Does Car Air Conditioning Temperature Affect Fuel Consumption?

[ONoah]

Whether the temperature setting of a car's air conditioning affects fuel consumption mainly depends on the type of air conditioning system in the vehicle. Using a fixed-displacement air conditioning system does not impact fuel consumption, whereas using a variable-displacement air conditioning system does. Here are the details: 1. Fixed-displacement air conditioning: Temperature settings do not affect fuel consumption. This type of air conditioning is typically found in manual transmission vehicles. Regardless of the fan speed or temperature setting, once the air conditioning is turned on, the compressor activates, but its output power remains constant, so fuel consumption stays largely unchanged. 2. Variable-displacement air conditioning: Temperature settings have a noticeable impact on fuel consumption. This type of air conditioning is usually installed in automatic transmission vehicles. It adjusts the compressor's output based on demand. The lower the temperature setting, the higher the compressor's output power, leading to increased fuel consumption.