Re: Air Dam Efficiency??

["Tom Forhan" <TFORHAN@hr.house.gov>]

     Mike,

     Note that here in the Balt-DC area, we have
     gotten out of the oxygenated gas program this winter,
     so "winter fuel" is not affecting your mileage.

     Tom F.


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Air Dam Efficiency??
Author:  QUATTROOWNER (INTERNET.QUATTRO2) at HR
Date:    11/7/95 12:08 PM


I bought a front air dam (skirt, whatever) back in mid-September.  It took me
about a month to get it installed, the thing finally went on during a Penn
State-Iowa game, about three weeks ago.  Since then, my gas mileage has dropped
significantly, like from 23 to around 18 MPG.  Because of the cooler weather,
the turbo kicks in real hard, so I'm not keeping my foot into it as much as I do
in the summer, PLUS I don't have to run the A/C anymore, so you'd figure I'd be
getting significantly better mileage, but the exact opposite is happening.
 I'm guessing that since my mileage is suffering horribly, the performance of
the car is probably suffering also.  Before I rip that damn thing off my car,
does anyone know why a simple air dam is wrecking havoc like this?  It seems to
me that the thing would actually enhace peformance and efficiency (at speed of
course) but it doesn't seem that it has.  I haven't done anything else to the
car since the addition of that air dam, and I'm still filing up at the exact
same gas station, so what gives???  Any ideas are greatly appreciated (Eric, I'm
expecting a full lecture on how I need to get those books & learn aerodynamics
:-)

--
-Mike
mikes@specnet.com
mks107@psuvm.psu.edu
87 5000CS TQ
84 5000S (2,000 miles away and a mile high)
90 80 (sibling's mode of transportation I get lynched into working on)