in modern cars ac is less of a strain and seems like results in minor decrease in gas mileage when on vs off.. im toying with the idea of getting my ac up to speed in my 70 electra convertible. the blower is new and all else kaput.. this will be costly and so i wondered how much of a strain is it on a 70 car and how bad will the mileage suffer as a result. right now i average about 12 with city and highway on a trip. your input in this project is appreciated.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/windows_up_or_d_1.php http://news.carjunky.com/air-conditioning-versus-open-windows-abc477.shtml So the correct answer for windows down versus AC fuel consumption depends on the speed of the car.
