Does your car sound meaner when it rains...

[Truman325i]

My car seems to have a mean stronger enginge noise when its been raining outside , anyone else notice this . Also Maybe its my CAI I dunno , any input.

[qidm67]

um....no, but when its colder yes

[jijacob]

Yes, when it rains it does. Er, not even when it rains, but just when it is really damp or has a cold humidity outside. Basically the water vapor in the air helps with the combustion and not only makes your car run better but gives you a little extra HP to boot.

[GoodguyFly]

Yes, when it rains it does. Er, not even when it rains, but just when it is really damp or has a cold humidity outside. Basically the water vapor in the air helps with the combustion and not only makes your car run better but gives you a little extra HP to boot.

I did not know this.

[RahgBag]

I've always wondered this, but I always thought that it was just a placebo effect.

[qidm67]

Yes, when it rains it does. Er, not even when it rains, but just when it is really damp or has a cold humidity outside. Basically the water vapor in the air helps with the combustion and not only makes your car run better but gives you a little extra HP to boot.
can you further elaborate on this I'm still puzzled. Unless there are more oxygen bonds in water???? Which aren't?

[mrbill]

You guys actually drive your cars in the rain??? Not me, that's why I have a Jeep Cherokee too! ;)


JK, I have noticed that. I live on the coast and we get a lot of fog and when it's foggy it runs better.

[Nataliator]

i notice a difference in the rain, but i try not to drive hard in the rain, mostly because its raining.

PS - bustamove thats sick that you did the "girlfriend delete mod"

[doulos4jc]

Nope, sounds the same, just louder :eyecrazy

[motoracr22]

Yes, when it rains it does. Er, not even when it rains, but just when it is really damp or has a cold humidity outside. Basically the water vapor in the air helps with the combustion and not only makes your car run better but gives you a little extra HP to boot.

Not quite, it's not water vapor that helps combustion. It's cooler, denser air that has more o2 in the same volume of air.

[Tochenzo]

i always thought m ycar drove worse in the rain lol, but when it's cool its cruisin :evil2

[Acs328i]

when i hit puddles the water splashes up and hits my belts, and they always squeal for a second around 2500 rpms its weird, i gotta get one of thsoe aluminum underpanels

[jijacob]

It is something like that. I was told this by my Grandfather, a Porche and VW diehard, and he mentioned something about Water vapor and more oxygen. I'll pay more attention when he tells me random stuff like that now that I have a car.

[dfyoung10]

I've always thought my cars ran better in cool foggy weather. I know some old high performance airplane motors used water injection for additional HP, kinda like NOS today.

[gtx510]

more moisture in the air or cooler air is going to help prevent detonation, so there'll be less knock, your ECU can tell this and dials in more timing. That's probably what causes the change in sound that you can hear. all those factors will also add power.

[Mr.M]

The extra noise is due to hydrolock :devillook

[scabzzzz]

Does your car seem faster when you're drunk?? i know mine does.

[RobertK]

Does your car seem faster when you're drunk?? i know mine does.

LOL.. that's because the alcohol vapor from your breath bonds to the oxygen and helps the combustion in your engine.:buttrock

[Truman325i]

true story.

[dfyoung10]

Racing another car with similar or better performance makes your car feel slow.

[jr1966]

My car seems to have a mean stronger enginge noise when its been raining outside , anyone else notice this . Also Maybe its my CAI I dunno , any input.

it should be stronger due to cold dense air, not noisier.

[maxima'90]

It's not the moisture, it's just the cold air. It's like and intercooler, cold = dense = more O2 molicules = bigger bang. The damp should actually make less power because then there is water molicules taking the place of O2. Dry and cold, like in the winter, is when you make the most power.

[Alpine 318is]

thats fricken interesting. I guess im starting to like the rainy city more.

[redline effect]

my car sounds meaning when going threw tunnels.

I dont drive in the rain.

[HotWater]

Yea...mine does. Evertime I walk by it in the rain "Hey Nick...you suck" my car is downright angry.

No but really. My old turbo Honda in the rain and when it was colder out was great. You get that front mount wet, and the cooling properties change.

[gtx510]

Moisture does effect HP. Look into hp or 1/4-mile time corrections that are based on altitude, air temp, and humidity. The drag guys have used them for years and the dyno at the shop I used to work at had the correction software built right in.

Moisture in the air, while it takes up space that could be occupied by air and fuel, helps to reduce detonation, the ECU will see that as lees knock and bump up the timing. To the ECU it's like running better gas.