Is it true that you save more gas by turning on the ac then rolling your windows down.?

Answer 1

well, AC uses energy made by gas, and windows give u more drag. so i dunno. the best way to save gas would be to not use either, closed windows and no AC :D

Answer 2

If the weather was truly swelteringly hot even when the windows are down, who in their right minds would not turn the AC on?
On the hand , if it was not that hot and there is a cool breeze outside, would you roll down the windows instead of just turning on the AC?
Yes if I was having a leisurely drive at 20 to 30MPH. If I was doing 70 or 80 on the freeway, it is absolutely nutso to have you windows down. Aerodynamically , you create mega drag,. Bugs and water spray and dust and pollen come in through the windows.
Saving gas by closing window? YES. and dont forget saving yourself from stress and aggravation.

Answer 3

No this is not trust. In fact it is actually the other way around. If you turn on the A/C it uses up more fuel then it would if you were to the put the windows down. I dont know if you ever want the discovery channel or not but they actually have a show called the Myth Busters and I do an experiment to find out if this was true or not and this is the results that they got. So if you dont mind the heat and want to save money put your windows down : )

Answer 4

The faster you go - the higher the drag caused by open windows. The drag from the AC is fairly constant. Where the line is for which is more efficient varies from car to car.

My advice - if you are comfortable with the windows down - keep the AC off and roll them down, if not...you know the rest. The difference in cost isn't enough to justify being uncomfortable.

Answer 5

no you use more gas by turning on the ac then rolling down your windows.

It was done on mythbusters.

They did 5 gallons of gas drove on a track, one with the ac on and one with the windows down, the one with the ac on went out first.

Answer 6

Absolutely not! The A/C has nothing to do with gas mileage, and neither does rolling the window up or down.

Answer 7

No. Using the AC in your car uses more gas then rolling the windows down. You can roll your windows down even when your car isn't on (it goes off the battery, not gas.)

Answer 8

Myth busters proved that when going 55 or below rolling down the windows is better, above, the AC is.

Answer 9

I read somewhere that it doesnt really make a difference. I used to think that also, cause my mom would say to turn off the ac if low on gas, but after reading that article lol I just leave it on and hope to get to the gas station soon.

Answer 10

absolutely not. it does not take gas to power your windows. it uses much more gas to have your A/C pumping out at full blast throughout a hot 90 degree car to attempt cooling it down. A/C does not use that much gas in relations to overall automobile consumption. I wouldnt be scared to use air conditioning but only use it when necessary and see the difference in your fuel usage.

Answer 11

It really depends on the vehicle, but it is often true. When you open the car windows you increase the drag coefficient which, in turn, reduces your fuel economy. For most newer vehicles, running the A/C with the windows closed uses less fuel than wrecking the aerodynamics by opening the windows.