Just wondering how power is lost when your AC is running? Seems like I lose a lot, and also it whines alot, sounds like a Supercharger.

 

ur ac is run by a pulley belt that powers the ac compressor. so teh difference is the load of the compressor runnin and not running.

 

it loses power b/c the compressor on the AC system is run off of your engine...so it takes power from your engine to turn the pulley to power the AC.

 

I wonder if someone who had nothing better to do has actually done a dyno run with both the A/C on and off... would be interesting to find out, just for the hell of it Anybody have access to a dyno?

 

If someone tries this, they should also try it with the belt actually disconnected. Once in awhile there's a thread about removing the AC belt. I always figured the belt has hardly any drag when the compressor's not clutched in, but this would prove it.