College

If the vehicle's temperature light comes on, turning the air conditioner off may:

A. Cause the air conditioner to quit.
B. Have no effect on the engine.
C. Make the engine hotter.
D. Help cool the engine.

Answer :

Final answer:

Turning off the air conditioner can help cool the engine by reducing the strain on it. Removing the extra load allows for potentially lower engine temperatures.

Explanation:

If a vehicle's temperature light comes on, turning the air conditioner off may help cool the engine. This is because the air conditioning system puts extra load on the engine, causing it to work harder and potentially to run hotter. When you turn off the air conditioner, some of the strain is removed from the engine, which may help it to cool down.

Another reason is like how when appliances such as a refrigerator have to expel more heat than they cool the inside, running an air conditioner in a car means it's expelling heat somewhere, which adds to the overall heat load the engine has to manage. Additionally, when the air conditioner is off, the engine's fans may run faster, helping to cool the engine more effectively.