YACT: Do the cars run faster when the weather is really cold?

[ndee]

Well maybe it is just me but I think the car has a little bit more kick. It accelerates kinda faster and it just feels "stronger". Is that just me?

 

[amdskip]

sometimes

 

[boyRacer]

simply put... colder air means more oxygen.

 

[Zenmervolt]

An engine has more power when it's cold, yes. Do NOT listen to the people who tell you that it's "more efficient" though, it's not. The engine is using more fuel to make that extra power. When the air is cold, it's denser and therefore it contains more oxygen per unit area. The FI computer in your car senses the extra oxygen and it injects more fuel in order to keep the mixture ratio correct. The extra fuel means there is more energy released with every combustion cycle. Your mileage will decrease slightly though.

ZV

 

[lRageATMl]

cold air = more power but less traction...

 

[loosliptcomptrola]

My mileage did decrease from 19mpg to 17 but when I shift to 3rd I feel that kick instantly

 

[iamme]

Maybe you're shivering, so your perception of speed is distorted.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
An engine has more power when it's cold, yes. Do NOT listen to the people who tell you that it's "more efficient" though, it's not. The engine is using more fuel to make that extra power. When the air is cold, it's denser and therefore it contains more oxygen per unit area. The FI computer in your car senses the extra oxygen and it injects more fuel in order to keep the mixture ratio correct. The extra fuel means there is more energy released with every combustion cycle. Your mileage will decrease slightly though.

ZV

^^ What he said. Cold air = denser charge = more HP.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: iamme
Maybe you're shivering, so your perception of speed is distorted.

LOL... shivering from drug withdrawal...

You can put your own cold air in there like the ricers do... NAAAAAWWWWWZZZZZZZ...

 

[SuperSix]

Originally posted by: lRageATMl
cold air = more power but less traction...

Not if you heat 'em up at the stop light..

My Turbo Buick runs MUCH stronger in the cold... Forced induction cars LOVE cold weather...

 

[ndee]

ok, what about the mountains(higher elevation)? There is less oxygen the higher you get, although I heard that turbos love the mountains. What's up with that?

 

[The Stigenator]

on my bike i can definately feel the difference.. cold / cool air = denser..hence more oxygen and hence more power..

on certain days I can feel that power.. mmmmmm... its like its got another 5hp from just cooler air.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: ndee
ok, what about the mountains(higher elevation)? There is less oxygen the higher you get, although I heard that turbos love the mountains. What's up with that?

Same deal....sure there's going to be a difference due to climatic and evironmental changes...we're talking about combustion here... You can do a couple of things for your car to level the playing field though...if you get a cold-air intake, that will make a little difference and give you that power boost all the time...though it's never as much as the manufacturers claim. Also, those few extra HP are very difficult to detect unless you really put your car through it.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: ndee
ok, what about the mountains(higher elevation)? There is less oxygen the higher you get, although I heard that turbos love the mountains. What's up with that?

Im looking for this site that had a percentage of HP lost in response to your altitude above sea level... cant find it though. i even carried a graph of that thing around HS... what a freak eh? when i took my POS car to Big Bear for a camping trip... i think it was 5000ft... heh... my car wasn't making squat power...

 

[vi edit]

My gas milage usually takes a huge crap in the winter. *Some* of it due to idling, but that can't account for at least a 2MPG drop in milage.

 

[Emos]

ok, what about the mountains(higher elevation)? There is less oxygen the higher you get, although I heard that turbos love the mountains. What's up with that?

The other gearheads can explain it much better than me, but in VERY simple terms think of a turbocharger as an air compressor for the engine. The turbo will compress the same atmospheric pressure into the engine whether you're at sea level or up in the mountains, thus a turbo car will still perform efficiently while naturally aspirated cars are wheezing for breath.

How Turbos work

 

[CraigRT]

my car pulls alot harder in the cold... i do have an intake and stuff, so that helps get the optimum amount of cool air into the engine... but most cars do pull hard in the cold air, as long as it's very dry and brisk cool air... will work very good with the car. it runs nice and smooth too.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: ndee
ok, what about the mountains(higher elevation)? There is less oxygen the higher you get, although I heard that turbos love the mountains. What's up with that?

Turbos spin faster in the thinner air, so they suck in the same amount.