Is Anti-Lag System Harmful to the Car?
2 Answers
Anti-lag system does cause certain harm to the car. Essentially, anti-lag is an engine tuning method derived from drag racing. Since it deliberately ignites the air-fuel mixture outside the combustion chamber, anti-lag is essentially equivalent to what is commonly referred to as misfiring. The effects of anti-lag on the car: 1. Heat absorption: The anti-lag system not only reduces turbo lag but also has another advantage. Gasoline itself is highly volatile and can absorb part of the engine's heat. When highly volatile gasoline enters the engine and exhaust system, it can effectively lower the engine temperature. 2. Increased durability: Turbocharged race cars need to burn a very rich air-fuel mixture. Although this leads to high fuel consumption, it can reduce engine temperatures, thereby increasing engine durability from this perspective. 3. Disadvantages: However, the drawbacks are also unavoidable. The powerful force and high temperature generated by the explosion of the rich air-fuel mixture in the exhaust system will increase the load on parts such as the exhaust manifold, turbocharger exhaust-side blades, and valve surroundings, shortening the service life of the turbocharger, exhaust system, and engine exhaust valves.
I've always been a car modification enthusiast. After installing an anti-lag system on my turbocharged car, the turbo response became much quicker, which was incredibly thrilling during races. However, this system is quite damaging to the car because it retards ignition timing, causing fuel to burn in the exhaust manifold, resulting in terrifyingly high temperatures. I've personally witnessed spark plugs burning out faster, turbo blades overheating and deforming, and even cracks in the exhaust manifold. Frequent use can easily shorten engine life by around 20% and drastically increase fuel consumption. If you only use it occasionally on track days, it's not a big issue, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it for daily driving. I later switched to other tuning methods to avoid excessive repair costs, as the car's long-term health is more important. Regularly checking the cooling system and spark plugs is crucial—don't just chase short-term excitement.
