'09 GT Reduction of Power

[seb0168]

I have an '09 GT Vibe that's been frustrating me. I recently moved from flat Iowa to Colorado Springs (elevation over 6k). With the change in elevation the car has lost its GT pep. I searched online about this and found mixed opinions. Has anyone driven their Vibe at higher elevations? Is there anything you've done to make it perform better? I've checked the air filter and it's fine.

I also swear the engine has been slower since I tried out (for the first time) the shiftable automatic feature two days ago. I could be losing my mind though.

[triz]

Any CELs?

Drop a bottle of Techron Concentrate before your next fill up and clean the MAF and throttle body at some point.

[seb0168]

No lights have come on. That would make it easier to understand though!

I'll have to give what you suggested a try. Thanks for your help!

[triz]

Edited my last post if you did not have a CEL.

[dragon64]

I have an '09 GT Vibe that's been frustrating me. I recently moved from flat Iowa to Colorado Springs (elevation over 6k). With the change in elevation the car has lost its GT pep. I searched online about this and found mixed opinions. Has anyone driven their Vibe at higher elevations? Is there anything you've done to make it perform better? I've checked the air filter and it's fine.

Actually you head the nail on the head. It's the difference in elevation Much of Iowa is about 700-1100ft above sea level. Colorado is between 5000 and 10000ft. The air being much thinner at that altitude an engine or anything that burns fuel for that matter, either requires more oxygen or less fuel for complete combustion of the air fuel mixture. Unfortunately at these elevations the amount of energy released from combustion is much lower than lower elevations. Given this in Coloorado your engine is making roughly 87-93% of the power it was in Iowa. The only thing you can do to gain this power back is to force more air into the engine. When I was working in Johannsburg, South Africa and Mexico City which are at a similar elevations I noticed that the octane of gas there was higher than at the coast people there said it was higher so engine could run more ignition advance before the engine would knock how true this is with a modern EFI engine I couldn't tell you.

[Nasmfell]

To bad you don't have a diesel, then high altitude would be no problem.

[circuitsmith]

When I was working in Johannsburg, South Africa and Mexico City which are at a similar elevations I noticed that the octane of gas there was higher than at the coast people there said it was higher so engine could run more ignition advance before the engine would knock how true this is with a modern EFI engine I couldn't tell you.

If ignition timing isn't changed octane requirements are lower at higher altitudes.
That's why places like Colorado sell 85 octane gas.
Regardless of altitude, higher octane fuel can allow more ignition advance.
But changing ignition is no longer as simple as adjusting a distributor.