How to make your car better

When most cars are built, the manufacturer builds them with many factors in mind. They try to consider what consumers may want. They try to make the car work well, consume a lot of fuel, run quietly and ride smoothly on the road. Many of them will counteract others, so it becomes a balancing act. Performance and power become a compromise to make the car quieter and more economical. But there are some modifications that can be made to your car to bring back some of these characteristics.

Part 1 of 6: Understanding your vehicle

Basically, your engine is a glorified air compressor. This means you can get more performance out of it if you can bring in and out more air quickly and efficiently.

• Air enters the engine through the air intake. The intake consists of an air filter, an air filter housing and an air tube connecting the filter housing to the engine.

• Air exits the engine through the exhaust system. Once combustion occurs, the exhaust air is forced out of the engine through the exhaust manifold into the catalytic converter and exits the muffler through the exhaust pipes.

• Power is generated inside the engine. This occurs when the air/fuel mixture is ignited by the ignition system. The larger the combustion chamber inside the engine and the more precise the air/fuel mixture, the greater the power produced.

• Modern cars use a computer to control what goes on inside the engine. With the help of sensors, the computer can calculate the exact amount of fuel that should enter the engine and the exact time of its ignition.

By making some changes to these systems, you will see a significant change in the performance of your car.

Part 2 of 6: Air intake system

Modifications to the air intake system will allow more air to flow into the engine. With the introduction of more air, the result will be more power.

• AttentionA: Not every vehicle will have an air flow sensor; those who have do not always have a performance replacement available.

An aftermarket cold air intake system will allow more air to flow into the engine. If you don't know how to replace your air intake system, a certified mechanic can replace it for you.

Installing a secondary mass air flow sensor on vehicles equipped with it can help increase the amount of air drawn into the engine as well as increase the amount of fuel injected into the engine. AvtoTachki offers this installation service if you are not comfortable replacing the sensor yourself.

Part 3 of 6: Exhaust system

Once you get more air into the engine through the air intake system, you should be able to remove that air from the engine. The exhaust system has four components that can be modified to help with this:

Component 1: exhaust manifold. The exhaust manifold is connected to the cylinder head.

Most of these parts are cast iron and have tight curves and small holes that can prevent air from escaping from the engine.

On most vehicles, it can be replaced with an exhaust manifold. The manifolds have a tubular design that allows for better airflow, making it easier for the engine to remove these exhaust gases.

Component 2: Exhaust pipes. Most cars are equipped with exhaust pipes with a minimum diameter to make the car efficient.

Exhaust pipes can be replaced with larger diameter pipes to make it easier for exhaust gases to escape.

• FunctionsA: Bigger isn't always better when it comes to exhaust pipes. Installing pipes that are too large for your vehicle can cause engine and exhaust sensors to read incorrectly.

Component 3: Catalytic converters. Catalytic converters are part of the exhaust system and are used for emissions.

The converter performs a chemical reaction that reduces the amount of harmful chemicals coming out of the exhaust gases.

Converting original equipment is quite restrictive. High flow catalytic converters are available for many vehicles, which will help reduce this limitation in the exhaust system.

• A warning: When replacing a non-genuine catalytic converter, check local emission regulations. Many states do not allow their use on emission controlled vehicles.

Component 4: Silencer. The muffler on your vehicle is designed to silence the exhaust system.

Silencers direct the exhaust gases into various chambers to limit any noise or echo. This design prevents the rapid exit of exhaust gases from the engine.

High performance mufflers are available that will limit this limitation and improve engine performance and sound.

Part 4 of 6: Programmers

With all the electronics on cars that are made today, computers play a big role in the potential of an engine. Changing some settings in your computer and changing how some sensors are read may allow you to get more horsepower out of your car. There are two components that you can use to modify the computer in your car.

Component 1: Programmers. Programmers allow you to change some of the programs on the computer itself.

These programmers plug into the vehicle's diagnostic port and at the push of a button change parameters such as air/fuel ratio and ignition timing to increase power and torque.

Some programmers have several options that allow you to select the octane rating of the fuel you would like to use and what characteristics you would like to see.

Component 2: Computer Chips. Computer chips, or "pigs" as they're sometimes called, are components that can be plugged directly into a car's wiring harness in certain places, giving you more power.

These chips are designed to send various readings to the computer, which will cause it to change the ignition timing and fuel mixture to optimize power.

Part 5 of 6: Superchargers and Turbochargers

One of the biggest benefits you can get from an engine is the addition of a supercharger or turbocharger. Both are designed to force more air into the engine than the engine can normally take in on its own.

Component 1: Supercharger. Superchargers are mounted on the engine and are usually located between the engine and the air intake.

They have a belt driven pulley that turns the internal parts of the supercharger. Depending on the design, rotating internal parts create a lot of pressure by drawing in air and then compressing it in the engine, creating what is known as boost.

Component 2: Turbocharger. A turbocharger works in the same way as a supercharger in that it spins and creates boost by sending compressed air into the engine.

However, turbochargers are not belt driven: they are attached to the car's exhaust pipe. When an engine emits exhaust, that exhaust passes through a turbocharger which spins a turbine, which in turn sends compressed air to the engine.

Part 6 of 6: Be safe and legal

Most of the replacement parts available for your vehicle are designed to increase power. There are some limitations that you should pay attention to whenever you make changes to your car:

• Adding or removing certain parts from your vehicle may void your factory warranty. Before replacing anything, you should find out what is covered and allowed by your warranty to avoid problems getting coverage.

• Adding high performance parts can dramatically change the way you drive a car. If you are not familiar with what these changes will do, you can easily lose control of your machine. It's important to know what your car can and can't do, and limit any high performance driving to legal race tracks.

• Modifying your engine or exhaust system may be illegal in many states due to emissions regulations. Before making any changes, it is important to know what is allowed and what is not allowed in your city or state.

Modifying your car's factory systems to improve performance and power can be a daunting task, but a very rewarding one. Whether you install one replacement part or all of the above, be careful with your car's new handling and drive safely.