# Should I shut off my AC when driving up hills in the summer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** charger, dodge\ **Created:** [March 21, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927 "2019-03-21T20:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bloody\_knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bloody\_knuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bloody_knuckles)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/21 "2019-03-24T20:37:22Z")
I don’t know about that. There is a big difference between knowing everything and being right! ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/22 "2019-03-24T20:40:32Z")
Remembering a joke about the rice burners with lousy brakes, if you need to slow down fast turn on the AC! ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Mahelona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Bill\_Mahelona](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Mahelona)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 7:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/23 "2019-03-25T07:07:52Z")
Keep the AC on, or remember the Options rule: Upsetting the wife gives her many options to get even…You Don’t Have Any! ---
**Author:** ![FRANKM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@FRANKM](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FRANKM)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/24 "2019-03-28T21:04:29Z")
For the most part, Your wife is right. However, on a long climb or if the engine temp is rising significantly, By all means, turn it off until you’ve cleared the problem. Maybe you could review your Owner’s Manual as well. Happy motoring. ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Robert\_Wolf](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/25 "2019-04-02T19:17:57Z")
It’s not worth it to make your wife unhappy. Don’t be a Scrooge. Let her be comfortable. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![StuartBuncher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@StuartBuncher](https://community.cartalk.com/u/StuartBuncher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/26 "2019-04-08T16:12:27Z")
That was THEN this is NOW. ---
**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/27 "2019-04-08T16:13:43Z")
She is right , saves little and puts little strain on the vehicle . It was designed for those conditions. Drive it and enjoy it . ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/28 "2019-04-08T18:59:51Z")
The “Husband Store” was a Tom and Ray tale that goes back way before the date on this link > **[Time for a JOKE](https://www.cigarpass.com/community/threads/time-for-a-joke.305/page-11#post-13562)** > > Heard on CarTalk last week: > > An elderly gentleman walks into a bar and spots a well-preserved elderly woman. He sidles up to her and asks, "So, do I come here often?" And it seems to belong here now ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Chris\_Rogers](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Chris_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/29 "2019-04-09T13:00:42Z")
I really wish I would have seen this post way back when it was fresh cause damnit man, there is only one common sense answer to this question, answer is it don’t matter cause we all agree with that female sitting in the passenger seat, good god man. the woman is always right, remember that and you just might live a full life. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/30 "2019-04-09T16:32:39Z")
> [@bloody\_knuckles](#): > > There is a big difference between knowing everything and being right! I think it was Tom who said it best, Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy. Or something like that. But to add something new that hasn’t already been said, there is a long uphill road leading out of Death Valley into California where National Park Service recommends turning off your AC to prevent over heating. I made this drive on one of their hottest days, 124 degrees at Furnace Creek and no way was I going without AC. Fortunately my car at the time had a temp gauge so I put the AC on recirculate so I did not draw in that very hot outside air. Then I’d run the AC on max cold until the temp gauge got to about half way between normal and hot. I’d turn it off and recirculate the cold air until the temp gauge was back to normal and repeat the cycle. Never got overly hot in the cabin and it was generally 2 min on and about 2 min off. This is about the only conditions that I’d recommend doing this though. The AC stays on all summer otherwise. Edit: One more thing, be sure to keep up with the recommended maintenance of your cooling system. That will go a lot further to protect your engine and cooling system that fiddling with the AC button. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/31 "2019-04-09T17:41:56Z")
This reminds me of my first trip to Houston from Cincinnati in my '72 Duster. I had added a/c, but found the engine started to overheat once I got ‘down south’ with the a/c on. So it was on/off/on/off, or just off with the windows and vents open. Only after I put in a higher-capacity radiator and fan could I run it as needed. No modern car would have that problem, they’re all designed from the start for a/c. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927/32 "2019-08-29T00:46:21Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > just recall, he’d tell us we’d use the savings to buy breakfast at the Nevada Club casino in Reno. There were signs all along I80: Breakfast, 49cents, Nevada Club. It really was 49 cents (at the time), and was a pretty tasty breakfast too. Last time I was in Reno the Nevada Club still offered a very inexpensive breakfast, the same one in fact, but it was more like $2.99, not 49 cents. One good thing about the Nevada Club, at the time anyway they still offered single deck blackjack, my favorite!! Update fyi: That Casino in downtown Reno still sells the inexpensive breakfast. I stopped by and had one on my trip through northern Nevada recently. Tasty victuals on the cheap. The price is now $4.49. Still a pretty good deal for 2 eggs, hash browns, toast, & coffee. I was wrong above about the name of the casino; it is _Cal Neva_. There’s no more single deck $2 blackjack; In fact upstairs there appears to be no blackjack offered at all M-Thursday. Instead, to bring customers in on the weekend the dealers are said to be all pert young ladies, & wear lingerie Friday - Sunday. Parking is easily available & free, so that’s something. Chalk it up to modern life I guess. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-shut-off-my-ac-when-driving-up-hills-in-the-summer/136927.md?page=1)