What about at max power though? Colder air will allow more timing and will knock later, so the engine should be able to make more max HP.
I know when it's cold out, my engine is more perky, I can definitely feel the difference. It's slight, but very noticable with what little power this car has.
There should be no argument that colder, denser air can cause an engine to make more power.
Modern electronics kind of "even the playing field" under normal driving conditions by compensating with timing and throttle and fuel adjusting abilities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suberman
Pure nonsense.
Completeness of combustion is not the phenomenon. All emission controlled engines burn clean.
A cooler and therefore denser air/fuel charge can indeed produce more power due to the simple chemistry of fuel combining with air. More of both produces more power.
However, the point you are missing is that engines burn fuel while spinning at high rpm. The timing of the combustion event is relevant. Because of timing issues the knock sensor equipped engine can extract as much power out of the warmer air as it can from the colder air.
|