Is it okay to keep the car air conditioning on for a long time without moving?
1 Answers
It is possible to keep the car air conditioning on for a long time without moving. However, for older cars with mechanical fans driven by the engine crankshaft, prolonged idling with the air conditioning on can lead to insufficient engine cooling due to slower fan rotation at idle speeds, potentially causing the engine to overheat. Below are the impacts of idling with the air conditioning on: 1. Keeping the air conditioning on while the car is stationary forces the engine to operate at idle speed, leading to incomplete combustion of gasoline, which produces toxic substances like carbon monoxide. 2. Occupants exhale a significant amount of carbon dioxide, and in hot summer weather, the oxygen consumption inside the vehicle is higher than in other seasons. As oxygen levels decrease in the enclosed space, occupants may experience dizziness, nausea, weakness, and other symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning over time. 3. When idling with the air conditioning on, the engine not only powers the air conditioning compressor but also maintains the operation of the power steering and brake booster pumps. These latter two functions are unnecessary when the car is stationary, resulting in wasted energy.