[Frost__2001]

crazikev,Nov 7 2005, 10:44 PM Wrote:in test 1 was the AC on for both the tests? or just the first run?

Well, i think its all about how fast you are going. AC is going to affect your mileage lineary, same drain going whatever speed.  While with your windows it will affect it exponentially.  The faster your going to go, the more drag your going to get with the windows down.  By the time you reach highway speed, your windows are gonna start hurting more than the AC. 

Now i think i have found a solution to this, but i didn't test it out,  theoretically it should work, but probably has the same amount of drag.
while driving fast, put both passenger side windows down about an inch or 2 in your focus(sedan).  The air will come in, probably around the back right of the car, create a vortex, and leave the front passenger side window, works really good (for the driver).  I would might even say it works better than having all the windows down. 
Now theoretically, there should be less drag cause 2 windows are only open an inch or 2 instead of wide open.  But since the same amount of air coming in and circulating around is about the same, it probably has the same amount of drag.

Also the temperature would also play a roll in this equation.  the hotter it is, the less the windows are going to effect the milage when they are down because the air would be less dense  so their would be less drag, but would the AC take up more engine power because its not producing as much power with the warmer air?

Someone should make a way too, super heat the outside surface of the car so that the air when it hits it is so thin it barel creates any drag at all.  Forget slicing through the air.  Slice the air up before you get to it
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Yes you could do that Kev, but in some people's case they could just open their power sunroofs / moon roofs lol.....

But really I saw this before, and they touched on this in consumers reports on CFTO, and they said if you want your a/c on have it on, on the highways only, and windows down when driving round the city. I already have been doing this since I love having the breaze when in town with the windows down, and I mainly use the moon roof on vent when on the highway, without the a/c but If there is more then me in the car I have the a/c on in highway driving only. It works and you do save a bit on the gas milage.