The closer summer gets, the sweatier I get. If the air conditioner in your car is non-functional, then you have a problem. Head to an Car AC Repair Bradenton shop and get it checked out. If you don’t the heat will have you considering going to find a used car dealer Tampa for something that will blow cold air. You will be willing to try anything because it is going to be hot this summer, but we aren’t about to talk about global warming.
It’s a pretty well known fact that if you are constantly blasting your air conditioning you will cause your car to do a proverbial keg-stand on it’s own gas tank – even if you are driving something smart and fuel efficient. If you really are willing to try anything to save yourself some gas money then these 3 tips will help your air conditioner save you gas money.
3. Don’t blast the AC: I know it’s hard. In southern Georgia we regularly get temperatures in the 100s with high humidity during the summer. Fan speed of your AC system does not affect your MPG, but your air conditioning can reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy by 10 percent. Get the air cool with the AC then use the recycle inside air. Your car won’t work as hard to keep the climate comfortable.
2. Park in the shade: The cooler you can keep your car while it is parked the less work it will have to do to cool down. If you can’t park in the garage or in the shade somewhere get a windshield shade. They are inexpensive and you can get a unique one. Eventually it will pay for itself.
1. Roll down the window:
At speeds under 40 miles per hour, like stop and go traffic in town and whatnot, having the window down versus having the AC on will save you gas. As you increase speeds up over 45 miles per hour the drag due to your windows being open will be more detrimental to your fuel economy than running the AC.
Think of it this way:
Driving in town, 0-40 MPH: AC off and windows down = more $$$
Driving on the open road, 40-40+ MPH: AC on and windows up = more $$$
If this still isn’t doing enough to save you some serious gas money then maybe it’s time for you to take a look at the Chevrolet Spark. It’s an electric car that can switch over to gas when it’s battery runs out. You can get pretty far on the electric motor though.
