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Old 07-23-2006, 06:51 PM   #1
04_wagon
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Default ac = less power?

i live in seattle and it finally got above 90 so i said why not use the ac since im in the city and cant get enough air blowing from speed with the windows down. so i turn on my ac and from a stop and under heavier acceleration i noticed i lost power, turned the ac off and it was back to normal. tried turning it on again and it was the same thing. is this common? never noticed it in other cars. other gears are ok just the pull in first is gone.
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Old 07-23-2006, 06:52 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 04_wagon
i live in seattle and it finally got above 90 so i said why not use the ac since im in the city and cant get enough air blowing from speed with the windows down. so i turn on my ac and from a stop and under heavier acceleration i noticed i lost power, turned the ac off and it was back to normal. tried turning it on again and it was the same thing. is this common? never noticed it in other cars. other gears are ok just the pull in first is gone.
yes its common.. A/C uses quite a bit of power
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Old 07-23-2006, 06:53 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 04_wagon
i live in seattle and it finally got above 90 so i said why not use the ac since im in the city and cant get enough air blowing from speed with the windows down. so i turn on my ac and from a stop and under heavier acceleration i noticed i lost power, turned the ac off and it was back to normal. tried turning it on again and it was the same thing. is this common? never noticed it in other cars. other gears are ok just the pull in first is gone.
extremely common in all cars, especially 4 cylinders, be happy there's a turbo there in a normally aspirated 2.0 4 cylinder you'd REALLY feel it. You don't have a thing to worry about.
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:55 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 575rider
extremely common in all cars, especially 4 cylinders, be happy there's a turbo there in a normally aspirated 2.0 4 cylinder you'd REALLY feel it. You don't have a thing to worry about.
I'm driving an '06 2.5i and there isn't much of a difference.
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Old 07-24-2006, 11:25 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ElementalFiend
I'm driving an '06 2.5i and there isn't much of a difference.
I have a 2.5i too and I dont notice much of a difference. My friend's Mini Cooper S has a huge difference starting from stop with AC or without. Could NA vs FI make a difference?
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:31 PM   #6
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ok just threw me off cause in my moms 3.2 tl type s i dont feel any power loss so just kinda scared me. thanks
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:36 PM   #7
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...8:1 4 cylinder in 3200 pound car + AC = dog in traffic
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:36 PM   #8
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huh?

under WOT the AC shuts off....

i have AC in my race car, and run with it on each and every race.

*shrug*

to each their own i guess but i have not noticed any power loss.

Jamie
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:37 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subie Gal
huh?

under WOT the AC shuts off....

i have AC in my race car, and run with it on each and every race.

*shrug*

to each their own i guess but i have not noticed any power loss.

Jamie

Exactly.

It's not the AC being on, it's the 90+ degree weather
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:47 PM   #10
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That's true also, the car doesn't like the thin, hot air.
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Old 07-25-2006, 05:46 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by AWD>FWD
That's true also, the car doesn't like the thin, hot air.
Actually cold air is thinner.
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Old 07-25-2006, 05:48 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Samirr76
Actually cold air is thinner.
re-evaluate this statement and try again
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:09 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hondaslayer
Exactly.

It's not the AC being on, it's the 90+ degree weather
even when i was parked after cooling the intercooler off with ice and leaving the hood open?
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:11 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 04_wagon
even when i was parked after cooling the intercooler off with ice and leaving the hood open?
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:14 PM   #15
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Yeah, I'm aware the car is designed for the A/C to shut off when wide open but at half throttle or less it is more doggish with it on, there is power loss.
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:55 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 04_wagon
even when i was parked after cooling the intercooler off with ice and leaving the hood open?
That can help reduce heat soak, which will help you with thermodynamic efficiency of the engine because you cool the air down after it gets compressed. However, the higher heat outside still means you'll have lower density air coming in, translating to fewer air molecules, even when you put it through the compressor. Less air molecules = less power.
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:57 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subie Gal
huh?

under WOT the AC shuts off....

i have AC in my race car, and run with it on each and every race.

*shrug*

to each their own i guess but i have not noticed any power loss.

Jamie
Its because you have like 1000 hp in that car. So when you turn on the AC you dont notice the 10+ hp loss . I feel thew loss in my car Must be the Florida weather
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:14 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikalsWRX
Its because you have like 1000 hp in that car. So when you turn on the AC you dont notice the 10+ hp loss . I feel thew loss in my car Must be the Florida weather

what a load of crap

my car dyno's at 205hp at the WHEELS
my car is GT aka STOCK class

and those of you who say AC kills power, dont know much about the Subaru AC system....

Jamie
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Old 07-23-2006, 08:21 PM   #19
04_wagon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subie Gal
what a load of crap

my car dyno's at 205hp at the WHEELS
my car is GT aka STOCK class

and those of you who say AC kills power, dont know much about the Subaru AC system....

Jamie
im kinda....well really clueless so can you tell me or point me to where i can find out about it? puhhhleaasee
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Old 07-23-2006, 10:16 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subie Gal
what a load of crap

my car dyno's at 205hp at the WHEELS
my car is GT aka STOCK class

and those of you who say AC kills power, dont know much about the Subaru AC system....

Jamie
It kills a lot of power in part-throttle driving. I also thought it was RPM dependent too. So WOT at 2k wouldn't shut it off...

Could be wrong...in daily driving though, its a huge difference...actually have to shift faster the revs fall off so quick....

Sometimes I even make the joke with the A/C on, youu have to Double clutch your upshifts...
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Old 07-24-2006, 11:52 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REX8
its a huge difference...actually have to shift faster the revs fall off so quick....

+1.......


.......I can't stand driving with my AC on. Tust me, with temps hitting tripple digits on a daily basis, and humidity levels way over eleventy billion %, I would be using it if there was no difference.

Last edited by licwyd7755; 07-24-2006 at 11:58 AM.
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Old 07-23-2006, 11:39 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subie Gal
what a load of crap

my car dyno's at 205hp at the WHEELS
my car is GT aka STOCK class

and those of you who say AC kills power, dont know much about the Subaru AC system....

Jamie
that's true... I always laugh when people turned their AC off when their pushing the car... LOL...
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Old 07-23-2006, 11:48 PM   #23
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Consumer Reports independently confirmed the same thing as Mythbusters. Windows down is better for gas mileage than using AC
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Old 07-24-2006, 12:10 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subie Gal
huh?

under WOT the AC shuts off....

i have AC in my race car, and run with it on each and every race.

*shrug*

to each their own i guess but i have not noticed any power loss.

Jamie
It does shut off at WOT, but evertime I change gears it clicks back on and the revs drop too quickly and it makes the revs too low for the next gear unless I really force the shifter into the gate. What about if you are at part throttle in a race, it definitely makes the throttle more dull and not as responsive? I guuess you've just gotten used to it, or it doesn't make as big a difference on the dirt.
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Old 07-27-2006, 07:38 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theicewall
evertime I change gears it clicks back on and the revs drop too quickly and it makes the revs too low for the next gear unless I really force the shifter into the gate.
Cool, I thought I was the only one who noticed this.
Outside of the slugishness, my driving becomes a lot less smooth with the AC on.
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