2006-12-28 14:33:33 · 8 answers · asked by turtles_97 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
There are several Yahoo responses to your question, and a few allude to the correct answer without stating why. Your question already assumes that the engine/car is running, so that is a given. The heat generated from the engine is primarily dissipated by the engine oil and radiator coolant. The coolant, as James M states, is heated from the engine. This hot fluid is routed to a small radiation in the vehicle dashboard called a heater core. A fan blows through this core and that air is circulated through the passenger compartment. The fan is key: how fast or slow it runs is what 'burns gas'.
This is because the field strength of the alternator (A/C electric source for vehicle) is determined by the fan speed. With fan on low, the field strength is minimal, high speed is the opposite. The alternator pulley is turned by a belt connect to the crankshaft pulley. The 'harder' that alternator pulley is to turn, the more gasoline (energy) consumed. Air conditioning is similar in that a fan motor is required to blow through the evaporator core. In addtion, the A/C compressor is also required, which is again, turned by a belt connected to the crankshaft pulley. So the compressor and fan both drain the cars power. That is why A/C burns more gas than the car heater: it has two components that require energy.
This information is taught to all engineers in first year thermo-dynamics and physics. Pretty basic stuff.
Marc
2006-12-28 16:36:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes the heat from the heater is due to the engine running and so it is from the burning of gas. Does it burn more gas than running the car without the heater? No. Most of the energy of gasoline is wasted as heat. That wasted heat is very useful on a cold morning.
2006-12-28 14:43:17 · answer #2 · answered by taotemu 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only burns more gas when you use the defroster. The reason is that the windshield defroster is designed to run the A/C compressor at the same time. You don't leave you defroster on all the time just to get the frost off the glass then adjust the heat to floor or face or both, so that is why they did this, it just gives the compressor a chance to run once in a while in the winter so it doesn't seize up after sitting idle all winter long.
2006-12-28 18:16:02 · answer #3 · answered by wilbur_v2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heat is a by product of your engine running the hot water that is run through the cooling system just get rerouted through a small radiator that you now as the heater. if the engine is not running you are no longer producing heat. so yes to make heat you have to burn fuel.
2006-12-28 14:38:29 · answer #4 · answered by s_kuczynski 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. In order for the heater to operate you have to run the engine in order to heat the coolant that flows through the heater core.
2006-12-28 14:40:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it does. The " Heat" comes from the engine heating the coolant and circulating it thru the heater core and therefore you use gas to run the engine to achieve this.
2006-12-28 14:37:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How about a simple answer?
No, operating the heater does not put an additional burden on the engine as an A/C compressor would.
2006-12-28 16:53:36 · answer #7 · answered by samfrio 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and for the same reason as the a/c, but not nearly as much. Anything that puts a draw on your engine is going to (even if only slightly) reduce gas mileage.
2006-12-28 14:36:29 · answer #8 · answered by Adam's Dad 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋