No A/C = More BHP?

[Guest]

My air con has never worked, which Im not fussed about, but at a recent service I was told that the belt that drives the aircon is showing wear and that if it should break it could cause further damage to other area's.... so I've had them take it off altogether.

Now I don't want to get excited, because it sounds too good to be true, but I've been told that taking the aircon belt off can raise the bhp by up to 10%.

Is this bollocks?

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Well - there's no way it's going to RAISE the power although it might reduce the amount absorbed by driving the compressor. Even so, that would only be saved compared to when the compressor was engaged - and that was probably never in your case. Admitted, driving the free clutch must absorb SOME power but I doubt anybody would be able to detect a difference.

I doubt that the 10% figure is anything like close. I might be convinced it was nearer 1 or 2%.

Regards

Dave

 

[Guest]

Yeh, thought as much... pub talk again.

 

[smallspeed]

the air con system might use 10% if it were switched on and running; I know the air con on the previous shape range-rover had a parasitic load of 40bhp when it was running flat-out, however if its switched off this drops to next to nothing. Removing the system would save a bit of weight though which could give you some benefits, and reducing rotating masses on the engine give's benefits to engine response.. I dont have much knowledge of the 964 air con system, but for example removing a double pulley designed to drive air-con and alternator and replacing it with a single pulley designed just for the alternator would improve throttle response, although absolute power is unlikely to be effected much

 

[polar964]

Coitino,
I don't have a/c on my '93 964. However i do on my daily (family) car a SEAT Alhambra a 1.8 turbo the same engine as fitted in the audi and vw. When the a/c is running there is a definite drain on power. Crusing is fine, but accelerating, there's not the same power as when it is not on. For it to be noticable you are probably right, it may well be 10%. I know it's not a Porsche or for that matter a 964 and all cars act differently, but from my experience with the a/c ON there is a definite drop in power.
Paul

 

[Mark Elder]

If your air-con was using 10% of the power of your flat-6 you'd need a beefy chain to drive it, not a couple of weedy belts. They'd easily snap if subjected to a few ponies.