Surely you will be setting out at this time of year or thinking of leaving the cold of Bogota and spending this season. vacation in hot lands. heatstroke, mosquito repellent, etc. You have taken all precautions to prevent it, clean clothes, comfortable shoes, drinks, air conditioning or a fan, but have you thought about what could happen to your car?
Our geography enables us to move from cold climates to temperate climates in a short time with relative ease, without traveling long distances. This change has an impact on the behavior of the engines, such that many people think the car drives better.
There are those who think that this change is due to temperature, but the main reason is altitude, because in some countries it is possible to be at sea level at very low temperatures, even below zero degrees. This is the explanation for understanding why manufacturers test their new models at sea level where maximum power and torque values are reached.
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According to calculations, there is a 10% power loss for every thousand meters of altitude. In the case of Bogotá, about 26 horses fall from naturally aspirated or naturally aspirated engines. When it comes to a turbocharger, it makes up for that shortcoming because what it does is inject more air and higher pressure into the chambers.
Now, at higher altitudes, oxygen is not less, the ratio is always the same (21 percent), but the atmospheric pressure is lower, making it difficult to obtain the amount of oxygen necessary for precise combustion.
Combustion engines need two important elements, gasoline and air, in a very delicate mixture to operate. The first thing to understand is to know that combustion is a chemical reaction in which a fuel (gasoline, ACPM, alcohol or gas) is rapidly oxidized.
For this, a fuel is needed, which is the oxygen of the air, which, with an increase in temperature, reacts with the carbon of the fuel and creates a high-speed ignition that pushes the pistons. So in “hot terrain” the engine has much higher torque or starting as there is “thicker” air and therefore greater internal reaction and consequently more power. Or, in other words, the car feels more agile, accelerates more, but sometimes fails to reach its top speed on cold ground or at altitude because the density of the air makes it less resistant to progress.
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What about engines, heat and altitude? When any gas is compressed, in this case the air/gasoline mixture, the pressure and temperature of the element always increase. When this condition exceeds certain limits, the mixture spontaneously ignites before the spark from the spark plug jumps out, producing an audible internal wave shock, known as the piston sound.
There are two ways to avoid this: one is necessary with the right engine settings, the other is by adding octane-calibrated elements, that is, extra gasoline, to eliminate the burning rate of gasoline.
When you’re on a hot floor, there’s an additional component that increases the operating temperature of the engine and brings the knocking event closer. It is air that cools the engine as it passes through the radiator of water that will come 10 degrees or more relative to “cold lands” such as the Bogotá savanna.
Therefore, it is normal for the thermometer to rise higher than normal in many cases and is not a concern as long as the pointer does not enter the red zone of the instrument or illuminate the indicator. In addition, these additional degrees are added to the degrees formed in the combustion chambers to make pistons more comfortable.
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It is also necessary to take into account that when you reach a traffic jam on the highway, this is a very normal situation at this time, the engine can overheat more easily if all systems are not ready, since the radiator is not sufficiently cooled by current. cloudy weather.
If the feared ‘overheating’ occurs, do not open the top as the system is under pressure. The radiator cap keeps water under pressure of 12 pounds or more to raise the boiling point and prevent air bubbles from forming on hot engine parts that can heat up, swell and create what is known as “melt-down” of certain components. or a burnt cylinder head gasket.
The system works just like the pressure cooker in the kitchen, where pressure is generated so that the water does not boil at its normal point, at 100 degrees at sea level, at about 90 degrees at 2,640 meters from Bogota, which makes the food faster and faster. softer.
At low altitude the car will walk more, have more power, need less gas and consume slightly less fuel. However, the trip to hot terrain has effects on other elements such as the mechanical or automatic gearbox and brakes, but the negative consequences of a possible failure are closely related to driving.
When it comes to gearboxes, and especially automatic ones, the best option when going downhill is to do it in manual mode, in third gear, or better yet, in the gear you use to go up that hill. car roll powered by the engine without pressing the accelerator pedal.
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By the way, this saves a lot of gas. The traffic doesn’t allow any more unless you need to bypass it. If you keep a discreet distance from the vehicle in front, you’re not only doing the box a favor, but the brakes as well, because you’ll have to use them less.
The same advice is almost certain for automatic boxes ‘on the way up’ to Bogota. This is because in automatic mode (D) the box will constantly search for the best gear uphill but as traffic is not flowing this will cause the unit to overheat and possibly neutralize until it cools down. If this happens to you, stop the vehicle and ventilate well for at least a quarter of an hour because the oil cools very slowly.
As for the brakes, the first piece of advice is not to abuse the pedal. If it gets hard or spongy, it’s best to drive very slowly, if possible and safe, as the liquid will lose any overheating bubbles between the discs and pads. The best way to cool the brakes is to walk, which is done through the ducts where the discs get fresh air, allowing it to pass through those channels and finally dispersing through the holes in the rims. If it stops, all the heat will concentrate more on the discs, pads and shoes as the airflow is cut off.
To no avail, fill the brake fluid reservoir if it is below the level, which indicates wear on the pads, for this they must be replaced, and in the meantime, drain the entire hydraulic system and change the fluid . Do not store any leftovers, discard any excess as it will be contaminated after opening the bottle.
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Finally, there is a key point: tire pressure. This increases as the ground conducts more heat to them by walking longer at a higher speed. The tire is basically heated by its rotation because it flattens as it passes through the ground, which causes the steel cords in its casing to have heat-generating friction, causing the air to gain more pressure. Therefore, you need to calibrate the tires when they are cold. Secondly, you must consider the load capacity of the vehicle, do not exceed these limits.
Park in the shade.
When it comes to cars, the famous saying that a good tree has a good shadow doesn’t apply. Bird droppings are very harmful to paint, it’s best to find another indoor place and use squeegee curtains to prevent damage to the interior and overheating inside.
from the cabin.
Use the air conditioner, it is an element that not only gives you comfort, but also helps you to drive more awake than sleep above 30 degrees.
Keep glasses clean.
If insects stick to the windshield during the journey, do not use the wipers, stop and wash the glass. Liquid dish soap is a good option.
Finally, do not forget to have all documents in order, transit and driver’s license, technical-mechanical inspection and Soat. Print it out even though it’s digital because some parts of the roads don’t have internet.
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Source: Exame
