Last updated on June 28th, 2023 at 05:12 pm
Does AC Affect Engine Power ? and Why Does My Car Lose Power With The AC On these and other questions are what we are going to discuss in the article.
When driving your car on a sunny day, the first thought that comes to mind would be to wind up the window and turn on the air conditioner. It is as simple as just flipping on the headlights or turning on the radio. But what happens when you experience slow acceleration or your car shutting off when your air conditioner is on and why does it happen? These are questions that shouldn’t be neglected and so I will be answering them.
Firstly, why does my car lose power with the AC on? Your car loses power when the AC is on because of the pressure that the AC places on the engine, which is the main source of power. The engine through a belt powers the compressor of the air conditioning system which is an additional load on the engine. At prolonged constant usage, the AC reduces the power and leads to power loss.
To help you answer other similar questions, this article has the answers you are looking for. So next, does AC affect engine power?
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Does AC Affect Engine Power?
The air conditioning system is powered by the engine of your car. It puts pressure on the engine and draws all the energy it used to perform from it. Because of the energy, it is drawing from the engine, the AC affects the engine’s power. This is why you can experience slow acceleration, or increasing engine RPMs at idle when the air condition is on.
If the pressure placed on the engine by the air conditioning system is high, the power is also affected. An example of this is when there is a carbon buildup in the compressor, it can add additional pressure to the engine.
The air conditioner is meant to use about 10 to 15 Hp (Horsepower). The amount of engine power that is used by the air condition however depends on the type and model of the car, the air conditioning system, and the size of the engine. A car with a larger engine loses less power while a car with a smaller engine loses more power. However, when you are driving at a stretch with steady speed on the highway and your AC is on, you are bound to have your air conditioner using 20 to 30 Hp which means a great reduction in your engine’s power.
Does Turning off AC Give You More Power.
When the air conditioner is on, it requires up to and most times more than 10 Hp to function with most of it being used by the compressor to pump the freon (refrigerant). When the AC has been turned off the power that was being used by it is released and there is a power boost. So yes, turning off the air condition gives you more power.
Slow Acceleration When Air Conditioning is on
Don’t forget that the power needed to run the air conditioning system comes from the engine, the same source of power that allows the running of the rest of the components of the car, like the pumps, power steering, headlight, radio, and alternator. When the air conditioning system needs more power to run and the power available is low, the engine would divide its power between the air conditioning and accelerating. An example is when you turn on your air conditioner may be that the compressor is dragging against the belt and the compressor needs more energy from the engine to continue running. The extra energy utilized by the compressor will reduce the energy that is meant to be used to accelerate. Simply put, your car accelerates slowly when the air conditioner is on because more engine power is being used by the air condition and there’s not enough for the car to accelerate faster.
Effect of Air Conditioning Load on Engine Performance
It has been established that the air conditioning system draws energy from the engine. This means that it indefinitely affects the performance of the engine. The effect of air conditioning load on your engine’s performance can be noticed through an increasing engine’s RMP. When you turn on the air condition, the RMP moves in a clockwise direction showing that it is increasing.
Another effect is that the power meant to be used on other components will be reduced and an instance is a slow acceleration. However, the air conditioning system cannot damage the engine but will only reduce its performance.
Does AC Temperature Affect Fuel Consumption?
Turning on your car’s air condition affects fuel consumption just as it affects the engine’s power. The engine which powers the car derives its energy from the fuel and whatever is powered by the engine has a part to play in the way the fuel is used. The air conditioning system has a noticeable and undeniable effect on the consumption of fuel than any other auxiliary feature of the car.
Up to 20% of the fuel is consumed by the air conditioner and even more if turned on constantly for a long period when driving. The higher the temperature of the AC the more the pressure on the engine and the more fuel that will be consumed. The temperature of the air condition, the temperature of the weather, the size of the engine, and the type and model of your car play a role in how much fuel will be used up by the air conditioning system.
Why Does My Car Shut Off When I Have My AC on and I am at a Complete Stop?
I can’t even imagine how you would feel if your car just suddenly shuts off when you have your AC on and you are on a complete stop. Many car owners experience this but have no idea why it happens. What is likely to have caused this is that the power produced by the engine is low, and the load placed on the engine is high, of which the AC is contributing to the load.
