Re: AC conversion

[John Bolhuis <bolhuijo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003, ONeill, William wrote:

> A bigger issue for me is, why do the compressors rob so much power
> from BMWs?  The drain is very noticeable, even on cars with big
> motors (e.g. E34 535i).  When I drive other vehicles with AC
> (e.g., a very underpowered Saab 900s, or my wifes Subaru 3.0L) the
> power drain is much less noticeable.

 Maybe it's just that user feedback is so much better on the BMW that
you notice little things like that.  My experience is the oppposite
though - my last car was an 85hp Saturn.  Great little car, but the AC
slowed that thing down something awful.  My 325 isn't nearly so bad.
 At least the Saturn could shut off the AC compressor at WOT, while my
BMW does not do that.  That makes an acceleration difference.
 The AC compressor should rob 5-10 hp from the crank if I remember
right.  It would likely cool your house very well.  It's a pretty tall
order for an AC system to cool an uninsulated greenhouse (your car)
from 120 degrees down to the 70s in a short time period!

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