Fuel Consumption & Air Con/Climate Control

[Chequered Flag Racing]

Anyone link me to official or independant data for mpg getting worse if you use air con, climate control?

Her new Jazz has air con and she won't use it due to Press/TV articles re increased fuel usage. She even turns it of in the Passat which is climate control. Needs to be on as without it there's no fan to circulate air in the cabin and I can see no extra being used due to using it.

just emailed Honda UK asking for data

[Big G]

well it's driven off a pump which is run off the engine... so the short answer is yes it effects MPG since the engine has to create the BHP to turn the AC pump, but when not in use it disengages the pump so it becomes an expensive pulley.

[Chequered Flag Racing]

Thanks Big G, but I knew that but there will be some that don't

what I'm after is data so that I show her by how much and allay any fears she has that it drinks fuel

[DCM]

It is swings and round-a-bouts.... not sure about the climate control, but with A/C, if your driving round with the windows open, that affects MPG as much as running round with the windows up and A/C on, thats how I have found it.

Also, A/C is great for the winter, to demist the windows to.

[Bungleaio]

Mythbusters did an experiment to test this, apparently above 50mph it's more efficient to have the windows up and AC on, below this it's the other way round.

It's doesn't make a massive difference either way though especially in a Jazz, my parents get 40+ mpg out of theirs.

There are bigger things to worry about than achieving a couple of extra mpg!

[Chequered Flag Racing]

Originally Posted by Bungleaio

There are bigger things to worry about than achieving a couple of extra mpg!

saving money in our lasses case

but then I spent 11k on the car for her

still looking for a link to data though that shows it in real time

[jim76]

Originally Posted by Chequered Flag Racing

Needs to be on as without it there's no fan to circulate air in the cabi

are you sure about that?
My old focus had climate control, and there was a button to deactivate the aircon element of this so that you could just have the fans blowing with out the cooling/heating element.

[Big G]

the average MPG's you talk about. are they want your car computer says or are you running the tank down from full and dividing the miles achieved by the capacity of the tank?

My mk4 golf can say 70mpg on the dash, but the most I've managed out of a single tank is 620 miles. tank is 12 gals which I work out to be 52mpg or close enough

also I quietly chuckle at those with england flags on their cars running around with more drag

[Chrislong]

Originally Posted by Big G

also I quietly chuckle at those with england flags on their cars running around with more drag

Also, they're BANNED aren't they? ridiculous, the world is going mad.

[Big G]

if they are a fair few round my place don't know that. I saw some for sale the other day

[bodgit]

They probably wont be up for long anyway