Ive come across a weird problem that started out as a rare thing, but now keeps bugging me on every darn flight:

 

I`ll be up in the skies anywhere between 5K and 10K feet in a Baron B58,Bonanza F33/V35 or C152/172/185 and so on (piston engine). As I climb to my crz alt (depending on aircraft type) the engine

starts to loose momentum slowly but steadily. At the end ive got throttle and mixture at maximum and it really does not do any good, the engine is at idle....

Usually, it will help to dive down to about 3-4K feet to avoid stalls, and the engine kicks back to life.

 

This is not caused by icing nor is it lack of air, because it happens in all stages of flight at all altitudes between 4K-10K (im never able to go above 10K ft in the Bonanza due to this stupid thing..)

and at all temps..

 

Any solution to this redicilous problem will be severly appreciated!

Sounds like Pitot heat is off.

Sounds like Pitot heat is off.

 

Its on, but pitot heat has nothing to do with engine performance, its only to heat the pitot tube to avoid ice build up inside the tubes (so that faulty speed readings are preventet)

Are you leaning the mixture?

Are you leaning the mixture?

 

Yup, im trying to be as careful and exact as I can. Just dont know whats causing this... Maybe I should experiment more on mixture leaning

Some of those planes would have carb heat..... check that...

 

Some of the others are fuel injected and wouldn't have a switch however...

 

Also, how are you leaning the mixture? Do you look for peak CHT/EGT?

 

What addons are doing this specifically?

 

Oh, if this is online and you're using FSInn it may be an incorrect temperature inversion bug, where the higher you climb the hotter it gets.

Some of those planes would have carb heat..... check that...

 

Some of the others are fuel injected and wouldn't have a switch however...

 

Also, how are you leaning the mixture? Do you look for peak CHT/EGT?

 

What addons are doing this specifically?

 

Oh, if this is online and you're using FSInn it may be an incorrect temperature inversion bug, where the higher you climb the hotter it gets.

 

But carb heat is for descents and icing condition, preventing clog up of carberator isnt it? This happens when the engine is in climb pwr, and even when it troubles me, turning carb heat to on doesnt help.

 

Maybe i need a lesson in correct mixture lean? Anywhere to get that? Wiki?

 

All piston aircrafts that ive flown is doing this. (default and carenado)

 

Its not online.

 

Thanks for helping out folks!

It may well be carb icing, so use carb heat regularly during your periodic FREDA checks; of course you'll know carb icing cannot apply to fuel injected engines since they don't have carburetors...

 

It's more likely to be caused by an incorrect fuel-to-air ratio. Air density decreases with altitude (it's harder to breathe at altitude), and at sea level, maximum mixture will normally produce an appropriate fuel to air ratio for efficient engine combustion. As you climb, the quantity of air available to burn decreases, so if you don't reduce your mixture, the amount of fuel metered will be too much for the air, leading to an over-rich fuel to air mixture and thus cooler and more inefficient combustion. You should start to lean your mixture roughly speaking above about 3000' (i.e. reduce the amount of fuel) so that the ratio of fuel to air is once again correct for the lesser quantity of air available at altitude.

To lean your fuel to air mixture correctly, look at the POH; this will likely say to look at the aircraft's EGT (exhaust gas temp) gauge, and, as a rough guide, as you reduce the mixture, the temperature of the combustion (EGT) should rise, and the POH will tell you to lean the mixture to just lean (or rich) of peak value depending on the required engine setting (max power or max economy etc). You can expect to reduce the mixture by half to two-thirds at the higher altitudes you mentioned.

So instead of increasing the mixture to full rich at altitude as you say you're doing, decrease the mixture lever quite significantly.

Hope this helps.

It may well be carb icing, so use carb heat regularly during your periodic FREDA checks; of course you'll know carb icing cannot apply to fuel injected engines since they don't have carburetors...

 

It's more likely to be caused by an incorrect fuel-to-air ratio. Air density decreases with altitude (it's harder to breathe at altitude), and at sea level, maximum mixture will normally produce an appropriate fuel to air ratio for efficient engine combustion. As you climb, the quantity of air available to burn decreases, so if you don't reduce your mixture, the amount of fuel metered will be too much for the air, leading to an over-rich fuel to air mixture and thus cooler and more inefficient combustion. You should start to lean your mixture roughly speaking above about 3000' (i.e. reduce the amount of fuel) so that the ratio of fuel to air is once again correct for the lesser quantity of air available at altitude.

To lean your fuel to air mixture correctly, look at the POH; this will likely say to look at the aircraft's EGT (exhaust gas temp) gauge, and, as a rough guide, as you reduce the mixture, the temperature of the combustion (EGT) should rise, and the POH will tell you to lean the mixture to just lean (or rich) of peak value depending on the required engine setting (max power or max economy etc). You can expect to reduce the mixture by half to two-thirds at the higher altitudes you mentioned.

So instead of increasing the mixture to full rich at altitude as you say you're doing, decrease the mixture lever quite significantly.

Hope this helps.

 

I thank you for this quick lesson. Ive always leaned my mixture, but Ive never actually checked the EGT readouts while climbing.. Now i know what ryanbatcund meant!

Ive always leaned my mixture, but Ive never actually checked the EGT readouts while climbing..

It sounds as if an incorrect mixture is the problem to me, as well. Check the "enable automixture" in the realism options, if you are still encountering the issue after that it's something else then. If the issue goes away, then it was indeed an incorrect mixture by you causing the problem.

I had the same problem and it turned out to be carb heat.

 

A quick press of the "H" key made it go away.

 

What is annoying is that FSX models this effect in planes that don't have a carburetor - it was a source of endless frustation to me in my Carenado T210!

At the end ive got throttle and mixture at maximum and it really does not...

I agree with the comments on mixture. It could just be the choice of words ;) but there's some chance you're leaning in the wrong direction. At that altitude the mixture should be quite lean (lever pulled-out so to speak).

No worries, really hope it helps.

I also agree about having to use carb heat in FSX for fuel injected engines.

Fabs: It was both me and FSX.

 

I followed your guidance on a climb in the Bonanza F33 and was able to cruise steadily at 10K ft. I leaned mixture according to EGT, and that worked pretty alright:-)

Then i tried the Carenado Baron B58.. Engines went dead at 5000 feet...... I was leaning and leaning and the EGT bearly rose at all, so thats when i figured it

could not only be me:

 

I had the same problem and it turned out to be carb heat.

 

A quick press of the "H" key made it go away.

 

What is annoying is that FSX models this effect in planes that don't have a carburetor - it was a source of endless frustation to me in my Carenado T210!

 

..so now im gonna try this option, cause thats what I believe is happening as well. Thanks for the help guys!

Double check your controller settings. Maybe the calibration needs a little fine tuning.