Humid weather effect on performance - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

Spacemane969 · 10-05-2016, 03:10 PM

Yesterday morning on a clear, quiet drive to work I noticed something spectacular about how my fr-s was feeling. Everything about the engine and throttle response was crisp, accurate, and buttery smooth. As my drive went on I put more and more focus on the rpms and just how quickly the needle punched through each mark on the tachometer.

It was a little after 6 am when I hit the road and the air was so clean, cool and completely still. I live on the coastal region in Virginia and generally we have a pretty fair amount of humidity... on a hot mid-summer morning you can seemingly break a sweat before the sun even peeks. Being so caught off guard by the increase in performance on the pants dyno, I reminded myself to compare the ride home around 4pm with plenty of hot air and a more humid atmosphere. Sure enough things started to bog down a bit. The throttle response was not as sharp and there were definitely moments where the revs seemed to choke(not talking about torque dip). It just felt like the 86 had run a 5k and was gasping for air, compared to in the morning where it was free to be out of its own way.

In an attempt to conclude the weather as the factor, I did check the temps on the google weather app, and oddly the humidity reported contrarily at 89% humidity and 64 degrees in the morning; and only 76% humidity and 71 degrees during the ride home, even though there was a brief shower and noticeable moisture slightly before that drive. But I have no how accurate or real-time the data is for the app.

So have any members experienced this same behavior in humid climates? And are there any tricks or minor mods to help circumvent the engines response to hot air and make it more adaptive?

go_a_way1 · 10-05-2016, 03:21 PM

Temps make a BIG difference. Humidity does too but not as much. I notice this all the time

humfrz · 10-05-2016, 03:42 PM

With that small of change in humidity and temperature ........ I think your pants dyno is ah messen wich ya .........

humfrz

bababooey · 10-05-2016, 03:54 PM

you can certainly tell difference between the dog shit hot texas summer days and a cool winter day on how the car breathes. but i cant perceive more humid to not, 400 miles from coast doesnt get quite as balmy.

new2subaru · 10-05-2016, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go_a_way1

Temps make a BIG difference. Humidity does too but not as much. I notice this all the time

Go away, you live in Calgary...It's a desert. Do you know what humidity feels like? lol

My Fr-s doesn't like hot humid days and refuses to play.

go_a_way1 · 10-05-2016, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by new2subaru

Go away, you live in Calgary...It's a desert. Do you know what humidity feels like? lol

My Fr-s doesn't like hot humid days and refuses to play.

LOL to be honest... no hhahahahaah!

new2subaru · 10-05-2016, 05:11 PM

Well, picture what you feel like after you get out of the shower (Wet)

go_a_way1 · 10-05-2016, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by new2subaru

Well, picture what you feel like after you get out of the shower (Wet)

Sexy??

new2subaru · 10-05-2016, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go_a_way1

Sexy??

haha!!

Veloist · 10-05-2016, 06:28 PM

I definitely feel a difference in varying conditions of temperature or humidity.

I live in the SF Bay Area south of San Francisco. What I've noticed is that warm, mild humidty is the best condition for the car. Warm meaning 75 degrees. I've never driven the car in super hot weather (90 degrees +) but I've driven it in cold mornings around 40 degrees and it felt like crap.

I did drive it one night with a moderate humidity with the temperature around 65 degrees and it was beautiful.

krayzie · 10-05-2016, 06:49 PM

Spend a week in Asia during the mid summer and you will know what real humidity is.

Spacemane969 · 10-05-2016, 09:07 PM

So the consensus is that hot air (and not specifically humidity) is harder on the engine? What exactly causes the engine to choke on hotter temps? I've heard of track days getting ugly if the engine goes over temp but what is going on that makes this the case?

humfrz · 10-05-2016, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacemane969

So the consensus is that hot air (and not specifically humidity) is harder on the engine? What exactly causes the engine to choke on hotter temps? I've heard of track days getting ugly if the engine goes over temp but what is going on that makes this the case?

Oh, I reckon that on hotter days, an engine runs a tad bit hotter and the air contains less oxygen.

humfrz

Lantana frs · 10-05-2016, 09:39 PM

Also, the ecu doesnt like high iats. In south fl the car feels respectable in early am and relative dog shit in the afternoon.

10-05-2016, 03:10 PM	#1
Spacemane969 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Drives: 2013 ARGENTO A/T Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia, US Posts: 345 Thanks: 149 Thanked 136 Times in 68 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Humid weather effect on performance Yesterday morning on a clear, quiet drive to work I noticed something spectacular about how my fr-s was feeling. Everything about the engine and throttle response was crisp, accurate, and buttery smooth. As my drive went on I put more and more focus on the rpms and just how quickly the needle punched through each mark on the tachometer. It was a little after 6 am when I hit the road and the air was so clean, cool and completely still. I live on the coastal region in Virginia and generally we have a pretty fair amount of humidity... on a hot mid-summer morning you can seemingly break a sweat before the sun even peeks. Being so caught off guard by the increase in performance on the pants dyno, I reminded myself to compare the ride home around 4pm with plenty of hot air and a more humid atmosphere. Sure enough things started to bog down a bit. The throttle response was not as sharp and there were definitely moments where the revs seemed to choke(not talking about torque dip). It just felt like the 86 had run a 5k and was gasping for air, compared to in the morning where it was free to be out of its own way. In an attempt to conclude the weather as the factor, I did check the temps on the google weather app, and oddly the humidity reported contrarily at 89% humidity and 64 degrees in the morning; and only 76% humidity and 71 degrees during the ride home, even though there was a brief shower and noticeable moisture slightly before that drive. But I have no how accurate or real-time the data is for the app. So have any members experienced this same behavior in humid climates? And are there any tricks or minor mods to help circumvent the engines response to hot air and make it more adaptive?

10-05-2016, 06:28 PM	#10
Veloist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Drives: ‘93 MR2, ‘22 GR86, ‘23 GR Corolla Location: N. California Posts: 1,525 Thanks: 700 Thanked 1,713 Times in 668 Posts Mentioned: 75 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I definitely feel a difference in varying conditions of temperature or humidity. I live in the SF Bay Area south of San Francisco. What I've noticed is that warm, mild humidty is the best condition for the car. Warm meaning 75 degrees. I've never driven the car in super hot weather (90 degrees +) but I've driven it in cold mornings around 40 degrees and it felt like crap. I did drive it one night with a moderate humidity with the temperature around 65 degrees and it was beautiful. __________________ SPECIAL EDITION VIN LISTS: Series.Blue/ Series.HyperBlue/ Series.Yellow/ 2018 tS / 50th Anniversary/ Series.Gray/ 2020 tS

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10-05-2016, 03:42 PM	#3
humfrz Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2013 FR-S, white, MT Location: Puyallup, WA Posts: 29,866 Thanks: 28,787 Thanked 31,813 Times in 16,424 Posts Mentioned: 708 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	With that small of change in humidity and temperature ........ I think your pants dyno is ah messen wich ya ......... humfrz

10-05-2016, 03:54 PM	#4
bababooey Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: BRZ SWP Limited -6MT Location: HillCountry-TX Posts: 420 Thanks: 145 Thanked 158 Times in 103 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	you can certainly tell difference between the dog shit hot texas summer days and a cool winter day on how the car breathes. but i cant perceive more humid to not, 400 miles from coast doesnt get quite as balmy.

10-05-2016, 05:11 PM	#7
new2subaru Weight Weenie Join Date: Aug 2015 Drives: 15 FR-S Location: Canada Posts: 2,584 Thanks: 5,015 Thanked 2,330 Times in 1,346 Posts Mentioned: 12 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Well, picture what you feel like after you get out of the shower (Wet)

10-05-2016, 06:49 PM	#11
krayzie Drive From Home Join Date: Dec 2013 Drives: BRZ STI Performance Location: Filth City Posts: 4,914 Thanks: 2,368 Thanked 3,111 Times in 2,007 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Spend a week in Asia during the mid summer and you will know what real humidity is.

10-05-2016, 09:07 PM	#12
Spacemane969 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Drives: 2013 ARGENTO A/T Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia, US Posts: 345 Thanks: 149 Thanked 136 Times in 68 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	So the consensus is that hot air (and not specifically humidity) is harder on the engine? What exactly causes the engine to choke on hotter temps? I've heard of track days getting ugly if the engine goes over temp but what is going on that makes this the case?

10-05-2016, 09:39 PM	#14
Lantana frs Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Drives: 13 frs red Location: Lantana fl Posts: 448 Thanks: 51 Thanked 198 Times in 115 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Also, the ecu doesnt like high iats. In south fl the car feels respectable in early am and relative dog shit in the afternoon.

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