Quick Answer: How much HP does a car AC use?

In general cruising in a car at 70mph takes about 10 horsepower. Automotive air conditioning users about 1 horse. You’ve increased motor load by 10%. So your full economy will drop about 10%.

How much HP does a car AC compressor use?

It has long been stated that, depending upon the size of the vehicle, 5 to 10 HP are required to drive the A/C compressor. With this said, newer designed compressors are more likely to be a bit more efficient, as are some of the newer refrigerants, ( some are not !!! ).

How much does AC affect horsepower?

RAY: Yes it does, and no you won’t. It does provide a power boost, and it does not harm the car. Your wife is going to hate us for saying this, Scott, but you’re absolutely, 100 percent right.

Do you lose HP with AC on?

Your car’s AC system is powered by the engine

When the AC system kicks on, you might notice that the engine RPM increases a little. According to Your Mechanic, the car does this in order to offset the power drawn by the AC system, so there’s no doubt that the system robs your engine of horsepower when it’s activated.

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How much HP does AC drain?

In general cruising in a car at 70mph takes about 10 horsepower. Automotive air conditioning users about 1 horse. You’ve increased motor load by 10%. So your full economy will drop about 10%.

Does AC take power from engine?

The HVAC system is an important accessory, and helps you stay cool in the car when it gets hot outside. However, the AC is powered by your engine – the serpentine belt that runs your alternator, water pump, power steering pump and other accessories also turns the pulley for the AC compressor/clutch.

Do cars lose power with AC on?

It’s pretty common for low to mid range cars lose about of power when AC is turned on. In very Simple terms : It’s consuming some extra power which puts a little extra load on engine , so the engine has to shift some power to AC compressor and hence compensates with power to drive.

Does turning off your AC make your car go faster?

It will not make much of a difference. In other words, the difference will be negligible in terms of making your car go ‘faster’. When you switch off the AC, the major unit which consumes power (The Compressor) is switched off. This can just translate to saving fuel if you can regularly avoid running the AC.

How much does AC affect acceleration?

Also, your ride slows down because your AC causes your RPM to drop, which hurts your acceleration (you want higher revs when you attempt to speed up). You can even test this one out yourself if you have a manual transmission or a manual mode in your specific model.

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Does a serpentine belt add horsepower?

The aftermarket world has addressed the fact that stock belt systems are just plain ugly and need to be modified to look good. Some of the benefits besides the “cool factor” are that you gain a 10 to 15-percent increase in horsepower.