So i live in the eastern sierra nevadas for about a year now. I took a trip to sacramento to pick up some family members. I loved every minute of it, my car felt like it was new car off the line. It think it was due to elevation change from 8000 ft back down to sea level almost. Can any of you smart gentlemen or ladies tell me why and is there any way i can midigate this alt killing my power.

 

Well you were going down from rocky place to sea level so yea going downhill.

 

there air is more dense, AKA more explosion capability per unit volume of air.

think of going to the bottom of the pool with an empty 2 liter bottle capped off. it will collapse because of the pressure, now apply that with MILES and MILES of air pressing down on you. in your case 8000 feet will significantly change the density of the air.

 

The air is denser at lower altitudes. Your car has multiple sensors that constantly measure air density, temp, etc. In the days of carbs a change in elevation of 8000 feet would wreak havoc, today your car just adjusts. The only real answer to maintain power at high elevations would be to compress your intake charge, i.e. turbo or supercharger. If you drove a turbo car like an STI or EVO that change you noticed would have been amplified. My STI in the winter (if you can call it that in Florida) was a different car than in the summer. The key concept is that the denser the atmosphere the better, you can always compress your intake charge, but that heats the charge creating issues such as detonation.

 

I love Sea Level too.. good fishin.

 

lol

 

+1

Supercharge! hehe

 

Ef imagine your response if it would have been a cool day like the mid 30s/40s degrees, that's when our cars really respond. You might never have gone home....
Gary

 

Airplane motors are turbocharged for the same reason.