A/c shut off

[Wytchdctr]

I was getting onto the highway the other day in my wife's car and had to give it some gas to keep from being run over. Once up on the highway I noticed the a/c was not blowing cold for a few secs then it came back. I punched it again to see if it did it again. Once again it blew warm for a sec or two then came back. I dont hear a belt going nuts so I am assuming its shutting off the compressor at WOT to make more power. If not maybe I should have that looked at.. hmmm

[TheMAN]

yes, that's what it's doing

[jandree22]

Are you serious? That's actually a really awesome feature! AC compressor power sapping is only usually noticable when you're gunning it anyways.

[Wytchdctr]

I was 99.9% sure thats what was up. Just kinda cool that mazda thought about its "performance" minded customers enough to put a kill switch on the a/c when you go WOT. (ughdance)

[Wuster]

I had an old Dodge company car that did that too. The a/c would shut off when climbing hills. Kinda of a cool feature since the car only had about 100 hp max and a three speed automatic. But the bummer part was I worked in southwestern PA and northern WV, so the a/c only ran when I was coming down the hills/mountains...

[X10James]

yup, it definitely doesn't this on purpose. I've noticed it several times, most recently yesterday while making a fast merge on the highway, if you floor it the AC shuts off for a few moments.

[monsta]

FWIW, most modern cars/trucks do that.

[Benfolio]

FWIW, most modern cars/trucks do that.

Yeah, so having your A/C on is no longer a valid excuse for losing a race. :D

[jandree22]

Yeah, so having your A/C on is no longer a valid excuse for losing a race. :D
Anything with sliding doors shouldn't be racing anyways (lol2)

[monsta]

Ya know...I don't think it happens if you gradually get up to max speed. The feature is more to save the compressor rather than give the driver a power boost. Sudden increases in pulley speed like going to WOT (which induces downshifts) from 40mph can wear the pulley out and decrease the life of the bearings.

[X10James]

Monsta, yes, even my old 95 saturn would cut out the AC if the RPM's went over a certain point. But this car does it pro-activley when you floor it, long before the engine gets much RPM up at all.

[monsta]

Monsta, yes, even my old 95 saturn would cut out the AC if the RPM's went over a certain point.
No kiddin'. Guess it was to save that poor ole Chevy compressor.

It's certainly a good feature considering they jipped us of about 30HP. :)

[X10James]

lol, and that was only a little less than a third of what it would put out on a good day... Didn't bother me much in Chicago where I bought the thing, didn't use it for more than a few weeks in the summer, but down here in Georgia it got a little slow to have it on all the time.... The effect on the mazda is much less, or just made up for by the computer upping everything a notch when it's on. I wish it would raise the idle speed a bit when it's on, doesn't cool worth a darn at idle until you get going a little bit.

[jandree22]

(monsta, lol... your avatar, I love it ;) )

[monsta]

heeheehee.... :)