Japanese prefer to die from heat (rather) than turn air conditioning on

Pravda ^ | 08/28/2013 | Pravda

[Verginius Rufus]

Twenty below Canadian is just four below American.

[TexGrill]

My Korean ex-wife also claimed that a fan with the windows closed would cause cancer.

[GeorgeWashingtonsGhost]

I never fight here at FR, but I'm ready to go down swinging on this one.. No one can tell me that heavy A/C use does not shorten an engine's survival. Horsepower is degraded when A/C is on because A/C is a 'drag' on the engine. An engine has to work harder when A/C is on, versus when it's not in use. TRY IT YOURSELF, from a dead stop with A/C on, versus A/C off. You can't tell me that A/C isn't a drag on an engine. I'll get back to you when I hit the 300,000 mile mark on my 1.8T engine. I DO use A/C, but very very sparingly.. /snicker spit.

Don't EVER race with your A/C on! You might as well throw your white hanky out the window! You here at FR are all my brothers, but go ahead.. Try and 'dog house' me on this one.

[nascarnation]

It’s all a matter of degree. These days most engines run 200,000 miles plus and I’d bet most of the ones in the sunbelt and the southwest have the A/C on all the time six months of the year.

Is there any evidence engines in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi fail quicker than the ones in Maine and Vermont?

[GeorgeWashingtonsGhost]

Good question.. Do a lot of engine blocks crack under harsh weather conditions or temperature extremes? I would think cold climate engine starts is brutal on a motor, too. I’m gonna try to get 300,000 out of my current motor (1.8T). I baby it like a kid and run fully synthetic motor oil. LOL

[steve86]

No one can tell me that heavy A/C use does not shorten an engine's survival.

What, by 30 miles out of 300,000? (on an otherwise well-cared for powerplant).

Horsepower is degraded when A/C is on because A/C is a 'drag' on the engine.

Yes, the compressor use 5-6 hp peak on a small 4, which I have.

TRY IT YOURSELF, from a dead stop with A/C on, versus A/C off.

Yes, I can feel the difference in acceleration on this four cylinder vehicle. But very little. A passenger would have a hard time detecting the difference if they couldn't see me hitting the switch.

Don't EVER race with your A/C on!

On most vehicles a solenoid or switch disables the compressor at full throttle, for passing, etc.

Don't take it so personally and have a great weekend!

[FeliciaCat]

I ADORE air conditioning. and room service. and valet parking.

heaven.
:)

[steve86]

I would think cold climate engine starts is brutal on a motor, too.

100% correct especially if the oil film has run off metal to metal mating surfaces in the interval since the engine was last run.

This is where some synthetics come in really handy, and, even more so, a block heater.

I see you have discovered the synthetics.

[nascarnation]

Cold starts causing durability problems used to be an issue in the days of 30W oil and carburetors. Slow oil flow and lots of extra gas in the cylinder from chokes.

Now with 5W and 0W oils and computer control, those issues are resolved.

As for running the AC, in Vegas they buy used cop cars with 100,000 miles and run them as cabs to 400,000. You can bet the a/c is on all the time there in the summer.

[CodeToad]

I have a 400hp engine and 1.3hp compressor. Don’t think I’d notice it much.

[steve86]

lots of extra gas in the cylinder from chokes.

I agree that was a factor and has been (mostly) obviated with later permutations of FI. Still a problem on my two-stroke dirt bikes which routinely flood or foul the plug on cold weather starting even though the mixture has to be richer to fire with the dense air. But then they've got lubrication all over the place at 40:1.

We also use to cause a lot of problems by spraying too much ether in the carb throats.

[GeorgeWashingtonsGhost]

Synthetics are expensive! BUT you can run it much longer plus minus 6k-10k mi. between oil change if you want to. Looks pretty clean at that!