{"id":62916,"date":"2023-08-19T23:41:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-19T22:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carmart.africa\/blog\/?p=62916"},"modified":"2023-08-19T23:41:29","modified_gmt":"2023-08-19T22:41:29","slug":"heres-why-your-car-engine-loses-power-over-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carlots.ng\/motoring\/heres-why-your-car-engine-loses-power-over-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Why Your Car Engine Loses Power Over Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Besides the 0-60 Km\/h, one of the most common ways you can compare two cars\u2019 performance is horsepower<\/a>. And owners often install mods like performance exhausts and turbochargers to give their engines more power.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, not only is your engine\u2019s quoted horsepower not always accurate, but it\u2019s also not static. Over time, no matter what kind of tuning you\u2019ve done, your engine will lose power. But there is something you can do about it. What\u2019s that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does a Car Engine Produce Power? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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9 Major Reasons Why A Car Engine Overheats<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Whether your car burns fuel or diesel, it makes power via combustion. Air is sucked into the combustion chamber and mixed with a spray of fuel. This gets compressed by the piston and ignited, either with a spark plug (gasoline) or further compression (diesel). The resulting explosion forces the piston down and produces horsepower and torque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An electric car\u2019s motor doesn\u2019t rely on combustion. However, it still produces power thanks to chemical reactions within its battery. And, like a combustion engine\u2019s power output, it can be measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The device doing the measuring is the dynamometer or \u2018dyno.\u2019 There are 2 basic types, this expert<\/em><\/a> explains, a chassis dyno, and an engine dyno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several kinds of chassis dyno, but the most common is the \u2018rolling-road\u2019 drum-roller type. The car is first set into position with its drive wheels on the rollers. The tester floors the accelerator, which spins up the drum rollers. The rotation is used to calculate wheel torque, which is converted into horsepower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though a chassis dyno reports wheel horsepower, it doesn\u2019t report crank horsepower. That\u2019s where the engine dyno comes in. Instead of spinning rollers, the engine is bolted directly to the dyno. Based on how much force the dyno uses to hold the engine at a given speed, it calculates engine output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, Motor Trend<\/em><\/a> discovered when it dyno-tested the C8 Corvette, dynos aren\u2019t infallible. However, they can validate manufacturer claims. Plus, they also help tuners boost performance. Or, see how much power has escaped from an engine over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Then Causes Engine Power Loss?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Swapping
Is It Easy To Swap Your Engine? How Much Does It Cost in Nigeria?<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In using a chassis dyno, there\u2019s already some engine power loss going on. The transmission, driveshaft, differential, and wheel hubs all absorb a portion of the engine\u2019s output. The rule of thumb states the drivetrain causes a 15% power loss. Today, though, even AWD and 4WD drivetrains don\u2019t cause more than 10% loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the engine power loss from time and wear is separate, explains  Jalopnik<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> and Road & Track<\/em><\/a>. A combustion engine needs air, fuel, compression, and a spark. If one of those 4 is missing, the engine loses power or stops working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n