Air conditioning settings for fuel efficiency

Hi there,

Can somebody recommend me the best air conditioning strategy to maintain goof fuel economy?

I already have the "auto setting disabled which prevents the a/c compressor from running 24/7 and I never use the auto button. I drive with the windows rolled down when in the city except if it becomes too hot.

When the weather is too hot and a/c is required is it best to keep it at a temperature such as 76 degrees with the fan on high? Or is it better to chill the a/c all the way at 65 (recirculated) until the car becomes too cold and then to switch to turning off the snowflake and activating (fresh air in) until the temperature becomes too hot to bear and then go back to 65 again (switching back and forth)

I ask because I read somewhere that the a/c runs best at the coldest setting and that if you turn it to hotter such as 78 that it will use same amount of gasoline and introduce hot air from the engine to reach the 78 temperature. If that is true than it sounds like a tremendous waste

Also quick question about rolling down the windows is it smart to roll down the drivers side window as well as the rear window on the same side of the car as me? Instead of rolling down the 2 front windows?

Can you guys believe my car only has 9500 miles on it so far? I bought it new but in 2016 (It sat on dealer lot for over a year) and I hard-balled them into selling it to me for 9000$ (I told them take it or leave it and walked out) Than they called me next day and said "Okay, fine 9000$"

Good question! A/C can really hog a lot of powah and fuel.

For most efficient A/C use, turn it to max cold, and regulate temperature with the fan speed. Setting the temperature higher makes it mix in warm air from outside which somewhat defeats the purpose of cooling the air down as much. Using recirculate definitely helps as well as you don't have to cool down 90F air from outside vs 70F air inside the car.

As for windows I open windows on one side of the car for air circulation. I use my A/C more for defrost than cooling.

On really, really hot days I will set my AC to 74 and use the AUTO setting for the fan. Usually costs me about 4-5 mpg.

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Originally Posted by Daox

Good question! A/C can really hog a lot of powah and fuel.

For most efficient A/C use, turn it to max cold, and regulate temperature with the fan speed. Setting the temperature higher makes it mix in warm air from outside which somewhat defeats the purpose of cooling the air down as much. Using recirculate definitely helps as well as you don't have to cool down 90F air from outside vs 70F air inside the car.

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Cool, I will give it a shot this week. Will bring it to 65 with snowflake and recirculation and get the car freezing cold. Then will turn off the snowflake and switch the air from recirculate to fresh air until car gets too hot and then repeat the procedure.

Its kind of like the same mentality as pulse and glide

EDIT: Actually wait, maybe my logic is flawed. Maybe I should not switch the air to "fresh air incoming" because since the air in the interior has already been cooled I should just keep recirculating that air, right?

On days that are not too hot I just have the fan on with no snowflake and on "fresh air incoming" because I dont want to open the windows on the Motorway. But sometimes that produces foul odors from the a/c vents.

Dang. I'm still waiting for the day I can turn off my home heating system and not have to worry about pipes freezing.

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Originally Posted by fc321

EDIT: Actually wait, maybe my logic is flawed. Maybe I should not switch the air to "fresh air incoming" because since the air in the interior has already been cooled I should just keep recirculating that air, right?

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You are correct. Leaving it on recirculate will be better as you pulse and glide the A/C. Otherwise, you are pushing the already cooled air out of the car with the 'fresh hotter air'.

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Originally Posted by 01-7700

Skills: Cage fighting, computer chatting, making sweet moula

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Thanks for updating your signature.