Will Leaving the Car Air Conditioner on Overnight Damage the Engine?
1 Answers
Leaving the car air conditioner on with the engine running overnight can cause damage to the vehicle, but doing so occasionally once or twice is not a problem. Below are the hazards of running the car air conditioner for an extended period: 1. The air inside the car can become polluted: If the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, it can easily lead to carbon monoxide poisoning inside the car. Every summer, there are cases of poisoning due to sleeping in a car with the air conditioner on. Even without poisoning, idling the engine with the air conditioner on for several hours can make the air inside the car very unhealthy, affecting physical health. 2. It puts significant pressure on the cooling system: Since the air conditioning compressor has a high power output, it places a substantial load on the car. For vehicles with smaller engine displacements, the power noticeably decreases immediately after turning on the air conditioner. A higher engine load requires a richer air-fuel mixture to generate more power. If there are any slight issues with the cooling system, it can lead to higher water temperatures, adversely affecting the engine. Additionally, a richer air-fuel mixture results in incomplete combustion of gasoline, leading to increased carbon deposits over time.
