Car Question

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Well, that's that, then. Ironic, eh?

a/c is just a heat pump. You are pumping the heat out of the interior of the car, to a location in front of the radiator.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRoberts

a/c is just a heat pump. You are pumping the heat out of the interior of the car, to a location in front of the radiator.

Not only that, it's increasing the electrical load on the system which produces more heat, and the compressor get its power directly from the crankshaft, increasing the overall work the engine needs to do which also produces extra heat. All in all, a recipe for overheating in a car that's already prone to it.