English to Polish Tech/Engineering Automotive / Cars & Trucks

Air conditioning clutch

The air conditioning compressor clutch should be smartly controlled by the ECU. In general, it should be set to switch off as soon as a certain engine rpm and/or throttle position is exceeded. Adequate difference between 'on' and 'off' values should be provided so that revs or throttle need to drop sufficiently before the air con clutch re-engages. If these parameters are set early enough, fuel economy will noticeably improve. This is because the air conditioning compressor will be more frequently running on throttle over-run (so getting the power for effectively nothing), or at light loads (where the engine is poor in its specific fuel consumption and a higher load is better for the overall fuel economy outcome).