Should the car air conditioning AC be turned off every time?
2 Answers
The car air conditioning AC should be turned off every time, as this can reduce the vehicle's fuel consumption. Below is some extended information about gasoline: 1. Development Background: In the mid-19th century, people did not yet recognize the importance of gasoline, and kerosene for lighting was widely used at the time. Petroleum refining then relied on simple distillation processes to separate components with different boiling points from crude oil. Kerosene, with its higher boiling point, was safer for lighting and became the primary product of crude oil refining, while gasoline and other components were often burned as fuel. 2. Carcinogens: On October 27, 2017, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) preliminarily listed engine exhaust and gasoline as Group 2B carcinogens in its updated list of carcinogens.
As a regular commuter who drives to work every day, I habitually don't turn off the AC button in my car each time. In modern vehicles, the air conditioning is integrated into the engine system, and turning off the AC mainly controls whether the compressor operates, without immediately saving fuel. I've experimented with frequent switching and found the difference in fuel consumption to be negligible. A more practical approach is to turn off the AC a few minutes before parking, allowing the fan to blow away residual moisture to prevent mold and odors. When starting the car, pressing the AC directly cools the cabin faster, reducing waiting time. In hot urban commutes, keeping the AC on consistently actually enhances comfort. However, for long-term use, paying attention to regular replacement of the cabin air filter is more meaningful than obsessing over how often you turn the AC on and off. In short, don't over-worry about mechanical strain—maintaining routine upkeep keeps the system more durable.
