Has the cold weather made a difference?

[haribo8]

Has the cold weather made a difference to the performance of your car.

In theory, there would be more cold air going into your engine compared to summer time? or doesn't it make a difference?

 

[Lagerlout]

It should and probably does make a difference. I haven't noticed myself, but I've noly been pottering to work and back.

 

[Dave]

Generally it will make a difference yes. But then the cold wet ground means that you have to be more careful anyway (specially Cups!).

Also you should check your tyre pressures!

 

[daz833]

yea i noticed a difference, but if u account for slippy roads may not be wise lol

 

[Leeshez]

Mine was rough this morning

 

[Andyvalver]

Loads of difference with mine. In summer its sh*te with the ik on it but the cold air feed is doing its job and now its cold it pulls so much better at higher speeds on dry roads. (Valver btw)

 

[haribo8]

noticed that too, harsh start up, but once the choke has gone in, its amazingly quick!!!

 

[MATT BLACK]

As air gets colder, it gets more dense. There are more atoms of the various composite gasses and water molecules occupying less space. Per unit of volume, the air weighs more - per Cubic Meter of air. At 77 degrees (F) one cubic meter of air weighs 1.18 Kilograms. By the time your down to Minus 40 it weighs 1.5 kg - so basically in winter the air contains more oxygen than the air in summer.

In the battle of Britain in world war 2 our spitfires used to struggle keeping up with the Faster messerscmitts at high altitude ( air is less dense ) so the RAF started using Nitrous Oxide ( oxidiser ) to intercept the luftwaffe. This had a dramatic effect and gave our lads the edge on the germans.

Standard levels of oxygen in dense air is 23% as supposed to 20% in less dense air ( NOS is 33% ) the rest is something like 76% nitrogen and 1% carbon dioxide - so anyway this is why your cars are quicker

 

[thedoc]

I've noticed a marked improvement in the performace of my bus..

 

[Toypop]

Nope I have noticed no difference in performance. I find that my cars performance tends to vary but not according to temperature. During the summer and winter it has fast days but I figured it was due to air pressure or humidity levels as temperature seems to have no bearing.

Fuel consumption is worse in the winter presumably due to the car using the choke more, idling whilst de-icing the screen and the heavier traffic.

I know cold air is more dense so theoretically the car should perform better in the cold but it can't be that big a difference in the great scheme of things as I can't feel it.

 

[rcp]

I have noticed a difference.

 

[Toypop]

Of course your petrol is more dense in the cold so your car will be heavier for a given quantity of fuel plus your tyres could well be running at a lower pressure and causing more resistance (unless you inflate them when it is -1 or something at which point you fill them with heavy dense air) plus the air is more dense which causes more drag.

I can see that lot outweighing any minor power gains. For a start when manufacturers state the power output of a new car they don't specify the air temperature used in the test? Presumably they don't all have their engines on benches up in the North pole to get the official power figures!

 

[GeeUK]

I have noticed, but my car is a turbo, easier to tell

 

[Toypop]

Yes I was going to say it probably has far more of a bearing on forced induction cars.

 

[Phill1978]

mine has always run best at 6deg c
every time it hits 6deg c it feels perfect, power is put down and the car pulls really well, not too much not too little.
exaclty same result over 2.5yrs with two 172`s one a cup.

for me 6deg c is the optimum

 

[BRUN]

i noticed last night on the motorway.....

 

[chris-b]

Mine felt a bit more responsive and sharper yesterday,but I didn't notice any difference today.Think it's all in the mind just like the optimuck/BP/esso argument.

 

[George16v]

I haven't noticed a diff. but I only drive mine once a week if that

 

[Maxx]

Yea ive noticed a difference (1.2 mk1)

 

[B16DOE]

yup i reckon it does

 

[lawrence]

yeah its made a difference, tyres arent warming up as quick, wheelspins to easy, especially when entering/exiting junctions and r/a, have to brake earlier, performance wise, cant say i have noticed an improvement if anything takes ages to get warm once driving lol

 

[Steve2004]

As air gets colder, it gets more dense. There are more atoms of the various composite gasses and water molecules occupying less space. Per unit of volume, the air weighs more - per Cubic Meter of air. At 77 degrees (F) one cubic meter of air weighs 1.18 Kilograms. By the time your down to Minus 40 it weighs 1.5 kg - so basically in winter the air contains more oxygen than the air in summer.

In the battle of Britain in world war 2 our spitfires used to struggle keeping up with the Faster messerscmitts at high altitude ( air is less dense ) so the RAF started using Nitrous Oxide ( oxidiser ) to intercept the luftwaffe. This had a dramatic effect and gave our lads the edge on the germans.

Standard levels of oxygen in dense air is 23% as supposed to 20% in less dense air ( NOS is 33% ) the rest is something like 76% nitrogen and 1% carbon dioxide - so anyway this is why your cars are quicker

Very interesting Only thing I'm going to pick up on is that the CO2 content in air is 0.03%


Anyway, my car feels much faster in these colder conditions :approve:

 

[Lagerlout]

And 78% Nitrogen. 20.9% Oxygen, 0.03% CO2, the rest made up of Argon and a few other noble gases.

 

[mike]

I've noticed a difference, not just on my 172, used to notice it in previous cars too.

 

[Clarkie172]

my car always feels slow

 

[diamond geezer]

cant really notice, as the cars charge cooler is so good, its winter all year for me........but on a serious note the old problem i have is the carb freezing when it really cold as the charge cooler plumet the cold air way in to sub zero temps, causing as stated the carb to freeze up.

 

[Dan@SJM]

i did a 0-60 and a 0-100 run last night with the air temp reading -3. 0-60 was 6.2 and 0-100 was 15.4 2 up aswell, my npassenger was taking the timing,

 

[muz]

As air gets colder, it gets more dense. There are more atoms of the various composite gasses and water molecules occupying less space. Per unit of volume, the air weighs more - per Cubic Meter of air. At 77 degrees (F) one cubic meter of air weighs 1.18 Kilograms. By the time your down to Minus 40 it weighs 1.5 kg - so basically in winter the air contains more oxygen than the air in summer.

In the battle of Britain in world war 2 our spitfires used to struggle keeping up with the Faster messerscmitts at high altitude ( air is less dense ) so the RAF started using Nitrous Oxide ( oxidiser ) to intercept the luftwaffe. This had a dramatic effect and gave our lads the edge on the germans.

Standard levels of oxygen in dense air is 23% as supposed to 20% in less dense air ( NOS is 33% ) the rest is something like 76% nitrogen and 1% carbon dioxide - so anyway this is why your cars are quicker

you forgot the inert nobel gases present in air !

 

[Mondial172]

Can never get the pressures "just" right in the Cup's tyres. Pain in the butt!!

 

[Ibanezman]

Deffo faster when I hit the ring road this morning, my 172 flew, and kicked out an impressive display from the exhaust in my rear view mirror too lol

 

[Slug172]

Feels a bit rough starting in the morning but once warmed up can defo tell the difference on the way to work!

 

[benhwolves]

yeah definitely makes a difference, my fiesta si is miles quicker at the moment, not been out in the 182 but that things always quick anyway

 

[JuJu172]

Ive noticed a difference, it wont start in a morning!

 

[ajketley]

Yeh Ive noticed a difference. As long as I let her warm up for 5min or so she great fun. Corners are great fun also!

 

[Jim172CUP]

my trip seems to be reading accurately 31.5mpg. i blame it on the cold and the itg.

 

[Tom_16v]

The cold air means more power but you just can't use it in these conditions!