Is the cardboard placed on the outside of the grille?

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicst47

Is the cardboard placed on the outside of the grille?

I can't speak for anybody else, but my 1st piece was on the inside of the grill, less noticeable/closer to the radiator, protected from the weather a lot better. At least on the 08 model, you have to loosen the hood release (10mm bolt), to slide the cardboard in. The previous Post #2, Travelover (Tom), who’s idea I am going to plagiarize for myself, describes how to do this with two 8" x 25" pieces of cardboard. (Thanks Tom, great idea).

I have no shame either when it comes to projects. Toooo many of my "Beta Tests" or "Proof of concepts" never make it past that stage. However, if we do get slushy snow this winter, cardboard, even the type coated and / or painted, may not hold up. So something like plexiglas, or other similar material, may become my 2nd generation cover -> or not. After 40 years of marriage, my wife just shakes her head

 

Inside the grille. You loosen the two bolts holding the plastic grille so the cardboard can be slid in between the grille and the radiator. I used zip ties (punch two holes in the cardboard) to hold the cardboard against the vertical grille bar. I had an issue with the cardboard getting wet on the lower portion and decided to try something else--fia winter guards.

I believe you need to cover the lower grille opening to have effective blockage. I am using painted 1/8 inch plywood held in place with zip ties and have had good results. I do not believe I will use this setup during July or the warmer months.

 

It was 62 degrees F here is DeeeTroit today. I just popped the hood and lowered the top piece of cardboard. Engine temp never went over 80 degrees Centigrade (175 F). One week ago it was zero degrees F here.

 

It was nearly 70 here in L-Ville, KY today. Dang near that yesterday, and my first generation cardboard was one piece, so I removed it totally. Supposed to get to 72F tomorrow, then back to 50F Wednesday, and then possible snow, and abt 40 on Saturday. So the ability to quickly pull the one piece up or down is especially important in this changing Ohio valley climate.

Thanks for the suggestion of a two piece cover. I've already got the cardboard cutout, but wife is gone with the FEH (she thinks it's her car, and she is right).

 

If anything, all I was spreading was some reasonable caution. Though unintentional, if I instilled some fear into you instead, that it might be a good thing.

If I go back, you didn't seem to even think of what affect your monkeying around with the cooling system might have on the electronics, until I brought it up. That, I admit, does frighten me. The hybrid's systems are rather complex and there is always a risk that something could be overlooked, resulting in unexpected (bad) consequences.

You are right. To each his own. If you want to risk damage your own hybrid by experimenting without thinking it entirely through, but all means do. However, when you suggest others to do the same, it is no longer just your own.

 

You make a good point Walt. Anyone reading these posts should realize that they take suggestions at their own risk.

 

You're absolutely wrong by making that statement. When I first got my Scanguage fWT, SOC and MeC are the first Xgauge functions I programed and monitored (I didn't know about CHT yet), so I was keeping an eye on my electronics temps before this thread was even started.

I made the comment based on the data I had already seen. It appears that it is you that is making assumptions based on bad or no data.

By the way - today it got close to 40 degrees, and with all my blockers on the highest the MeC temp got was 68 in stop and go traffic. Back on the highway it dropped back down into the high 50's so air is still moving through the radiator even with it completely blocked.

This thing is built to keep the electronics cool in 100+ heat. If the coolant temp never even gets close to what the ambient temperature may be on the hottest days (which is what the coolant temp will eventually be on those days), I'm running well below what it will be on those days.

And experimenting and suggestions happen all the time here in these forums. Heck, that's probably why most of us are even here in these forums - to find more information to get a few more mpgs out of our vehicles. This is a prefect example of an exchange of that data we are finding due to these experiments.

 

Has anybody tried the plastic corrugated sings to block the rad.? I would think that it would melt at one point.

 

Cathy, not sure what you mean.