How exactly does the air conditioning affect the driving characteristics of the car, said the expert “Behind the wheel” Alexey Revin.
He calculated how much power the air conditioning system requires from the engine.
The air conditioning compressor at 3000–4000 rpm from the crankshaft takes up 4–6 horsepower. current. For engines with a small displacement and power – not small at all.
It should be noted that at the most “accelerating” crankshaft speeds (up to 4000 rpm), the engine does not have the full nameplate, but much less power. For example, an engine with a maximum power of about 100 hp. in the 3000–4000 rpm range it only produces 40–60 horsepower. The loss of a tenth of their wealth is quite noticeable.
Therefore, the expert advises: on cars with engines with a working volume of up to 1.2 liters (without a turbocharger), it is better to turn off the air conditioning when overtaking and driving in the mountains. The engine gets faster and the ride gets safer. As for the engines with more “displacement” or engines equipped with a turbocharger, the air conditioning turned on has no noticeable effect on their operation.
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