4 cases where you should turn off the air conditioner while driving to keep the engine durable and cool
(Baonghean.vn) - Many people think that air conditioning is just a convenience feature and does not affect the durability of the car too much. However, in reality, using the air conditioner incorrectly can affect the health of both you and the car. Below are 4 cases where you should turn off the car's air conditioner to avoid damaging the car.
1. Turn off the air conditioner before turning off the car engine.
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One of the most commonly heard advice is to turn off the car's air conditioner before turning off the engine, the reason is so that when starting the engine, the car does not have to "carry" the air conditioner, thereby reducing fuel consumption and battery power.
Turning off the air conditioner before stopping the car is not only good for the engine but also good for the health of the people in the car. Because turning off the air conditioner before turning off the engine, the air temperature in the car is closer to the outside temperature, helping you avoid thermal shock when opening the car door... It is best to turn off the air conditioner about 1-2 minutes before the end of the trip, and at the same time run the fan to dry the air vent, avoiding moisture accumulation, mold and odor.
2. Turn off the air conditioner before entering a flooded road.
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The second tip is to turn off the air conditioner before driving through a flooded road. The reason is because the air conditioner always has a ventilation fan to take in air from outside first. However, if the flooded section is too high, the ventilation fan will turn into a pump to suck water into the engine, and can even suck in trash, causing the engine to overload.
Besides, turning off the air conditioner also helps reduce the burden on the car that is struggling to resist the force of the water in the flooded area. You need to know that the car going through the flooded area has a lot of inertia and needs to run at high capacity.
3. Turn off the air conditioner when going uphill
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If your car is too old, the engine is weak, you should turn off the air conditioner before going uphill. The reason is to reduce the load on the car, because going uphill "consumes" a lot of energy from the car. It is important to note that you should not open the windows when going uphill, because many steep areas with fog will easily cause condensation on the glass when opening the door, leading to reduced visibility for the driver.
The procedure for turning off the air conditioner when going uphill is as follows: Put the car in D gear when going uphill. If the slope is 10% steep, put it in 2nd or L gear and turn off the air conditioner. If going downhill, put it in L or 2nd gear and turn on the AC. When braking, do not pad the brakes as this can cause overheating and rapid brake wear.
4. Turn off the air conditioner when the car is running out of gas
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When your car is about to run out of gas, you should reduce the load on anything possible, including the air conditioner. In fact, turning off the air conditioner also helps you avoid wasting gas... Note that when turning off the air conditioner, you should still keep the fan on to keep the air in the car fresh enough. Even if you press the clutch button to turn off the A/C pump, the car will still be cool for a few more minutes because the Freon pressure in the evaporator has not yet returned to balance.
For manual air conditioners, you should turn off the air conditioner in more cases, such as when climbing a steep slope, the engine is old and weak, the gas is dirty, the radiator cap is open, the air filter is too dirty and clogged...