Do cars get less Gas Mileage when you use the AC.?.

I have been accustomed to keeping track of my mileage since I started driving. It's kind of a compulsion. Anyway I noticed that during the really hot part of the summer when the a/c was hot pretty much constantly my mileage wasn't really all that much lower than if the windows were open. Sometimes to avoid using the a/c because it isn't as powerful as it could be I open up the sunroof and open the back windows. This allows the air to come into the car and circulate and then exit the bag and the noise isn't nearly so unbearable. Open windows create noise that I sometimes can't stand. Sorry this only works for people with a sunroof, moonroof, whatever the he77 they're calling it.

I'm not sure, I hope not.

yes..thats an obvious answer...when u use the a.c..gas consumption increases..hence lower mileage..

no, because i seen it on myth busters

Most of the cars now manufacturing are running by batteries to have air conditioning.So there wont be consumption of gas.

If you use the A/C in town, gas milage will be poor. Its better if you use it going higher speeds, because using open windows increases drag, causing the car to turn more RPMs to sustain speed. And more RPMs = more gas consumption.

My husband is a mechanic and he says there is some truth to this.

I think they get better gas mileage versus rolling down your window on the highway because of aerodynamics. At city speeds, you get worse.

The mileage does go down a bit, but it's not as effective as you might think to open the windows instead as this can make the car less aerodynamic and therefore have to work harder to get where it's going, and ultimately use more gas. One thing I've been trying lately is leaving the windows up, but taking the air off of AC and letting it just run vent air from outside. I live in South Alabama and so it's not option I can use for a lot of the year but right now it's quite pleasant.

I have see this on mythbusters. You actually increase gas mialeage. You decrees gas mialeage if you driuve withthe windows done.

yes it gives less mileage if you use AC ......

yes because the ac uses power

obviously

Yes it decreases gas mileage but as others said it decreases more when windows are down. Having the air on makes the engine work harder, thus using more gas

I agree with "Longview" up there, perhaps the most logical answer I've seen.

yes...

I have always heard that you get less gas mileage when you run your air conditioner.

yes..thats an obvious answer...when u use the a.c..gas consumption increases..hence lower mileage..

ac needs engine to provide some power to run its rotators.... so the consumption increases.. and resultant low migeage..

From what I have seen, ours definately gets less Gas mileage then. We luckily live in Seattle, so we do not have to use ours much here.