Can You Save Gas By Driving Without AC?

You could turn off the air conditioner and put the windows down in hopes of saving fuel, but it probably won’t work. While the car will no longer need to create power to run the air conditioner, the additional drag created by opening the windows can actually use more fuel.

The engine has to work harder to compensate for the drag. Therefore, it’s often better to keep the air conditioner running, even though it will need fuel to power the system.

When Should You Use AC In A Car?

If you are hot in the car, it’s best to turn on the air conditioning. It’s going to use less fuel than rolling down the windows on the highway, so there’s no reason to be uncomfortable. Of course, having the air off and the windows closed provides the best fuel economy, but it’s not usually preferable. 

Which Uses More Gas: AC or Heat?

The air conditioning system typically uses more fuel than the heater. The heater uses warm air from the engine, which already exists. It doesn’t need to create warm air, so extra fuel isn’t required. You should see a much less dramatic impact on fuel economy when using heat versus air conditioning. 

However, both systems need power to run. Therefore, fuel is also needed to create the power and you can’t do much to change how much is consumed for these activities. 

How Does The AC Work?

A car’s air conditioning system uses several essential components to run. It doesn’t matter what type of gas-powered car you drive, the parts will remain the same and have a similar purpose. The flow of refrigerant (pressurized gas) through the system is what creates the cold air you experience. 

Let’s take a look at a few of the most important parts of the car AC system.

1. Compressor

Every car AC system requires a compressor to run. The job of the compressor is simple enough; it compresses the refrigerant into a liquid state.

By compressing the refrigerant, the liquid can move through the condenser. If it remained a gas, it would not flow properly through the system. 

2. Condenser

The condenser receives the liquid refrigerant coming from the compressor. To continue moving through the system, it must be cooled off.

The condenser takes out the heat. From here, the refrigerant will move to the orifice tube or expansion valve.

3. Orifice Tube/Expansion Valve

After the condenser, the refrigerant needs to be pushed into the expansion valve or orifice tube. During this process, it must be transferred back into a gas.

To convert the liquid, high pressure must be removed. From here, it goes to the accumulator or receiver/dryer.

4. Accumulator or Receiver/Dryer

The process can create an excessive amount of moisture. If left unchecked, this moisture would damage the air conditioning system.

With the accumulator or receiver/dryer, the moisture is removed. From here, the refrigerant is going to move to the evaporator.

5. Evaporator

The final step of the air conditioning process is to work through the evaporator. In this step, air blows through the core where it becomes cold.

The end result is cool air that gets pumped into the cabin. From here, the process can continue once again by either sucking air in from the cabin on the recirculation mode or from outside of the vehicle if you turn on the fresh air setting.