More power for my car?

Question

Can i give my hyundai accent more power. I dont mean for street racing or anything like that. I mean just for highway travel. On and off ramps and such. it just seems like the engine is working overtime with no pickup. Is that just the way the car is?

ya i know i need a better car but my new job hasnt taken off yet so just for now what can i do.

Answer 1

I have a 2004 Accent that I bought for commuting. (My 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi and 68 Camaro with extensive modifications take care of all my "need for speed".)
It took me 3 years to even look at a Hyundai as a commuter car. In November 2004 I gave my 1992 Sentra SE-R to my niece with 185,000 miles on it. I needed another commuter car and gave Hyundai a shot. (I heard for years that "Hyundai's are slow and have no pick-up whatsoever.) I saw an ad in the Sacramento newspaper for Accents at $4999. It wasn't just "1 or 2 at this price", it said "20 at this price". I called the dealership when they opened and asked them if it was a misprint. They said that it wasn't and they had 8 left. I asked if they had a Black one and he said yes. I told them to hold it and I was on the way. (I lived 1 1/2 hours away).
The test drive took 80 seconds and 1 block. I was only checking 3 things on the test drive.
1) Is there enough room for my feet at the pedals?
2) Does it have any "get up and go"?
3) Can they install air conditioning and put it in the financing?
All three answers were yes and I have over 68,000 on it now.

The one thing that I figured out about everyone saying that the Accents had no power-they were ALL automatics. As long as a car has a decent motor-4 cylinder or not-a car with a manual transmission is only slow for only 1 reason-the driver. Your left foot and right hand pretty much decide how fast or slow the pick up of your car is-to the extent of the motor.
I am assuming that your car is an automatic. In this case keeping the car tuned up as stated in the answer above is the only way to keep your car at the level it is now without expensive modifications. Generally an Accent isn't a car people modify for street racing though. (If they did it would be one hell of a sleeper though).
With the cost of gas nowadays, just change your oil every 4,000-5,000 miles, get a basic tune up every 50,000 miles and change your air filter religiously at 20,000 miles. If you do that you should get 33-37 MPG with your Accent. (I get @ 33 MPG but I drive 70-85 just to keep up with traffic in the SF Bay Area).
It might take you a few more seconds to get up to speed but at least it won't hit you with a $50 price tag at the pump to fill up. (My Ram is currently $85 a tank to fill. That's why I only drive it once a week and fill it once a month).

Answer 2

You drive an Accent, its not made for high speeds or quick takeoffs. On the flipside you get really good gas mileage and a car that's simple to park in the city. Actually considering how light the Accent is it shouldn't be that slow, probably the same as most SUV's in its 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. You shouldn't worry about working the engine too hard, that's what the engine was designed to handle as long as you maintain it well and don't redline the RPM's it should go 150,000 miles or more. You can try adding an intake/exhaust, higher output sparkplugs/wires and underdrive pulley/lighter flywheel, but all that extra money would be better used in saving for a more powerful car in a few years...it won't add value to the car come resale time.

Answer 3

Accents are 4 Bangers right? well im assuming it is becuase of the lack of power. But anyway, Just keep with the regular tune ups and maybe upgrade a couple of parts above the factory standard such as Spark plugs, Spark Plug Wires, Distributor, A cold air intake if you want to go that far. But trust me dude once you start fixing it up and you go faster you'll want to race and get bigger and better cars. Good luck.

Answer 4

The Japanese hydrogen car runs on hydrogen on demand. It does not have a large tank to store the hydrogen. It makes it just before it is used. When the car stops the car stops making the hydrogen. It's a lot safer than a car with a full tank of gasoline.

Answer 5

really the only way to gain more power is to mod your engine.. air intake, better fuel, better spark, a new car.. :)