A fast car is the dream of every motorist but is adding horsepower to your automobile entirely a good thing? The answer to this question is not simple, as there are both pros and cons to such alterations. You don’t have to be a mechanic to understand them all, but you do need to have enough information so you could make the final decision. The factors involved in supercharging or even turbocharging your vehicle are numerous but they can be broken down into the following 6 points for you to ponder on.
The issue of control
The biggest concern car owners express regarding adding horsepower is whether the will be able to handle all the power at high speeds. This question is justified but a bit off target. Namely, it is not so much about control, that you have even while driving a monster truck, but about your skills and the ability to adjust. The car will no longer respond as it used to, so you have to be able to adjust to these changes in the steering system.
Furthermore, you have to be careful about how much power you add because of the car’s performance rate. It was designed and assembled according to certain standards that you are now irreversibly changing. For instance, the car will no longer weigh the same and that fact alone combined with extra power, will result in an altered driving experience. Remember, supercharging does not mean creating a virtually new car, just improving the performance of the existing vehicle.
Pedal down, hopes up
You shouldn’t be unrealistic about what you expect adding horsepower will bring to your car. Superchargers do increase the power of the engine by more than a third of its factory power but this increase is not instantaneous. When you press the pedal (to the metal), for the first couple of seconds nothing will happen, as the turbocharger kicks in later on. This means that you must have patience starting the car, switching it unto turbo mode, and handling it on the road.
A knocking sound
All that extra power means that combustion inside the motor happens in a split second. Because the spark is that fast, turning the charger on implies a loud bang. This noise is not pleasant and many drivers complain about it but it is inevitable. Furthermore, it is a sound of something bad taking place under the hood of your car, as sudden combustion does damage the engine, shortening its lifespan.
A visit to the mechanic
You know how some medications require you to see a doctor before using them? Well, cars are no different, as the car needs to be 100% in order before supercharging it. That is why you have to take the vehicle to a certified car service center where the mechanics will have a good look at it and run a diagnostics test. Only after they confirm that everything is OK with your car, from the taillight to the exhaust pipe, you can start envisioning all the details of the upgrade. A check-up like this is necessary because all parts are going to be under additional stress with all that horsepower added. The slightest of cracks inside the car could spell disaster while driving.
The issue of warranty
We presume that you have decided to add horsepower to a car you have owned quite a number of years and you think it doesn’t throw a punch as you’d like it to. This is perfectly understandable but problems can arise if you decide to pimp out a recently purchased car. If the vehicle in question is still under warranty, then making alteration could make you lose it. A supercharger and a turbocharger are considered as alterations to the car that change the traits of the passenger vehicle you have bought from the dealer, so they can no longer guarantee for its proper functioning. This does not come as a surprise since all that extra horsepower and weight really do change the original car that was delivered to you.
The car’s computer
A modern supercharger relies on hi-tech solutions to operate properly. In order for the charger to give its max, your car’s computer needs to be calibrated correctly. This can be done at a car service center that we have mentioned previously or you can do it yourself. Of course, the initial setting is going to be carried out by the mechanics but you can maintain the software yourself and carry out minor settings. This is why you need to get well acquainted with the computer inside your car and start using the features you never thought of clicking on before. Extra horsepower does not only impact the hardware but the software of your car as well.
Since the brunt of the final decision is up to you, pros and cons of supercharging your car should be something you are fully aware of. Only then can you reach a decision that will guarantee maximum performance and maximum safety inside your four-wheeler.
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