alright, i am to understand that cooling the condensor is a good thing when using your a/c, it is always colder when youve got wind hitting it, and some people go so far as to install fans on there a/c condensor... now my (admittedly rigged) a/c does little in 105 degree heat this summer... well, i should say, does nothing, i park in the scorching sun untill i work at 2pm, and i go so far as to sit with it running, doors open, to cool for several minutes...

now for the stupid question

if cooling the condensor is so crucial... can i pour ice water on it before i start my car? dont laugh guys! im dead serious, i have buckets of ice in my fridge, it would shorten the time it takes me to get going, and i wouldnt arrive sweaty and battered from a drive in hells fires... assuming this is even feasable?

if anyone thinks this could help in the slightest, or someone has a good reason i shouldnt be pouring ice water on my condensor before starting, im all ears! thanks alot, i know ill get some good reactions at least...

Marc: All of the above are good ideas. You already have a water spray system installed on your car. Simply reroute the windshield squirter to spray on the condensor. It doesn't matter if the water in the bottle is warm, it cools by evaporation. Of course, then you have to wash your windows by hand. No biggie. Same source goes for water injection for your engine. i rmn & etc.. .Jim A.

Years ago (too many to count!) I recall seeing ads for water spray attachments which would spray water on the front of the radiator for extra cooling when the engine was overheating such as on a long hill climb. There was a small water container mounted under the hood as a reservoir. This was in the pre-AC days but it might work for overloaded AC condensers also. I'd be careful about spaying too much water and soaking the engine. Ideally all the water would evaporate on the condenser coils thus pulling heat out of the refrigerant. Maybe you could re-invent this gadget.

Sometimes if you get the a/c started with a cool blast like that, it keeps up with the heat better for the whole drive. When you kill it on the initial heat from the car sitting in the sun, it can get backed up fast.

I too spray cold water when idling in the driveway on a hot day. Excellent heat exchange properties!

I do the same as Bob... spray some water through the grill... done that for ages... water absorbs the heat...and gets blown off... makes it nice and cool for a few minutes...(until it dries..)

I occasionally douse mine with a garden hose while idleing, A/C on. It gives it an initial cool shot and makes things a bit more pleasant. Been doing this for many years mith no problems.

Are you spraying the a/c condenser or the radiator?