There have been a few posts whining about how badly low temperatures affect milage. I guess the season is over for this time, but please consider this question for next winter.

Over here cars used to be equipped with shields over the radiator or cooling air intake, to be used in cold weather. Some drivers made their own out of a piece of cardboard, which was strapped on with pieces of wire. Some manufacturers still provide them as an accessory - in fact, one manufacturer (Peugeot) delivers cars with a shield (but not installed). I haven't used one for very long. (Note, for people who have not seen this solution: the cardboard was usually placed between the front intake and the radiator, so it was hardly visible.)

The common recommendation is to make the shield cover about 50% of the radiator or cooling air intake. And to install the shield only when temperatures are steadily around 0 C or below (thats about 30 F, or lower). In the colder parts of this country, you would install the shield in automn and take it off in spring.

Advantages are that the car heats up faster, and fuel consumption is reduced. There might also be a small aerodynamical improvement.

Anyone over there done this, on the HCH or other cars? Is there a good spot to put such a shield on the HCH?

Regards,
Rolf

This does work! I have yet to try it on the HCH II because it has to be installed in front of the radiator which you have to take apart some of the plastic moldeing to get to. I have tried it before on other vehicles and it does help. It takes a little less time for the the vehicle to warm up and it will produce heat faster in the cabin. I do not recomend leaving it a year round, especially if you live in a hot weather climate as it will increase your engine's core temp. when in the summer you want to lower the temp.

It seems like the best deal would be to have some sort of OEM variable width opening that opened similar to a sliding garage door (the type with several small segments on a track) that opened the radiator opening only as much as was actually necessary to cool the car, the rest of the time it could remain shut for both faster warm-up and improved aerodynamics (if it were positioned on the far outside, especially).

I do it with my Insight.

What I use is called "Colorplast". It is essentially plastic cardboard and can be found at sign supply/sign stores, it's prety much free as most will gladly give you left overs. I also poked a hole in the top and took a zip strip (plastic fastener) made into a loop so I could pull out the radiator block easily.

'00 Insight "Wazabi" -75,000+ miles
'03 Toyota Matrix - 81,000+ miles
'03 HCH-CVT-OSBM-41,000+ miles (retired 04-10-06)
"I'm very secure with my little Insight, no Prius envy here."