HAI Experiment

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by maximilian

How high do cheapo outdoor temp sensors usually read anyway?

I dropped one behind the radiator in my truck and I've read as high as 150 - 160. Surely on the back of the package it should say what the range of use is.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Wow, that's pretty high. Impressive.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Originally Posted by theholycow

as with every other experiment that's been done or linked in this debate, each is only regarding one specific car; at most, it can prove or disprove that it will affect that one model.

Long-term results are harder to refute.

I guess the best we could aspire to would be a database of long term results, by make and model. If I made an online Google spreadsheet (not a DB but probably good enough), would anybody use it? If so, I'd appreciate suggestions as to the best way to organize it.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

I would think that without knowing the temp that the intake was at, you can't really tell anything unless there is a change in MPG.

if there isn't a change, you don't really know if you have changed the temps enough. I see quite a change from ambient on mine but there again, I am taking heat directly off of the exhaust manifold. I would think that you won't see that much of a change in temp where you are getting yours. I may be wrong but without proper instrumentation, we won't know.

you may only get a 20 degree difference from ambient, you may get a 50 degree difference.

I hope this test shows a difference but if it does or doesn't, what does it really mean? this test may just lead to another one. I guess we will see in a week or so.

[Jay2TheRescue]

With a grille block and a warmed up engine I can usually get temps of about 40 over ambient, but I do want to rig up something off the manifold to boost my temps higher. About the highest I've seen is about 160F, and that was on a 100 degree day with a grille block and the AC on max.

-Jay

[theholycow]

My VW, wearing 100% grille block, reached 140F in 60F ambient (or whatever the temp was yesterday). I wasn't on my normal route and couldn't compare MPG.

[GasSavers_NovaResource]

Despite a longer bout of taking written content as constructive and friendly, user has managed to feel the whole world is against him. Post deleted.

[Philip1]

I don't think he was discrediting you he was suggesting more data will be better.

[R.I.D.E.]

Just my opinion, but I would tend to believe when you get past a certain temperature there is certainly the potential for the law of diminishing returns to apply.

Highest ambient temperatures recorded in the US is something like 137 degrees. My unsubstantiated opinion would be somewhere at that temp, possibly lower the feedback system may be going into some kind of failsafe mode, which could cost you mileage.

It may also be that there is a practical limit to the positive effects of warm of hot air intakes, to the point where you actually lower the balance between improved atomization and effective compression, with effective compression overwhelming the effects of improved atomization. This thought is based on the understanding that the density of air is 80% at 200 degrees compared to the same air at 32 degrees (farenheit in both cases).

Since the final control of all modern EFI systems is the oxygen sensor, it would seem that either above or below some ideal balance point of temperature and the resulting lower effective compression, the ideal intake air temperature would probably be somewhere around 100 degrees.

For those who maintain precise records of their mileage and travel consistent routes that would lend themselves to precise repetition you might be able to extrapolate the best temp from that data. The negative side of those observations would be you would have to eliminate AC usage to remove the load of the AC system from the equasion.

regards
gary

[GasSavers_BEEF]

in the end...

I don't need convincing, I am already reaping the benefits of this very low cost modification. anyone (and I mean anyone) that wishes to experiment, Have fun.

I have more important things in my life to worry about right now.