Curious to know how much the AC/climate control affects 0-60 or 1/4 mile times. When publications publish these times, are they running it with the AC on or off? Just wondering how to get the most out of my W210 when some sucker decides to drop the hammer on me...

Turn off everything you don't need to drive safely. But chances are it probably won't make much of a difference at all. It'll probabaly make more of a difference to improve your driving skills. BMW has some great driving courses ($500 for a one day course with 19 other people) for the 1st level. The biggest factor in 0-60 times on the same car will likely be the driver.

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Jason Priest
1999 E430
1995 E420 - retired
1986 420SEL - retired

When you mean the driver, do you mean Shifting, the gears or what? I have cut my times down in the 300E by learning how to shift manually.

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"Damn the torpedos, four bells full speed ahead"
-Admiral Farragut




-1987 300E Smoke Silver
-1997 S320 Black on Black
-Soon To be E55 AMG
-27 foot Grady White Offshore Sportfish.

The other day I noticed a vast decrease in acceleration in my C280 when the A/C was on and it was a hot day. I think it makes the engine run hotter and sucks power, both contributing factors in a loss of power. So whenever someone wants to play from a stoplight, I switch the A/C off.

420 SEL: I still don't get how a driver can affect the 0-60 times on an automatic between another? Is it a technique with braking while pushing the gas??
That is another way I recently noticed to get a REALLY good take-off. Hold the brake and let the engine rev to 2500 RPM, then take your foot off the brake and FLOOR IT! I even beat my friend in his E430 up to about 40 mph when I did that, of course, he took off from there. I don't like doing that much though, can't be good on my poor engine and drive-train!!

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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

Always have the compressor off when your playing. Not only because of the 3 to 8 hp you loose. Compressors are pullied/geared to work well in the 2,000-3,000 rpm range. Running them at 6,000 can be expensive. A few of the police car models I worked on had cutoff switches based on throttle position.

Darryl, Hill
350sl
74 450 se

Chevota Landcruiser

I used to run an Audi A6 2.6 with automatic a/c. It said in the handbook that the compressor was automatically switched off when giving it full bore acceleration and when the engine got too hot. Perhaps an MB does this too.

Hmm, I have never seen that in my manual? I hope it does because I floor it quite often, and my AC is sometimes on, obviously. How and why is that bad for it? HOw can we find out if MB compressors turn off above a certain RPM?

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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

I'm pretty sure the A/C in my '91 190 kicks off. I can feel a surge of heat from the vents when I'm well into 2nd gear. My old car had a WOT A/C cutoff too, I think its pretty common today. If its going to be really close you could try turning off all accessories and rolling up the windows!
Darryl

Well from what I know, the engagement of the AC compressor puts more drain on the pulleys, which is why the car loses power because it has to drive another pulley.

If I am going to race around, and I want maximum Accelleration, AC and anything else that can draw from the engine is turned off if it can be.

My jeep definately has less power when the AC is on.

My benz I can't really tell the difference, but then again I drove the jeep for 7 years, and I have had the benz for 7 months.

Alon

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon