Hello guys,
Pls i've been hearing that it's not wise to use ur car A/C all the time for the reason that it wears off ur car engine quickly.

Can someone pls help out here by explaining how that works. Also, is there any legit reason for me not to use my car A/C all the time?

Abeg o!!!!

This is another example of those unfounded Naija myths. Using you car’s A/C is no worse or different from carry an extra passenger or driving up hill!. Air-conditioners are an integral part of an intelligent automobile design.  Automobile A/C’s make use of a compressor which is driven by the engine using a belted pulley, to compress special gas (Freon) which is then cooled by decompressing it. The compressor is an auxiliary component of the engine, but so is the alternator, the water pump and the power steering pump! Yet, no one in their right mind, will dare tell you to run your vehicle without those other components.

Interestingly, as far as an automobile engine is concerned, all auxiliary components are the same – they all put load on the engine and demand power!. Today’s Automobile engines produce a lot more power and the A/C compressors are a lot more efficient, demanding less than 1%-to-2% of the total power output. All engines are designed to handle the extra load of auxiliary components along with delivering power for propulsion. Although the extra load of A/C, driving up hill or even an extra passenger may reduce your gas economy, they are hardly responsible for engine wear!. Ultimately, engine wear is the outcome of only one thing – thousands of miles of Use!. Only one thing will make your engine wear faster – poor maintenance and infrequent oil change!

The A/C in my car chops more fuel when in use.

@Midas02
Thanks for ur in depth analysis, i don tire o!!!! Peeps always halla-ing about a/c or no a/c.

I hope other auto ninjas like viperman, ivvie and the crew would contribute to this.

A few points more on this :

Most AC compressors drain up 5w of engine power.
Most naija ACs do not work with the engine vacuum raiser to increase engine speed when the AC is put on. The vacuum lines are either blocked or even disconnected by error. This happens even with factory AC cars
As soon as the AC is put on, the engine rpm drops, this should not happen. This actually causes engine wear.
Most of the non factory AC fixed locally actually cause engine wear.
For a normal working( factory)AC, city driving will consume more fuel than highway driving.
For a  non factory wrongly installed  AC, city driving will also consume more fuel than highway driving and impact more negatively on a car engine, cause overheating and engine wear

I am impressed. Boys are really informed.
I think the koko is if your a\c is factory installed , you really dont have much to worry about.
Where the issue of engine wearing comes up is with import cars that dont come with a\cs and the buyer goes to a local technician wanting the a\c to get cooler than that of an EOD. the guy simply puts in a compressor that takes too much power from the already beat down engine, leading to the wear in question.
If you buy a solid car with good mileage, you have nothing to worry about, except economy ofcourse!

"I am impressed. Boys are really informed"

I totally agree . Lots of info here. Thanks .

For more information. Opening down your car windows while driving consumes more fuel than using a factory fitted ac. Google it. I was taught that from my driving school in Europe.

lintaluv: For more information. Opening down your car windows while driving consumes more fuel than using a factory fitted ac. Google it. I was taught that from my driving school in Europe.

Absolutely right!
You gain nothing by winding down your screens instead of using your factory fitted ACs.
One of my cars has been 5 years in Nigeria with the AC constantly on whenever in use, If you see the interior it still has the exact 'toks' looks it came with, and the engine has never been opened before!

Imagine if it was been used without AC all these while, the dash and interior components would have been weather beaten by this our harsh environment.

I think the size of the engine and power produced ultimately determines how fast the engine of a car would wear. Though the maintenance culture of the owner also plays a large role. In essence if you drive a car that uses a V6 you shouldn't be bothered about how using A/C will wear your engine as someone that uses an I4 engine that produces less than 130HP.

old model av D's issue of wen da ac is on it drag da engine e.g primera 95 and my pathfinder 03 Neva but more fuel is used

It adds load to the engine as long as it is connected to the belt drive off the engines drive pulley system.. Any load on the engine is wear to the engine.. But as some one said, if you are not concerned about carrying the load of another passenger or load in the back, then you should not worry..
Just turning off the AC to save money from petrol, then you go and eat extra good food with that saved money and then add some fat to your body, the extra weight will add load back to the engine when you enter the car .. Using high quality synthetic engine oil can take wear off the engine and save petrol cost and make for easier AC load on the car... Just be sure the AC system is according to the Manufacturers specifications if you want to be efficient with it.. If you don't really care for AC, then by all means remove the compressor with account for the gap in the belt tension on the pulleys.. Maybe require a new size belt or adjustment of the pulleys if the compressor comes out with its' pulley attached..
Another thing is to be sure the drive belts are well tensioned (not so much or so little) and pulleys rotate with minimal resistance, that will take load off the engine.. Brake calipers can tighten the resting grip to put load on the wheels and require more engine work to go forward.. The tires also put load, get efficient tires.... Many things can add up to take load off the engine..

lintaluv: For more information. Opening down your car windows while driving consumes more fuel than using a factory fitted ac. Google it. I was taught that from my driving school in Europe.

Only on the highway.

my question goes like this, I have a Nissan primera without factory A.C, so I fixed a direct Belgium engine(complete), the engine came with a compressor, but my car originally didn't come with factory A.C. so I want to fix the A.C components, because the car has space for fixing an A.C. Will it have effect on the engine, I don't think it will since the engine is built to work with A.C unlike the engine I removed that didn't come with A.C. Please I need the input of the house. thanks

sokr8:
my question goes like this, I have a Nissan primera without factory A.C, so I fixed a direct Belgium engine(complete), the engine came with a compressor, but my car originally didn't come with factory A.C. so I want to fix the A.C components, because the car has space for fixing an A.C. Will it have effect on the engine, I don't think it will since the engine is built to work with A.C unlike the engine I removed that didn't come with A.C. Please I need the input of the house. thanks

It will work since it came with the engine.

lakefist:

It will work since it came with the engine.

If your car doesn't come with factory AC then that means the ecu won't sense any external AC and thus unable to make the necessary adjustment to accommodate the extra load impose by the compressor on the engine anytime the ac on .
Negative effect
1.Bad fuel mileage
2.vibration and jerking at idle
3.Premature engine wear and tear.

nothing weres your car engine more than using the wrong engine oil spec