Does Using the Car's Heater Consume Fuel?

[RowanLee]

Normally, using the air conditioning for heating in winter has a negligible impact on fuel consumption. However, even so, you shouldn't use the heater too freely in winter. Turning on the heater when the engine coolant temperature is insufficient or during prolonged low-speed driving can cause the engine idle speed to become too high, which not only increases fuel consumption but also causes some damage to the engine. The heating function of the car's air conditioning operates on a different principle—the warm air is generated by the heat dissipated from the heater core. In this case, the car's air conditioning compressor does not work, and only the operating fan consumes a small amount of energy. Precautions for using the car's heater are as follows: 1. Working Principle: It's important to understand how the heater works. The heater doesn't require other equipment in the car to function; it simply recycles waste heat from the car, unlike the air conditioning, which requires the compressor to operate. 2. Air Circulation: Before turning on the heater, wait until the car has warmed up, meaning wait until the heating system starts circulating warm air inside the car. First, turn on the external air circulation for 5 minutes, then switch to internal circulation.