How much really do accessories affect fuel consumption?

My Golf 4 2.0 had 10 hp less with heated seats on… 😂

If automatic it matters.

all the test should be done on different days the same time of day so that the engine temp is the same for each test

I'm using my air conditioning virtually all summer. Alabama is hot and humid in the summer and as far as I'm concerned, the AC doesn't use enough for me to roast in.

For fun, you guys could solder 3 wires into the alternator at the diode bridge, and run those 3 wires to another alternator (wired the same way) and see how much powerful an alternator is when it is used as a motor.
Ради интереса вы можете припаять три провода к генератору на диодном мосту и протянуть эти три провода к другому генератору (подключенному таким же образом) и посмотреть, насколько мощным становится генератор, когда он используется в качестве двигателя.

There was a show that ran an experiment on this some years ago, found that running ac is slightly more fuel efficient

Oh no! Garage 54 have run out of Ladas?? They've started on Hyundais..

I'd like to see the results with the engine running at road speed 2000rpm or whatever

You should also measure the RPM through OBD2 for each test. My Golf MK4 1.6 normally idles at 680. With A/C on it idles at about 800.

next experiment time use a permanent magnet alternator as charging system instead of the average electromagnetic wound coil alternator

This test is just on idle, 99% of people will be driving and using the AC, they should have used a dino between 30 - 70 mph to measure the real mpg

Can someone please pimp my car, Toyota corolla 1,3 GL 1983, please help me

My car doesn't have a alternator and still watching

Esse foi o teste mais legal que já vi

Incredible test

Drop in current = battery charging slower and alternator is supporting the electrical load

It is known that the AC should be utilized speeding higher then 50km/h as it’s then more economical then to just opening the window with its drag coefficient.

So what is the result?

Great video! I have told my kids so many times you are just sitting there idling and running all your accessories you are suck down a ton of gas and killing the battery! Thanks!

Radio of and indicators off and no wiper blade on

should've finished the test with all accessories off, just aircon on. I occasionally sleep in the car and it would've been helpful to know just how much fuel I'm burning every hour.

My car is so old that when I turn windows heating, the headlights dim in brightness, I always drive away without lights on, as it helps charge up battery before and keep it healthy

tx

there is stilll on last trick, the fuel consumption you get when you turn your windows down can be greater than when you turn your on the AC, this can be as a result of aerodynamics, excess drag will affect fuel consumption more than putting on your ac

Does this also meens car with a old and weak battery takes more fuel,

Extra load on the engine will always add to fuel consumption. But the practical arguement is whether you can save fuel by driving without using the AC by winding your glasses down instead. And the answer is, at low/city speeds, you can save some fuel with your glasses down and not using the AC. But at high way speed, the vehicle will consume more fuel if the glasses are down for the AC to stay off.

You can delete or bypass the air conditioning in most cars with a shorter serpentine belt .

cool experiment... at least we have some knowledge how much time consume 0.5L when idling with and without AC on.

Vlad in his killer retro shirt

im just dissapointed not to see the wipers on despite saying everything was on. what else could they have forgot? checklist ma men!

Muito bom, 😮😮😮

What is worse for fuel economy? Using AC in the summer heat at 34°C (cabin at 26-27°C) or using the heater (cabin set to 18-19°C) and seat heating during winter at 3°C? These are for both cases moderate values. For now, to my surprise, winter has more effect on fuel economy. (I always did the tests after the car reached operating temp.)
Is it as simple as just looking at the temp differences during the tests, so -7-8°C during summer whereas it was +15-16°C during winter?

Best way to check the load of AC on the engine is to measure RPM without AC ,rev it up to 3000 and put on the AC and see how many RPM drop .

If you want to check the current draw !! Turn off the car, run the accessories and then check the current, now you are actually checking the current draw from battery to accessories !!
What you did was the current drawn to charge the battery !!

How is it possible to measure DC with a clamp-on-meter?

Why not remove Background sound and voice over in english

I have a 4l l6 that at idle 14.4v, radio on 14.3v, ac and lights 13.7/13.9v drops about 50rpm until thermal fan turns on. This is in Australia at about 35c (Couldn't tell you what temp ac is set to as it just a blue bar that gets bigger but max cold XD) I personally just keep the windows down as my car has wind deflectors so mpg is pretty much the same

A/C is a double load the engine has to turn the A/C compressor and the alternator has to supply the power while keeping the battery topped off. It takes a lot of power to run the blower to move the air around in your car but the rest of the A/C electronics do not take much power at all so the load from the A/C compressor is what kills the gas mpg because most people have the blower on for heat if they are not using the A/C.

alternator delete = better fuel consumption

You guys know that Myth Busters did this ages ago?

You guys are the mythbuster of cars but on an even higher level.

The fact you guys are just normal dudes having fun doing experiments in your garage no high end equipment just your brains and teamwork. Really inspires many to pick up tools and do something 🔥

When everything is on, car battery gets less charge because it all goes to accessories, so that is why current dropped.

The amp clamp only senses load one way. It's DC so directional current. You put the clamp on the wrong direction. There's an arrow on the clamp.

You should be checking the Current /Amps on the + wire out of the alternator. Not any other wire

Idle: 674ml/h
Idle with lights: 759ml/h (+85ml/h)
Idle with everything on 1062ml/h (+388ml/h)
Idle with lights and AC: 1154ml/h (+488ml/h)
AC alone is +395ml/h
Very interesting.