Overhaulin'

Is it okay to drive long distance with the air condition on?

I'm going to be driving from Arizona to California in August. When I travelled with my parents when I was a kid, they would shut off the air condition when we got to the desert because they were afraid of the car overheating. I'm going to be driving in a relatively new 2009 model car. My parents drove in a 1996 Dodge Caravan when we road tripped to California. Should I be concerned about my car overheating while I'm driving?

Public Comments

1. No just make sure you check all your fluids and top everything off.
2. You can drive all day with the air conditioner on if the car is properly maintained. That is what it's designed for.
3. Yea its fine because you dont wanna be hot just get a full tank of gas then you're good to go
4. When I traveled to California with my parents as a kid we drove across the desert at night as the cars of the late '40's - early '50's couldn't handle desert heat at all. Later cars could handle the heat, but not with the air conditioning on. Today's cars can. Progress is nice, even if our parents do not realize it is happening.
5. You should be just fine while driving with the air conditioner on. New cars are made with this in mind. Remember, if you are concerned with how hot your motor is, you can always check the temperature gage on the instrument panel. It should stay around half way between cold and hot. If you notice it rising, then you want to shut off the A/C until it gets back down to a better level. You may want to consider turning it off when you are driving up hills if you think your car is having a hard time. If you are going on the ten freeway, there will be an upgrade going west before you get into Coachella/Indio. On the 40, if you then go south on the 15 freeway towards Victorville, there is an upgrade as well. A new car should be able to handle both of these upgrades without a problem. Have a safe trip!
6. The car should be fine with the air running. One thing you should check is the condition of your tires. In the desert heat...badly worn tires can quickly deteriorate and blow or become flat.
7. You will be fine and have a safe trip.....