I`m very interested in the science of cool vs warm air. I live in Washington where it is usually between the 40s and 70s in temp. Would it make that much of a diference?:dontknow:
cold air makes a heck of a difference.
Air expands and contracts with heat and cold.
Hot/ 'expanded' air is less dense that cold/ 'contracted' air.
The greater the density or the air, the more oxygen is present in a sample of a given size. This is also why 'scoops' are a popular component of many performance intakes as when your speed increases, air is forced in, becoming more dense. This is also the principal behind turbos and superchargers as both force air into the motor at densities well above atmospheric pressure/density.
The more oxygen, the more efficient the fuel burn (or greater amount of fuel you can burn efficiently)
A difference of 10 degrees can make as big of a difference as 5%, so if your fuel is managed properly, you could, in theory, see up to a 5% gain in power.
The problem is that you are not likely to manage your fuel properly.
You set your fuel manager based on the temperature of air you run most in and when you are off of your normal range, well you are just wasting potential in the cold or passing unburnt fuel in the heat. To avoid this waste, you would need an active management system, which as far as I know is only available with the PCV with Autotune, which monitors your exhaust gases to adjust your fuel/air mixture for that moment.