While air-conditioning systems were common in cars in America from the 1960s onwards, they were a luxury in Malaysia and became affordable during the 1970s. The early systems were mostly aftermarket add-ons where the blower was mounted under the dashboard. Installation quality varied and there were cases of water leaking onto the carpet because the drain hose had not been properly fixed.
Being aftermarket systems, the components were not necessarily matched to the engine and that was one reason for the noticeably poorer performance when a car had an air-conditioning system. Furthermore, the early compressors from companies like York were large and drew significant amounts of engine power to run.
Toward the end of the 1970s, the integrated air-conditioning systems began to appear. These used the hardware for the existing ventilation system in the car (vents, switches, ducts, etc) so it was much neater. The automakers were also developing customised systems for their cars so that all components would be matched and performance variations would be minimal.
One of the first companies to introduce such integrated systems was Kah Motors, then the distributor for Honda vehicles. Working with Sanden Malaysia, they developed a customised system for the second generation of the Civic. Many of the parts were also made in Malaysia at a new factory that Sanden set up.
The integrated system brought a big change as it provided added comfort without sacrificing performance. Besides the more efficient and less power-robbing rotary compressor, the careful matching of components meant that everything was balanced. Even when the compressor clutch activated, there was virtually no juddering (it was just a click), a very noticeable difference from older systems where the engine shook when the clutch activated.
During the 1980s, integrated air-conditioning systems were offered by many companies, some being original systems from the automaker. However, they were offered as options for between RM1,000 and RM2,000 in most Japanese models as well as Protons (which used a system developed by Sanden that is well remembered for having been very cold!).
By the 1990s, air-conditioning became commonplace as many people wanted it. Perhaps the world had become warmer and motoring was also getting tedious with increasing congestion. Eventually, the government allowed original air-conditioning systems to become standard items in a car and it didn’t add that much to a monthly instalment of a H-P loan anyway.
Today, every new car and even commercial vehicles come with air-conditioners. The premium models have sophisticated systems that distribute cool air around the cabin and some can even ‘personalise’ cooling for each passenger. It’s hard to imagine motoring without an air-conditioner now!
