Why does my car feels faster on some days and slow on others?
03-29-2002, 09:07 AM
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Why does my car feels faster on some days and slow on others?
Can someone give me a good explaination? Two consecutive nights, one night car was a slug. Next night (last night) the car ran like it was struck by lightning.
What gives? Same tank of gas, about the same temperature. Although I think it was a little more humid last night.
What gives? Same tank of gas, about the same temperature. Although I think it was a little more humid last night.
03-29-2002, 09:17 AM
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"FEEL" is the key word...
your body isn't a highly tuned and calibrated measuring device and is prone to wild error.
There are a zillion things which can make your car's actual performance vary from day to day but ultimately, unless you measure a difference or can clearly discerne a problem, your body isn't calibrated to measure performance.
The only thing you feel is torque and lateral G and how your body senses motion can vary from minute to minute depending on acclimitization. Get in your car first thing and drive fast and it'll seem like you are going light speed, drive for 4 hours and 150 will seem like you're walking. Your metabolism adjusts for the processing rate that is required for the situation you are in (called "time dialation") and as soon as you get "used" to anything it seems normal.
For example, Michael Schumaker was saying he was bored in the Australian Grand Prix and was actually watching the track-side giant screen TVs to see what was going on behind him. 99.999% of people couldn't make 1 turn in an F1 car and this guy is so accustomed to the physical and mental demands that he gets BORED!
This is the trap because no matter HOW fast the vehicle you drive, you eventually get "used" to it.
There are a zillion things which can make your car's actual performance vary from day to day but ultimately, unless you measure a difference or can clearly discerne a problem, your body isn't calibrated to measure performance.
The only thing you feel is torque and lateral G and how your body senses motion can vary from minute to minute depending on acclimitization. Get in your car first thing and drive fast and it'll seem like you are going light speed, drive for 4 hours and 150 will seem like you're walking. Your metabolism adjusts for the processing rate that is required for the situation you are in (called "time dialation") and as soon as you get "used" to anything it seems normal.
For example, Michael Schumaker was saying he was bored in the Australian Grand Prix and was actually watching the track-side giant screen TVs to see what was going on behind him. 99.999% of people couldn't make 1 turn in an F1 car and this guy is so accustomed to the physical and mental demands that he gets BORED!
This is the trap because no matter HOW fast the vehicle you drive, you eventually get "used" to it.
03-29-2002, 09:18 AM
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Barometric pressure greatly effects forced induction cars.
I can tell when its about to rain soon when I'm driving my Porsche, Feels like someone is pushing a couple of extra psi into the intake......
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03-29-2002, 09:20 AM
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I had the same problem.....
Car was inconsistant regardless of temp- it was the coolant temp sensor, which was telling the engine it was cold, therefore adding more fuel and making it run rich- ask someone to follow you and see if you blow out some smoke during WOT. This puzzled me for the longest time and now the car runs GREAT!
03-29-2002, 09:22 AM
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Blowing smoke are for kids, I breathe fire!
I have no cats with downpipes w/ two resonators. I'll puff out smoke if I go WOT, between shift, mostly 2nd to 3rd, I'll shoot sparks.
