Random Thought

[KELLY88]

I have a wandering mind and thought about this earlier today. Why do we use phrases like "hit the gas", or "gas it" or "smash on the gas"? When you press down on the "gas pedal" you're not actually opening up the fuel flow to the engine, you're opening up the air flow to it. The increased air in turn flows more fuel but in the beginning the air came first. So shouldn't we be saying "hit the air" and call it the "air pedal"? I know it doesn't sound as good to replace gas with air in those saying but it would make them technically correct wouldn't it? Just a random Monday thought, was wondering if anybody else has considered this.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

What if you have air brakes?

 

[MAKG]

Back in the day, "hitting the gas" would quite literally pump a small amount of fuel directly into the throttle body. Carburetors generally have "accelerator pumps" precisely for this.

And the term has been around since then (and much longer).

It STILL does result in a richer mixture.

And FYI, the throttle cable DOES directly affect the PCM; the oxygen sensor is a secondary control system, not primary. The TPS tells the PCM to crank the fuel out RIGHT NOW. If it didn't, the engine would stumble every time you stomped the throttle, until the PCM figured out the exhaust was lean. Probably around 1-2 complete crank rotations at an absolute minimum, given where the oxygen sensor is. You would feel that.

 

[kunar]

yeah, what about when youre driving around in an electric golf cart or something similar and you say hit the gas? do electric cars have gas petals too? (i know, they are technically the accelerator)

 

[Bent Bolt]

I have a wandering mind and thought about this earlier today. Why do we use phrases like "hit the gas", or "gas it" or "smash on the gas"? When you press down on the "gas pedal" you're not actually opening up the fuel flow to the engine, you're opening up the air flow to it. The increased air in turn flows more fuel but in the beginning the air came first. So shouldn't we be saying "hit the air" and call it the "air pedal"? I know it doesn't sound as good to replace gas with air in those saying but it would make them technically correct wouldn't it? Just a random Monday thought, was wondering if anybody else has considered this.

Yup, thats a random thought !!

 

[Boggin]

how about this
when you say you gotta take a crap, your not really taking one, your leaving one..next time somebody says they gotta take one, ask how much they cost

 

[KELLY88]

how about this
when you say you gotta take a crap, your not really taking one, your leaving one..next time somebody says they gotta take one, ask how much they cost

Ya I suppose that's similar. In some sort of way. Maybe. Fun with phrases in the English language.

 

[Boggin]

haha yip

 

[Mark_88]

Well, since it was a random thought...whenever I see a person pushing a baby in the child compartment of a shopping cart in food stores I'm tempted to ask "oh, are they on special this week"...or "how much per pound for that one"...

I did actually ask it once...the look of pure horror on the persons' face was not the reaction I expected...lol

 

[kunar]

I did actually ask it once...the look of pure horror on the persons' face was not the reaction I expected...lol

lol

 

[Black'03LevelII]

to the O.P.s thought, what about with deisels? ya wouldn't be "hittin the gas" but rather " hittin the "deisel""

Well, since it was a random thought...whenever I see a person pushing a baby in the child compartment of a shopping cart in food stores I'm tempted to ask "oh, are they on special this week"...or "how much per pound for that one"...

I did actually ask it once...the look of pure horror on the persons' face was not the reaction I expected...lol

if you had asked me that question at the store, we both would have had a good laugh!! although that may be a bad thing since I don't have any kids, but still I DO have a great sense of humor.

 

[Turbo-T]

Yup. While your doing that you "let out" the clutch, and "push in" the clutch when you stop.

 

[lil red]

umm?
its like duct tape, used for everything but air ducts

idk, good ?

 

[KELLY88]

to the O.P.s thought, what about with deisels? ya wouldn't be "hittin the gas" but rather " hittin the "deisel""

Yup. While your doing that you "let out" the clutch, and "push in" the clutch when you stop.

umm?
its like duct tape, used for everything but air ducts

idk, good ?

Exactly!

 

[AllanD]

The original poster is obviously not drunk.... ENOUGH.

Skip the beer get right to the tequila shooters...

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