ac makes boosting easier?
 

Is it just me or am I hitting boost a lot faster with the ac on? I don't really feel like i'm going faster, but it looks like i barely step on the gas and i'm in boost. today on the drive home, running with the ac my car started to overheat. it didn't go all the way red, then i turned off the ac and went into neutral and it went back down. do y'all think these came one in the same? it would make sense that the car would overheat if i was boosting constantly right? the only other time my car overheated was when one of my belts broke and lashed a hole into my radiator line, but that was over a year ago.

make sure your a/c fan is kicking on when you turn the a/c on.

if you ever see the gauge creep up again like that turn the heater on.

do you have the undertray installed? I suggest you fill the radiator with a 70/30 mix and replace the thermostat.

more laod FTW

I really need to put the undertray back on b/c the AC just blows cool ... and thats not cutting it.

i dont have the undertray installed....does it help or hurt to have it in?

helps, no reason mazda and every other car company would put one in if it caused problems.

yup. Same reason why you will make boost sooner up-hill.

i figure with the undertray off it would allow more air in the engine bay therefore cooling it down. the only reason i see a purpose for it is it being a skid plate and keeping dirt out of the engine bay. anywho, nice shiny intercooler pipes is taking all the space down there so i can't screw it in anymore, unless i get some long zip ties.

I used to think the exact same thing, but it really has nothing to do with dirt and being a skid plate. It helps flow through the radiator, where air flow is needed most. By directing air in a directed way out the back, it helps prevent the air exiting the radiator from creating a wall of turbulence which less than optimal.

is it a huge difference? No, but it helps. j

nope, what removing it does is equalize the pressure difference infront and behind the radiator. Without a lower pressure zone behind the radiator, air will not flow through it as easily, or at all.

Installing the underbelly, blocks all the air from under the car from interfering with the flow behind the radiator...so the high pressure zone in front of the radiator will flow through the radiator into the low pressure zone.

So by removing it you are doing a few things: limiting the efficiency of the radiator, intoducing drag, and exposing the bay to increased dirt/filth/elements