Grill block

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06-09-2007, 04:23 PM

billynjoanna

2007 Prius owner

Thread Starter

Join Date: May 2007

Location: SC

Posts: 17

Grill block

Has anyone tried blocking off part or all of the grill for better MPG? I know that the engine would need some air to cool but, it is such a small engine that it should not need much.

06-09-2007, 07:05 PM

bwilson4web

Engineering first

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: Huntsville, AL

Posts: 5,613

Re: Grill block

Quote:

Originally Posted by billynjoanna

Has anyone tried blocking off part or all of the grill for better MPG? I know that the engine would need some air to cool but, it is such a small engine that it should not need much.

Mostly in the winter:

Bob Wilson

06-09-2007, 10:11 PM

diamondlarry

MPG nut

Join Date: May 2007

Location: Elkhart, IN

Posts: 34

Re: Grill block

I just put some foam pipe insulation in all but the bottom 2 grill openings of my '07 Prius today. It's supposed to be in the low to mid 80's tomorrow so I'll see how it does with some heat.

06-10-2007, 04:18 AM

bwilson4web

Engineering first

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: Huntsville, AL

Posts: 5,613

Re: Grill block

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

I just put some foam pipe insulation in all but the bottom 2 grill openings of my '07 Prius today. It's supposed to be in the low to mid 80's tomorrow so I'll see how it does with some heat.

Do you have a way to measure the inverter coolant temperature? That would be the part I'd be most worried about.

Bob Wilson

06-10-2007, 05:29 AM

billynjoanna

2007 Prius owner

Thread Starter

Join Date: May 2007

Location: SC

Posts: 17

Re: Grill block

I want to find a way to measure the engine temp before I start blocking off anything. The temp here has been in the under 90's. So I do not won't to take a chance of burning something up.

06-10-2007, 11:30 AM

bwilson4web

Engineering first

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: Huntsville, AL

Posts: 5,613

Re: Grill block

Quote:

Originally Posted by billynjoanna

I want to find a way to measure the engine temp before I start blocking off anything. The temp here has been in the under 90's. So I do not won't to take a chance of burning something up.

Hobbit has done some good work in this area:

http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/ect/

Bob Wilson