off the grid.
(That is a compressor under the motor plate..?..)

It seems like a few people are interested in the idea. But, most folks just can't live without their AC..

The under-powered AC on my 1999 CRV is still working. And when I looked at the compressor, it seemed really small. Not a lot of space in there for adding on a motor..

For sure, I don't like the idea of the small 5th wheel (that can fall into pot-holes) like Mike made for his Insight. We got way too many giant potholes around here. Might be good for states with good roads..



Mikes Insight - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist Tour De Sol

So, it's back to the drawing board (or Post-It note pad in my case).

Thank you all for your input.

[hondaworkshop]

In answer to the original question, no I would not in my climate. In fact, I even considered just pulling the belt for the cooler months around here, but there was no noticeable gain from pullling it.

On the CRX, I did pull the system when it died, but it was for autocross performance, not mpg.

[Ford Man]

My daily driver ('88 Escort) doesn't have A/C, but it is mainly driven on trips of 50 miles or less which I can stand the heat that long, but I wouldn't get rid of the A/C on my '97 Escort because it is the car I drive on long highway trips, most of the time being 300-600 miles and that's no fun without A/C on a 95-100* day. So before getting rid of the A/C take into consideration what kind of trips the car is going to be used for.

[jamesqf]

Just a thought: for those who live in hot climates and use A/C regularly, why not look into adding more insulation to the passenger compartment? The roof, for instance, with just a cloth headliner & some sheet metal, has got to be a major heat source. Styrofoam insulation would weigh next to nothing...

[slurp812]

Originally Posted by Xringer

If you could get a 15 to 30% percent increase in your MPG for 30 miles, by dumping your AC?? Would you?

I live in Ohio, so YES I would!

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Just a thought: for those who live in hot climates and use A/C regularly, why not look into adding more insulation to the passenger compartment? The roof, for instance, with just a cloth headliner & some sheet metal, has got to be a major heat source. Styrofoam insulation would weigh next to nothing...

Someone here has already added some pipe insulation on the AC tubing under his hood. IIRC, some of his AC pipes were getting frosted up..

Not cooling the engine compartment might have made it a little cooler in the cab..