Car engines lose power and acceleration when the AC is turned on. Is there any way or hack at all to get around this?
Actually its been proven that the power required to overcome the additional aero drag from open windows on your car at speeds over 50 mph exceeds the power consumed by the AC but gained back by the aerodynamic streamlining of having the windows closed.Furthermore, air conditioners only use about 10–15 HP.If you are cruising on the highway, you engine power used will be greatly reduced by straight, level steady speeds and be in the 20–30 HP range.Modern cars typically have peak horsepower of 150 to 300 and more horsepower for acceleration and passing and climbing, but you should have plenty of HP to spare to run the airconditioner in normal driving without slowing the car.
My car's engine died while driving. The starter turns well so it can't be the battery. It was filled up yesterday. What can the problem be?
Did the engine stutter before it died? Then there is a chance the fuel line is clogged, in which case you can get away with just changing the fuel filter and cleaning the fuel line with compressed air. Clean the air filter too. And don't ever go back to that gas station.Or it just went dead? Then the cause is electric. You should check your fusebox and also see if you have any loose or burnt cable anywhere, but most probably it is either the electronic fuel injection controller or the spark ignition controller that went bust, which will cost you a lot of money to replace. If the engine is really old and has no electronic ignition system, then it's the distributor (the capacitor it has is shot).
What happens if you attempt to drive with a broken serpentine belt?
The serpentine belt powers many different accessories and required pieces of equipment on an engine. You can live without the air conditioner. The car is usable for a short time without the alternator working if you have a good battery. You can man handle the steering wheel without power steering. Some cars have a smog/emissions control pump that needs to work or the engine will run rough or even not at all.BUT, you will overheat your engine if the water pump is not turning and pumping coolant through the engine and radiator. You could make a short drive of 5 minutes or so before engine heat would be a problem. Hopefully, that is to a mechanic who will replace the broken serpentine belt.
Is braking gradually over a longer distance better or worse for your brakes than stopping more suddenly?
As a one-off… No difference. I mean maybe microscopically, fractions of a percentage wise, one would result in less wear than the other.Practically, no difference for one specific stop.Over the long run, it’s better for all components, and the environment, and for you, if you slow and stop… And accelerate again… gracefully.Slamming on the brakes is seldom a good idea. Sometimes it’s essential to prevent an accident, but it’s a poor way of stopping for lights or parking. You’ll risk locking wheels, skidding, crashing. looking like a dope. Modern cars with ABS and traction control will take over for you and will stop you as effectively as the computer can manage - which is way, way effectively. More than most (any?) human could pull off.But relying on computers isn’t great breaking or driving. Have you seen Terminator? The computers turn out to be a bit mean.Sudden forces are going to cause increased heat and wear, both to the brakes, but also to other components of the braking system and car in general. So best avoided.Where possible, anticipate slow-downs/stops and decelerate gently over as long a distance as possible. Sometimes, braking can be avoided altogether (e.g. if you know a light a few hundred meters is going to turn red and clear road… Stop accelerating, and coast. You’ll possibly be able to maintain momentum so that the light turns green again without stopping. Or, maybe you can apply minimal braking to come to a complete halt. Either is high-end driving. Saves fuel, nice to your car, safe.In some places, like down hills, regular gentle braking is going to feature in good drivin’. Along with lower gears for trucks etc. Riding gently on the brakes for a long period is a terrible plan though - it’ll just make them hot and angry.For corners, same general rule applies. It’s much better to enter slow, having braked or slowed gently before the corner. Braking inside a corner will, at best, slow you right down. At worst, it’ll just fling you out of the outside of the corner like a complete moron.These rules apply from learner drivers, right up to F1 drivers - they brake and accelerate aggressively, sure, but they don’t slam the brakes on in the middle of a corner, they get that shit out of the way beforehand, then blast out of the corner having maintained momentum through it… And they coast where possible in order to save fuel and preserve the car, just like you can on the road.