Air conditioning and MPG

[raymont]

Is the compressor switched on and off to achieve a selected temperature or is cold air blended with warm air?

If you select 20C in the car when it’s 5C outside you still get ‘conditioned’, i.e. dry, air so I assume the AC is engaged.

 

[markjay]

The advice of old was that driving with the windows up and aircon on is more economical than driving with the windows down and aircon off....

 

[Fizzer]

I never turn off the AC so when I calculate the fuel consumption, it is just an average consumption. TBH I've never tried disconnecting the power steering, inflating the tyres to 50 psi or taping up the gaps in the panels either.

 

[RobertoMercini]

this seems like such a silly thing to worry about. no offence but it just does, lifes to short to worry about AC and the 80p you may or may not save your self

lets be straight here a Mercedes is the last car you want to buy to save money... you should be looking at a yaris or similar seriously...

your time could be up tommorw and who wants to go out worrying about AC

Unsure as to who this is in response to but to go back to my OP, I'm not worried at all, I have ac on most of the time, it was merely a question due to my inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge...

 

[Merco]

I always have the a/c on in the Alfa although admittedly on a low-ish setting and am getting around 47mpg! That's on a 1.9jtdm. Impressive - I hope the MB will match up and am expecting far more TBH.

 

[crockers]

Mine is on all the time for two reasons.
1. Safety. I feel it is safer to drive a car when not too hot or too cold. It keeps one alert.
2. As said earlier, use it or lose it. The extra mpg cost pales into insignificance when compared to the cost of new seals, compressor etc if it's left turned off and dries out.

 

[SAFC]

Leave it on, it'll not make much difference to your pocket.