Does idling with the AC on after starting the car have any impact?
2 Answers
Idling with the AC on after starting the car does have an impact. Running the AC while idling not only harms the vehicle, consumes more fuel, hurts your wallet, and affects your health, but also contributes to increased air pollution. Keeping the AC on for an entire day can easily lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. If you leave the AC on while parked, the engine operates only at idle speed, leading to incomplete combustion of gasoline. This incomplete combustion produces toxic substances such as carbon monoxide. If the car windows and doors remain tightly closed for an extended period under these conditions, exhaust fumes can enter the enclosed cabin. Once these fumes accumulate to a certain level, they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Precautions for using the car AC: After the car has been exposed to the sun, first turn on the external circulation to ventilate and dissipate heat. You can also open the windows and sunroof to speed up the cooling process. After 3-5 minutes, when the interior temperature has stabilized, close the windows, turn on the cooling system, and switch the AC to internal circulation. In cold weather, wait a moment after getting in the car until the engine reaches normal operating temperature. Then, turning on the heater with internal circulation can quickly raise the temperature.
Starting the car and only running the air conditioning without driving can indeed have some negative effects. The main issue is that the engine remains in an operational state, and running the AC adds extra load, leading to increased fuel consumption. For example, when I do this while waiting for someone, the fuel gauge drops noticeably faster. Prolonged idling with the AC on can also cause carbon buildup in the engine, affecting its performance over time. Another concern is battery drain—the AC compressor requires power, and idling provides low charging efficiency. If the battery is old, it may deplete more easily. For safety, I recommend not staying in this state for too long. If it exceeds half an hour, it's better to turn off the engine and take a break or simply get out and walk around to reduce unnecessary energy waste.
