Does Using Air Conditioning in Winter Increase Fuel Consumption?
1 Answers
Using air conditioning in winter does not increase fuel consumption. In winter, the air conditioning system simply blows the engine's coolant temperature into the cabin via a fan. Even if there is a load, it's only the power consumption of the fan, which does not significantly affect the vehicle's overall fuel consumption. Therefore, there's no need to worry about increased fuel usage. However, when using the heater in winter, it's important not to turn it on immediately after starting the car. The heater relies on the engine's coolant temperature. When the engine is just started, the coolant temperature is still low. Turning on the heater at this point will only blow cold air into the cabin and may increase the engine's workload, delaying the rise in coolant temperature. It's best to wait until the coolant temperature reaches 60 to 80 degrees Celsius before turning on the heater.