Is not using your car’s air conditioning harmful to your car or not?

One of the best conveniences that our car can provide us is the comfort of going to and from the office without having to go through the humidity, high temperatures (especially during summer) and sun exposure that can totally ruin our clean office look. 

We may leave the house fresh and neat, but with all the commuting, traffic, waiting in line and not to mention ‘box-outing’ other people just to fit in the jeepney, bus or MRT, we would arrive in our offices looking the exact opposite of how we looked upon leaving the house.

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This is the everyday scenario of commuting in the Philippines, especially Metro Manila

Thanks to our car’s air conditioning system, we feel cool, relaxed, comfortable and fresh as we travel from home to work and vice versa. We’d arrive in the office as pretty and as neat as we were back home. Not only that, but it also preserves the energy that we should be using in the office.

Speaking of A/C, it’s not always summer in the Philippines – there will be times when the air just feels different, even in the city, and this happens during the ‘Ber’ months – the Christmas season. During this time, it could be raining, or just misty, but nevertheless, the air becomes colder than usual.

If we use our air-conditioned car going to work, we can arrive fresh and still full of energy

It’s also during this time that we feel we may not really need to use our car’s A/C anymore. The cool Christmas season usually lasts until early parts of January, so that’s practically four months. 

You are now thinking, if you won’t be using your car’s A/C for four months, what will happen? Would that be okay, or will it harm your car? Will it also help me save fuel (which is now pretty costly in the Philippines)? Let Philcarnews.com gives you the answers. 

I. Can You Drive Your Car Without Using the A/C?

This may be the first and foremost question – is it okay to drive your car without even turning the air conditioning on? The answer is yes – you can and it’s totally fine to drive your vehicle without using the air conditioner.

Yes,it is okay to drive your car without the aircon - but not always as it will also affect the cooling system negatively

The compressor that brings life to your car’s air conditioning system lives independently from the engine. So whether you use it or not, it doesn’t matter, your engine will run like it’s supposed to. Although it is advisable to not leave your air conditioning idle for too long, as it can also cause damage to the cooling system. 

If not used for a long time, it can cause your compressor seals and lines to dry up which can eventually lead to possible leaks that may cause your air conditioning to malfunction just in time when you need it the most.

II. Advantages of Using The Air Conditioning System Of Your Car

Same with the air conditioning system we have at home, except that this one’s the on-the-go type, using the car’s A/C can also bring good things, such as:

1. Prevents sickness brought about by heat

Yes, ‘Ber’ months in the Philippines may be cool, but for sure there will still be days when the sun will be out and shouting at us. During these days, despite the ironic cool breeze against the sun’s rays, use your air conditioning system to ensure that you are hydrated and prevent ailments that are results of heat or quite high temperatures.

Even during no-sun days, the weather can still be hot and sticky and can bring some uninvited diseases 

If you already feel nauseous because of the heat, don’t bother waiting for the cool breeze to land on your skin – just roll your car windows up and turn the A/C on. Anyway, you can still drive without it later in the day when the heat subsides.

2. It helps filters the air that goes into your vehicle

As we all know, the air in the city, especially the crowded ones are not really good to take in. Metro Manila, having a lot of vehicles, contains harmful air that when we breathe in, can cause colds, cough or even asthma and possibly other respiratory ailments. If we use our car’s A/C as it works hand in hand with the cabin filter, filters the air that goes to the cabin. It prevents pollen, dust, and other unwanted materials from going through the car’s A/C system, therefore providing us with cool, clean air.

If we use our car’s air conditioning system, especially when we’re driving along vehicle crowded streets, it will keep our health in good condition.

3. Air conditioning can also help keep allergies at bay

Through the car’s air conditioning system, we are not forced to face harmful elements outside the vehicle that sometimes causes allergies to us in different forms.

>>> Read more: How to use your car air conditioning properly to save fuel?

Not using the air conditioning system means you have to open your car windows and invite allergens inside the vehicle

4. It will prolong your compressor’s life

Using your car’s air conditioning system properly can help preserve your compressor’s health – the chances of it drying up is very minimal because the air inside it circulates properly. Regular use of your car’s a/c helps also maintain its functionality.

III. When Is It Okay to Not Use Your Car’s A/C?

There are also a few circumstances when you can just drive without using your car’s A/C:

1. If you are going uphill and your engine is having a hard time

Ascending a hilly road puts tremendous stress on your car’s engine. If you keep your air conditioning on, while you traverse a steep hill, you’re putting double stress on your engine which may cause it to fail and leave you in an awkward slope.

Turn off your car's A/C when driving uphill to lessen engine stress

To help your engine get to the top, turn your car’s A/C off to alleviate the stress on the engine.

2. When you’re about to go through a flooded street

Turning off your car’s A/C when you’re about to drive through a flooded street helps to prevent damages on the fan in the engine compartment brought about by flood water.

Driving in the flood also puts stress on your car's engine, therefore turning the A/C off would be an ideal thing to do

3. When you’re very low on fuel

When you forget to fill up your tank and you are too low on fuel and just needs a little bit of push before you reach the gasoline station, it is advisable to turn off you’re A/C.

Turning your car's A/C off when your fuel is very low can help you get to the nearest gas station safely

Without your car’s A/C on, there’s less stress on the engine, therefore, less fuel consumption which will enable you to reach the gas station before you consume whatever amount of fuel left on your car.

>>> Click here to get more useful tips and advice for your car maintenance