Why my van lost its power in the Rockies ?

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
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"Canada Smiling" wrote in message
...
Think about it
the higher you go the less air you have there for the less power you have
the higher you go the less pressure you have there for more pressure
leaks ie transmission and oil leaks
for every 1000 ft up you should drop top speed by 5-10mph

I have driven over several 11,000 foot passes and according
to your thinking my top speed should have been around 25mph


Then you were probably driving a newer car that didn't have any leaks and was
equipped with fuel injection. KM
--
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"Hatunen" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 02:42:49 -0400, "aa" wrote:

Crooked cas stations in heavily traveled high altitude locations
are famous for taking advantage of this by telling complaining
motorists they need the likes of an engine overhaul. I had a
friend that this was tried on in Flagstaff.


Yes, I ran into a crooked Union 76 station in Weed, California that was
selling 3/4 of a gallon and claiming it was a gallon. When I complained, the
extremely defensive attendant advised me that it takes a lot of gas to cross
the pass from Ashland, Oregon (he must have assumed I'd come that way since
the car had Oregon tags) and when I advised him that I hadn't come that way
and that I just put 5 more gallons in the car than it would hold, he was
stymied, but, not contrite. When I threatened to phone the attorney
general's office (and the office that's on the little sticker on the pump),
he begrudingly refunded some of my money saying he thought the owner's manual
for the car was wrong about the size of the gas tank! KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
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"Kaleb Axon" wrote in message
om...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...

It's not a good idea to take an older lowlands
car into the high Rockies, you're lucky it didn't die up there! KM

You must be joking. I live in Kansas City (750 feet) and go on yearly
trips above 10,000 feet, often in cars with ~200k miles, without a
single problem. It depends on the car's overall reliability and
mechanical condition, which can still be quite good in a car 10-15
years old.


It depends on the vehicle itself and the power to weight ratio which is
considerably better on a Corvette than a Ford Aerostar. He mentioned the
leaks the car had, so that should have given you a clue about the overall
condition. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
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"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...
"Canada Smiling" wrote in message
...
Think about it
the higher you go the less air you have there for the less power you
have
the higher you go the less pressure you have there for more pressure
leaks ie transmission and oil leaks
for every 1000 ft up you should drop top speed by 5-10mph

I have driven over several 11,000 foot passes and according
to your thinking my top speed should have been around 25mph


Then you were probably driving a newer car that didn't have any leaks and
was
equipped with fuel injection. KM

I was in line with a lot of other vehicles , the Tioga pass in
summer is busy, many were older and some towing trailers
yet the traffic did rather more than 25 mph. Another poster
got it about right I believe , you should expect to lose
around 3-4% power per 1000ft elevation. At 10,000 ft
you still have 2/3 the power at sea level and with most cars
thats adequate.

Keith

"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Kaleb Axon" wrote in message
om...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...

It's not a good idea to take an older lowlands
car into the high Rockies, you're lucky it didn't die up there! KM

You must be joking. I live in Kansas City (750 feet) and go on yearly
trips above 10,000 feet, often in cars with ~200k miles, without a
single problem. It depends on the car's overall reliability and
mechanical condition, which can still be quite good in a car 10-15
years old.


It depends on the vehicle itself and the power to weight ratio which is
considerably better on a Corvette than a Ford Aerostar. He mentioned the
leaks the car had, so that should have given you a clue about the overall
condition. KM

But the only leaks were in the transmission and on the climbs
which tends to suggest the problem wasnt just a leaky tranny

Keith

"Frank F. Matthews" wrote in message
...
That will get less air. The claim was that the air has a lower
percentage of oxygen. FFM

There is a lower percentage of oxygen per unit volume!
(and a lower percentage of Nitrogen and everything else)

On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:53:52 +0100, "Mark Hewitt"
wrote:


"Frank F. Matthews" wrote in message
.. .
That will get less air. The claim was that the air has a lower
percentage of oxygen. FFM

There is a lower percentage of oxygen per unit volume!
(and a lower percentage of Nitrogen and everything else)

Um, no. The *percentages* stay the same. The total *pressure* is less
so the *partial pressures* are less. ie there are fewer molecules in
the same volume. So the *percentage* of oxygen is the same but the
*amount* of oxygen is less.

--
Don Cates "he's a cunning rascal" (PN)

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Kaleb Axon" wrote in message
om...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
It's not a good idea to take an older lowlands
car into the high Rockies, you're lucky it didn't die up there! KM

You must be joking. I live in Kansas City (750 feet) and go on yearly
trips above 10,000 feet, often in cars with ~200k miles, without a
single problem. It depends on the car's overall reliability and
mechanical condition, which can still be quite good in a car 10-15
years old.

It depends on the vehicle itself and the power to weight ratio which is
considerably better on a Corvette than a Ford Aerostar. He mentioned the
leaks the car had, so that should have given you a clue about the overall
condition. KM

But the only leaks were in the transmission and on the climbs
which tends to suggest the problem wasnt just a leaky tranny


You mean the only leaks he knew about were in the transmission. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...
I have driven over several 11,000 foot passes and according
to your thinking my top speed should have been around 25mph

Then you were probably driving a newer car that didn't have any leaks and
was
equipped with fuel injection. KM

I was in line with a lot of other vehicles , the Tioga pass in
summer is busy, many were older and some towing trailers
yet the traffic did rather more than 25 mph. Another poster
got it about right I believe , you should expect to lose
around 3-4% power per 1000ft elevation. At 10,000 ft
you still have 2/3 the power at sea level and with most cars
thats adequate.

Keith


Although it is honest to suggest that the Colorado Rockies do seem to have
lighter atmosphere and are harder on old cars and people than anything in
California, including Tioga Pass and Donner's Pass. I'm not sure why.
Distance from the ocean? Dunno. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 08:21:31 GMT, "alohacyberian"
wrote:

"aa" wrote in message
. ..
Maybe someone know the answer for the question:
why my van lost its power in the Rockies ?


The atmospheric pressure in Colorado is a lot less than it is at sea level,
therefore, you can expect a little more leakage. The percent of oxygen in
the Colorado Rockies is quite a bit less than it is at sea level,

My Meteorology 301 class taught me the relative percentage of oxygen is the
same throughout the troposphere. Has some new science been done which
shows otherwise?

snip




--
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