Anyone notice their engine surging bad with the a/c on with the manual trans? Today I climbed in at lunch and on the way home from work and the interior was warm. I just got my windows tinted so I can't roll the windows down just yet. Any way, I turn on the a/c and head down the road. Thing is, when I'm coming to a stop, the engine seems to almost want to die. The rpms drop really low, and it gets that lagging engine vibration, and I've got the clutch pushed in rolling to a stop. Is something wrong, or does this car with all of it's computer wizardry not know to compensate when the compressor kicks in? Just wondering, I haven't turned the a/c on in months. Never noticed it with the stock exhaust last summer.

 

How many miles on your car? have you ever changed the fule filter? Have you checked to see if the MAS needs cleaned? Well I'm sure someone can help, Lot of smart people here. Only when the AC is on?

 

Yep, like I said, today with the a/c on. Turn it off, it doesn't do it. Only 13K miles.

 

I believe there is a TSB on bubbles gathering in the fuel filter, causing hesitation. I could be wrong on this one though, but I do believe there is a fix for that.

 

you know mine surges, but it doesn't ever sound like its gonna die... i do have to push the clutch in all the way to a stop though to keep things the way I like them.

 

Hes not having hesitation..It is normal for a little strain to be on the engine with AC.. but not surging. I would call the dealer and ask them about it.

 

I loved the fact when I got the car, it didn't suffer from extreme power loss when the a/c was on. The tach needle bounces around, dips below 500, and back up then settles in a bit. If I'm just sitting in the driveway, it doesn't do the same thing. It does strain the engine a bit and the rpms drop a couple of hundred, it doesn't do the same coming up on to a stop, cruising down the road. I'm taking to the dealer in the morning for my leaky shock anyway, I'll tell them to check it out.

 

sounds like the fuel pump tsb....i had a similar problem and it occurred without the ac on....they checked my vin and saw i fell under the tsb.....they fixed it ...no problems since.....running strong at 42,000 miles.....man we drive alot in l.a.

 

Mine does it and my last V6 mustang did it, that was a 2002 though. I figured it is just inherent with the manual trans. Like you said it dips down, bounces around for a second and then settles in, not sure what is causing it. Possibly a poorly designed throttle position sensor or idle air control valve. Mine old one never once died from it (87,000 miles on trade-in) and always did it in one way or another.

I'm not saying don't take it in, I am merely saying I have seen this problem on this car and one previous car, so it may or may not be inherent with the manual. If you get it fixed please let us know as I would then take mine in.

 

You know, I kind of thought that it was just me. I haven't had a manual since '01, so I can't recall if it is an inherent attribute. My last few carswere autos, if the a/c kicked on at a stop light, itidled higher to compensate. Like I wrote earlier, if it did this with the stock exhaust, I never knew it, it was so quiet. With the duals on, it was really noticeable.