Running a WAI through the wringer

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by BEEF

the IAT temps seem to be around the range that I usually run.

the coolant temps you are talking about are pretty scary to me. I would definitely change something. we have seen quite a few 90+ degree days this past summer (maybe a few 100 degree) and my temps run right around the 190 mark. not sure but I think I have a 195 thermostat.

it really isn't worth screwing up your motor. I will say that you stayed with it and gave it a descent go but maybe it is time to move on from this as your intake temps probably are pushing your coolant temps up at least to some extent.

and power does go down the crapper. once you hit the 200ish mark for IAT, you really notice it.

I would also be very careful not to push it to much with these high ect's.

Your car is on the verge of going into limp mode to save the engine.

[Philip1]

I think you have definitively proven that vehicles equipped with air flow meters do not benefit from WAI/HAI

[bobc455]

Which kinda surprised me.

I seem to always notice that warmer weather creates better MPG, and I would think that the warmer the intake charge the more efficient your combustion would be (to a much more noticable extent).

Interesting stuff.

-Bob C.

[Project84]

I'd say warmer weather doesn't have much/anything to do with a HAI.

I think warmer weather produces better FE based on a few observations.

Warmer weather has these advantages vs. colder weather:

*takes less time for engine to reach operating temp.
*little/no idle time to warm up or because of snow conditions/traffic related to weather.
*warm weather will produce a warmer tire that will "self inflate" a few psi generally speaking when driven on a hot road surface vs. ice cold pavement.
*warmer weather people tend to take more trips/longer drives/routes vs. colder weather only driving from A-B with little time to warm the engine thoroughly.

There are probably more advantages but that's all I've got at the moment.

I bet his combustion would be more efficient if his engine wasn't fighting his modification.

[add|ct]

I'd be curious to see if a similar size engine would do better that doesn't have a MAF sensor at all.

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by Project84

I'd say warmer weather doesn't have much/anything to do with a HAI.

I think warmer weather produces better FE based on a few observations.

Warmer weather has these advantages vs. colder weather:

*takes less time for engine to reach operating temp.
*little/no idle time to warm up or because of snow conditions/traffic related to weather.
*warm weather will produce a warmer tire that will "self inflate" a few psi generally speaking when driven on a hot road surface vs. ice cold pavement.
*warmer weather people tend to take more trips/longer drives/routes vs. colder weather only driving from A-B with little time to warm the engine thoroughly.

There are probably more advantages but that's all I've got at the moment.

I bet his combustion would be more efficient if his engine wasn't fighting his modification.

WOW thats what I was going to write about next?

One thing I would like to add to the list is from the aero side of things.
Air density. Warmer air is less dense. So its easier for the car to cut through it.

[FrugalFloyd]

Wednesday's high temps worried me, too, but the coolant temp alarm light only went on about 2 miles from home, and only stayed on about 1/4 mile. When the temperature alarm kicked on, I was accelerating up an incline. I immediately slowed down, and the light went off. I coasted most of the rest of the way home. I checked the coolant level the next morning and made sure it was normal.

Ambient temps dropped to 80 yesterday and today, and the xB showed normal coolant temperatures of 204 degrees. I did some more BAB testing of the WAI at 55 mph, cruise-controlled, on a 9.9 mile loop to even out hills, wind, etc.

First I ran a B test with the WAI connected.

          IAT/FIA    FWT    mpg
----------------------------------------
B (WAI)    118.4    204.8    41.6
A (ctrl)    91.4    203       42.5
B (WAI)    127.4    201.8     42.8

Once again, no benefits from my WAI.

All this testing didn't hurt my mpg. I averaged 49.0 mpg for the tank, 518.4 miles on 10.575 gals.

[Project84]

Originally Posted by add|ct

I'd be curious to see if a similar size engine would do better that doesn't have a MAF sensor at all.

Yes. Example - Saturn S-series.

What's got me curious now is whether or not the old "resistor mod" would work on a MAF car since it was tried/abandoned on non MAF cars showing no positive gains.

[FrugalFloyd]

Not much new to report, but I thought you all might get a kick out of seeing my lower grill blocks.

I've kept my WAI connected up all Winter. It doesn't improve my FE any, but I figure it has to help my warm-up times. As it is, I can drive >4 miles before the engine coolant temps (FWT) go up to 137 degrees F.

[FrugalFloyd]

Did some AB testing of my WAI/CAI today. I'd checked the WAI side pretty thoroughly, but not the CAI side. My setup allows my air intake access to cool air in front of the front fender, so I did some test runs. AIT = air intake temperature, FWT = Fahrenheit water temperature. Conditions were not good, with >30 mph variable gusting crosswinds.

A test: WAI air with grill block 114.8 F AIT, 203 FWT, 48.8 mpg
B test: CAI with grill block 80.6 F AIT, 203 FWT, 48.1 mpg
C test: CAI and ambient air (grill block removed) 69.8 F AIT, 185 FWT, 47.5 mpg

Previous testing showed no significant difference between A&B testing. I may have to repeat AC testing as ACA testing under better wind conditions, to tease out the possible correlation seen today with the non-grill-blocked CAI 1.3 mpg worse than the grill-blocked WAI. It's most likely testing error, but I'd like to neaten the results up. If there is a loss of mpg with the CIA, is it offset by shorter pulse times?

My local Sheriff's Dept. stopped to check what I was doing when I was removing my grill blocks. I think they were more relieved to learn I wasn't a litterer than they were interested in my mpg experiments.