Weather dependent performance?

[niqui]

Hi,
lately I have been wondering if I am nuts or not.
It seems as though the performance of my car varies noticeably based on temperature.
I am not talking extreme temperature differences but say, 12c vs 25 c or so; the car feels like the power button is always on in the cold compared to when it is warmer...I feel like it is getting better now lately, used to the heat or something weird, but in early March to April it was quite noticeable.

I dont know if my performance mods could play a role, but I have an envy intake and vanguard exhaust, thats it.

Just curious, cause oil temp is pretty consistent.

[MrHarris]

I had the same problem. Once I put in a full exhaust and a tune, my car feels very fast even when it's 100degrees outside.

The tune is what really made the difference IMO. Not sure how or why, but the car just pulls hard at 100 degrees, while at 65 degrees it pulls very hard. Whereas just stock, it pulls decent at 100 degrees, and at 65 degrees it pulls hard.

I'd recommend a full x-pipe (catless or HFC), and a tune from a reputable company.

Hope that helps.

[M3Captain]

Atmospheric temperature and pressure, will affect the performance of an NA motor.

Colder temperatures make the air more dense resulting in more HP. Also, high pressure can make it feel like sea level or sometimes even lower.

Conversly, hot temperatures and low pressure can simulate thousands of feet above sea level.

Hope that helps.

[FruitCake]

air temperature and moisture makes a big big difference. On a cold spring day where the air is dry, the car runs like a monster.

[mixja]

Many ECUs also can have ignition timing or fuel correction maps based upon atmospheric conditions. So for example, your ECU might currently be programmed for a timing value of 28 degrees at a certain load point at 68F, but at 100F that timing value might be 25 degrees.

I've asked this question before on this forum and PencilGeek said there are no temperature correction maps in the case of the M3.

Like others have said, I do notice a difference in performance - the threshold for "lesser" performance seems to be > 22-24C, however I do live in a humid climate...

[Cab5er]

I notice it. My car runs better at night in the cool weather. I can hear the gruppeM better at night too. Maybe I'm hallucinating

[niqui]

thanks for all the info guys, surprising that its so noticeable...thought it would be more extreme temps.