Date:         Thu, 12 Sep 1996 14:13:39 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ERIC ZENO <emz@viper.nauticom.net>
Subject:      Re: Does air cond.=hp loss?


On Thu, 12 Sep 1996, Turner,Ronald L. wrote:

> The last few wasserboxer  vans that I've looked at, that had A/C, have had their
> compressor belts removed, and the owners all said the same thing - "It robs too
> much power off the engine."  Do the A/C systems in the wasserboxers really suck
> this much?  I'd never buy an air cooled van with A/C, but I thought the H2O vans
> could take it. Does it really put that much of a load on the engine? How long
> does it take to get reasonably cool inside once you turn it on?  How many of you
> out there have removed your compressor belts too ?  My '84 has the big factory
> sunroof but no A/C. The '87 I just bought had the A/C compressor belt removed. I
> wonder if I should just keep my '84 with it's "natural" air cond (sunrf) as I
> won't have to worry about a compressor dogging the engine. Or is the top hp of a
> 1.9 without A/C the same as a 2.1 with the A/C on full blast??
> 
> A/C would be nice, but I really don't want to kill the engine, and have the
> accelerating power of my '67 bus!  (ie.- reeaal slooowww...)
> 
> chris
        AC is the biggest load on an engine I know of. Some cars
        have a switch on the accelerator that will shut off the
        AC compressor when your foot is on the floor. I have a manual
        switch on mine. If I am going down hills I switch the AC On.
        Up hills I switch it off.

                                  Eric