Ok well one day it was hot enough for me to start my A/C because I was sun burned to hell and felt like using it. I didn't realize how freaken bad it was to get the car moving with the A/C on. I have to actually rev it to 2K and ride the clutch a little to get going to stop it from almost stalling on me. Once I'm moving, I have no problems getting up hills and such, unlike my previous unpowered cars, but man it seems like a pain to use now. I'll have to use it in the morning on the way to work once it getting 90+ again and I'm not looking forward to that. I guess this is where a V6/I6 low end torque would be nice.

 

on 03's it's a lot worse. I have the same problem with the starting from a stop and while shifting. With city driving, I have to shift faster than normal because the rpms will drop to where the motor will stall. This is why I only use the a/c during highway rides.

 

Practicality, Comfort, and Performance for 30k and under.

You can have a practical performance car, but it will not be comfortable.

You're comfortable performance will not be practical practical.

Or you can have a comfortably practical car, that performs like crap.

You have a low compression inline four cylinder that's only 2 liters, has to push approximately 3100lbs and split the power among four wheels. I really don't see why this should come as any surprise or discomfort.

 

what never had a problem with that, my car has no problem with the AC on. Runs just fine.

 

ya i used mine the other day while i was in vancouver stop and go traffic....not alot of fun.. sure i was cool.. but having to rev super high when i start off is kinda lame.... small price to pay i guess to not bake in my car....hahaha. oh plus i had 3 other people in the car with me.. also didnt help

 

Was thinking about getting an '03. Is it any better on the 04+ models?

 

I bought my car in november so I've only used the A/C like 3 times now, it hasn't got that hot yet. I did notice that I do need to rev it up higher from a stop but I don't know if I would say that's it's not any worse than any other car. There was also the post about everyone having problems with it stalling at stops, the few times I have run mine the rpms at a stop never dipped below 830 rpm

 

I have this same exact problem, its fine while Im traveling on the highway. But the second I push in the clutch it almost instantly stalls out. Same thing happens when the defrost is on. This is sorta a pain, is there any kind of fix for it? If not, I can live without AC

 

you just learn to live with it or so I did. It's more fuel efficient to drive with the windows down when you're in the city anyhow. Complaints are from passengers who call me cheap and girls who don't like the wind in their hair.

 

 

its even worse with big cams.. i have turn off the AC when i need to start goin from a red light or watever

 

'03 Evo here, and having come from the DSM world (I had a 92 4G63 turbo with AWD), where if you turned on the DSM AC it was like hitting the brakes. So I thought the improvement they made with the Evo AC was almost a miracle. Now you go and tell me the later cars are better.

 

Yeah that's why I only use the a/c on the freeway, it just feels like turning on the a/c robs half the power

 

I have a 03 ok using my ac while driving coming to a stop would cause the rpms to dip really low around 300 then shoot right back up now if i was pushing it then it could only did it once stall and died. I lived with this for 3 months then i finally got a new aps twin vent bov and found i had a small boost leak where the bov line connects. I used a extra zip tie there and BAM. now my AC runs like a Champ no more dipping in rpms while coming to a stop or coming to a aggressive stop or start. now with the ac on you do naturally loose power but usually when its on your not trying to impress anybody just caual driving so i disagree with the 03 statement completely. check you bov lines

 

Nah, I'm in Florida. My A/C almost never goes off. Even with my 91 GSX. Had a couple of fan relays go (they are always cycling). I'm told that a proper working compressor takes only 3 or so horsepower to run. I believe there are pressure switches to compensate for compressor drag (bumps up the idle speed) much like the power steering has.

I can barely feel it when the compressor cycles. I think your problem lies deeper. BTW, never had much luck with rebuilt a/c parts...they just dont live. A/C is a must have here, all year long.