What is water injection?

[kmf4i]

I am having a hard time figuring this out. What exactly does water injection do? Does it inject water into your intake? Can you do that, I have had cars get water in the gas before, and they won't run like that. So I am little confused as to how it works.

 

[Attack Eagle]

ok forgive me but little story time soi can explain to you in real world terms...

have you ever seen the fog rolling in and it gets to you and you feel colder (and maybe clammier)?

or ever been in fog I guess... depending on your part of the country

That is pretty much what water injection does... It is not huge drops/spray like windshield wipers, it is a ultrafine mist.

The water droplets absorb the heat from the air making it cooler, they also make the flame front slower and smoother in the combustion chamber like higher octane gas (higher octane is harder to burn than lower octane though it seems like it should be the other way). This means less detonation aka PREignition (ie knock)

This allows a slightly more agressive timing and air fuel ratio = more power. Particularly since DSMs and most factory turbocharged cars actually inject a little too MUCH fuel to help in cooling the charge air... that job being already done... you can run leaner+ still be safer.

 

[Defiant]

Water injection will also keep the combustion chambers squeaky-clean from the steam cleaning effect. That alone -not having deposits- is probably good for another handful of tuning capability.

 

[kmf4i]

Do you recomend I put water injection on my car? Or is it only necessary if I only race the car? From everything I read it sound like a pretty good upgrade, I just couldn't imagine spraying water through the intake it just didn't sound right.

 

[96whgsx]

From what I did research on, just about everybody who has it, loves it. It gives the same effect as higher octane.

When the water is injected, it comes out like a mist, not like running water.

 

[Attack Eagle]

it is one more maintenance item, and unless you have someway to tune the car, and untune it when you aren't running it then no.

but if you have a way to tune and you need it, then yes.

 

[psychlow]

That alone -not having deposits- is probably good for another handful of tuning capability.

I completely agree.

Defiant knows this, but for others that don't: carbon can create hotspots in the cylinder that can glow like embers in a fire. When fuel is sprayed in, it can cause surface ignition, which is when the air/fuel mixture prematurely ignites (preignition) or cause multiple flame fronts resulting in detonation.

 

[kmf4i]

it is one more maintenance item, and unless you have someway to tune the car, and untune it when you aren't running it then no.

but if you have a way to tune and you need it, then yes.

I was researching this a little, and www.coolingmist.com they claim you can gain 20+ WHP with the system untuned. You said you need to be able to tune it, and un-tune it when not in use. So, my question is, do you have to tune it, or could I buy one and run it un-tuned, and enjoy the benefits?