power bump from cool weather

[ManBearPig]

I’m not new to performance cars, but I swear my mild bolt-on 2016 GT is more impacted by weather changes than any other car I’ve had before. In hot air during the summer the car just feels lazy and I’m always wishing for more power. Now that the weather is cooling off I remember how hard it pulls with nice cool air and a DA near zero.

Just curious, how much power is picked up from one extreme to the other? All other things being equal, Does the car make 20rwhp more in *35 air vs 90* air? 50? Surely not that much but it sure feels like it sometime.

Just wondering out loud

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[Thub]

Based on 300 who, on a correction factor calculator, you change 40 hp between 90 degrees Fahrenheit and 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I wouldn't have guessed it was that much myself

 

[3star2nr]

I’m not new to performance cars, but I swear my mild bolt-on 2016 GT is more impacted by weather changes than any other car I’ve had before. In hot air during the summer the car just feels lazy and I’m always wishing for more power. Now that the weather is cooling off I remember how hard it pulls with nice cool air and a DA near zero.

Just curious, how much power is picked up from one extreme to the other? All other things being equal, Does the car make 20rwhp more in *35 air vs 90* air? 50? Surely not that much but it sure feels like it sometime.

Just wondering out loud

It's how mustangs have always been they're moody cars. And sensative to weather. I think it has to do with how these cars do their air metering and ignition timing.

My old mustang would be really temperamental on cold mornings then would be fine later. The s550 is a lot more refined but she still has the mustang buck in her on cold mornings before the oil temps come up. And yes u will notice a power boost with the cooler denser air.

From what I understand the ECU will pull timing like crazy on hot days and will push the timing pretty savagely normally to use every drop of fuel u give it.

 

[Rjames18]

The colder the weather the more dense it is. Which essentially is more oxygen getting into the combustion chamber for each explosion. More oxygen = more POWAH BABY

 

[Stephen@lethal]

S550s have a very efficient design to them, great stock intakes and manifolds, so you'll see the difference in cold weather alot more than you would in another typically more restricted car.

 

[Bluemustang]

Just a thought - take a look at your MAF lb/min airflow at the rpm in which hp peaks in your datalogs. Once you've corrected for your fuel trim error and compared two logs (one from a hot day, and one from a cold day) that should give you a rough idea of how large the difference is. I'm leaving out a lot of assumptions but yeah.

Basically air density can make a huge difference. Cold temperatures usually means denser air. Also in the morning the air can be denser as it is closer to the ground.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Yeah, it finally cooled down here - well, for a couple of days, it's like 74° today - and for those couple of low 60s days, I could definitely feel a difference. I'm also on a FlexTune, running E, so that might even be more responsive to the cooler weather.

 

[Zinc03svt]

Yes, as stated, log maf counts on 40 degree day versus 90 degree. I’m 51-52 in cold air while only 48-49 in the heat. Car feels like it picks up 30-40 hp below 50 degrees.

 

[Bluemustang]

Yes, as stated, log maf counts on 40 degree day versus 90 degree. I’m 51-52 in cold air while only 48-49 in the heat. Car feels like it picks up 30-40 hp below 50 degrees.

It's also only relevant at the rpm in which hp peaks. Also, you may need to adjust it for fuel trim error as that can skew the MAF reading. It may not be a high as you think. This is a formula I found from Shaun AED on the forums. Supposedly, this should give you a pretty accurate measure of how much MAF you're getting.

LTFT x avg. of STFT 1 & 2 x maf lb/min

 

[Andy13186]

Your tires traction also goes down drastically in colder weather, breaking loose easier which makes the car feel more powerful

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