How do u measure ur car performance without a dyno?

[D7zul]

Dear Friends,

We all love our cars & like to improve our rides (if u're not, u won't come to ZTH, right?)

I would like to know how do u measure improvement of torque & hp without putting ur car to a dyno machine..?

Especially after u bolt on some simple performance part..

Let me share how i do it 1st.. i'm not a pro.. so, my method is not exactly correct..


IDLE SPEED
the 1st thing i would do is take note what rpm my engine idle before and after i bolt on the part..

usually, i notice an increase of 100 to 200 rpm after i put something good.. it would be more if i put something really good..

and no change or lower if i put something bad..


HOW LOW CAN U GO
2ndly, i would test drive my car until the highest gear.. then, slow it down to 40km/h.. after that, full throttle.. & see if my car rattling or drive like normal..

if it goes like normal.. it's good news.. if it goes better than b4, even better

if not, there's something wrong..

this i think measures ur low rpm torque

Note : u must measure before & after u put the parts


GADGET
I have an application on my android phone & it's called 'Car Performance'..

i use it to measure 0-100km/h , quater mile timing, etc..

but it's not very accurate..



So, if u have better method and/or wanna share any gadget, feel free to post it here..

 

[6UE5t]

Hmm for idle speed, what's your reasoning for testing it as such? Because if the bolt on parts are designed to operate in still the same standard idle speed or shold be tuned to also return to the same std idle speed then you would not notice by doing this.

For low end grunt, it depends on what is the purpose of your engine mod. Big turbos and high cams for example often they will actually give worse low end torque.

I think you'd still need some measuring device to give more accurate estimate of acceleration, maybe something like the APEXI revspeed meter?

 

[D7zul]

yes, APEXI revspeed meter is better than the apps on my phone coz it's plugged in the car my apps measures using GPS on the phone..

for big turbo & high cams i think.. that's the final stage of tuning.. if u can afford that, dyno tuning is also affordable to u..

and i forgot to mention this is for simple mods like spark plug, CAI, etc.. my bad :embarassed:

the idle speed i usually notice a difference whenever i do something good to my car.. but of coz this is momentary (10-15 minutes) bcoz my ECU would adjust it back to regular idle speed

i believe idle speed also determine the power created by using the same amount of petrol..

if u burn ur petrol completely, u'll get the most power out of it.. don't u think?

but again.. this is all debatable..

but for me.. i alway tune my car using this formula

MORE FUEL + MORE AIR + MORE SPARK = MORE POWER

any1 else wanna share ur thoughts?

 

[MKMD428]

the obsolete G tech pro.

 

[Izso]

Yeah. G-tech pro and general feel of the car. I'm sure if you drive a car long enough any small differences you'll notice. Ie- butt dyno!

 

[nappx]

Measure performance without dyno...after change part..
Feeling@notice slight improvement lol..
Ex..
change new engine oil after 5k run...feel smooth a bit
Upgrade engine oil from semi to fully...wow engine slight lighter during revvv..
Change from..stock air filter to drop in to open port to open air funnel...woww..got pickup a bit lorrr or got diff sound..
Change cable plug..feel got more power, rensponsive, better audio sound lorr
Drop aftermarket cam...wahh..notice powerband diffrent in seturn rpm..
Change xtractor..got pickup lorrr...
Change exhaust set..feel good at pickup or top speed..
Etc lah...but u can measure when friendly test with ur friend..ohh..last time result like this..now like this..

Last time i use some device can show hp..sumthing in graph when drive..only for view...accuracy...still not sure la..later i sold it.
But to measure figure without dyno is difficult...only can measure by how fast it go..time vs speed..
My cent opinion...

 

[D7zul]

a quick search on the net & i found that G tech pro is a simple device that's only have to plug on the cigarette plug..

how do i get my hand on it? any1 can help?


about RSM.. lots of wires.. need a pro to install, right?

 

[Izso]

a quick search on the net & i found that G tech pro is a simple device that's only have to plug on the cigarette plug..

how do i get my hand on it? any1 can help?


about RSM.. lots of wires.. need a pro to install, right?

How do you get your hands on one? You buy one

 

[D7zul]

How do you get your hands on one? You buy one

hahaha.. i know..

where to buy? any body selling?

 

[MKMD428]

overboost motorsport and kakimotor sells the new and much upgraded G tech pro.

much much much better than the old one.

 

[cvkit17]

Yeah. G-tech pro and general feel of the car. I'm sure if you drive a car long enough any small differences you'll notice. Ie- butt dyno!

I believe most people who mod their car will feel different after installing something that claimed to improve the car performance. Many are psychologically influenced. So if wana test the car by feeling...get someone else to test it, especially women and dont tell them you've done something to the car lol

Other than dyno, is there any other device or system that can measure the kW produced?

 

[ixeo]

"Performance" is very subjective. Without a real dyno chart it is hard to quantify especially for street cars.

For example, on NA car, say you mod exhaust system, power at low revs is lower than stock, but peak power went up by 10% at 5k rpm and up. so if you were to do a 0-400 meter run, your time might be faster, but daily driving shifting below 4000rpm your car is gonna drive like crap because the torque and power is lower than stock at those revs.

I think people are too obsessed with peak power numbers which is not really important for a street car. Power curve is more important. Its rather silly "upgrading" the car to produce higher peak power at 6k-7k rpm, but lower the power curve between 2k to 4k rpm. Why? Because 99% of the time, on the street, you will be driving between 2k to 4k rpm (unless its a Kancil I guess).

In this context, I think bike enthusiasts have a better grasp of power curve, given that most bikes revs to 11k rpm and up, and they determine if the bike is suitable for urban/highway/touring etc. by looking at the power curve.. that's true understanding between man and machine.

also, without a power curve, you won't be able to understand how the power is delivered.. yes..maybe Car A makes 500 bhp at 8000rpm, and Car B makes *only* 200 bhp @ 6000rpm. Assuming Car A is massively turbo lagged, and Car B is N/A. On a small track or on the street, Car B has a distinct advantage, whereas on drags Car A will wipe the floor.