As the summer heats up, many people turn on their air conditioners to keep cool. But for some drivers, this can cause their car’s power to suddenly drop. This is because when an air conditioner runs, it takes power away from other parts of your car like the engine and alternator. Here is a detail of why this happens and how you can avoid it.
Reasons why does my car lose power when I turn on the ac
In most cases, a car loses power when the air conditioning is turned on because of a change in outside temperature. In general, colder air requires more energy to make it warmer, which means that your car uses more power from its engine to cool down your interior and keep you comfortable by turning on the air conditioner.
When you first start up your car, it needs to work harder than normal — and that includes using extra fuel and electricity — just to get up and running. As soon as the engine has warmed up again (it only takes about 30 seconds), everything should go back to normal. The compressor engages as soon as you turn on the AC setting, so there’s no need for concern there either.
The reason why other cars can retain normal power during a hot summer day is that the outside air is much hotter than the inside of your car. The hotter the air, the less work it takes to cool it down.
How your vehicle differs from others has a lot to do with why your AC affects its performance. An older car’s engine might not be able to adapt fast enough to operate at different speeds without significantly reducing power levels in either the electrical or fuel systems. In fact, when you start up an older car, there isn’t much power going around because most of it goes toward turning over the engine — no surprise there!
How to Repair a Car If It Loses Power When You Turn on the AC
There are a few things you can do to help prevent your car from losing power when you’re using the AC. One option is to unplug unnecessary electronics in order to lower your load on the battery charger or just use them less often during hotter days if possible.
Another solution is to drive with windows down or open slightly so that hot air can escape more easily and decrease cooling needs inside the vehicle which will lessen the strain on your battery
In addition, manufacturers can help solve this dilemma is by using a smaller pulley on alternators. This allows for more RPMs, which in turn provides more resistance against the belt. This means that you can use air conditioning with less power loss because there’s enough speed to keep your electrical system functioning properly.
