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Old 09-17-2007, 10:23 PM   #1
BailOut
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Post DIY: Engine Grille Block

One of the main reasons that fuel efficiency drops in the cold months is because fuel doesn't burn as well in a cold environment. Your engine can't always keep itself warm, and when its temperature drops too low your ECU starts feeding even more fuel into it in order to force it to run at a higher RPM in an effort to generate more heat.

In order to stop this wasteful cycle many people block their engine grilles in the colder months in order to stop the flow of too-cold air into the engine area. My own rule of thumb is to block the upper grille when daytime temperatures are peaking at 65F, and also the lower grille when daytime temperatures are peaking at 55F. I also use an engine insulation blanket once daytime temperatures drop to 45, and I will post a DIY on that when that time comes.

Supplies:

6' x 1/2" foam pipe insulation, x2 = $4 total at any hardware store
8" PVC, UV-resistant zip ties, black, x30 = $4 at Radio Shack and other places

Total cost: $8


Tools:

Scissors
Wire cutters
Flathead screwdriver


Instructions:

1) The front bumper needs to be pulled forward far enough to get your hand behind it. To do this use a combination of a lot of finesse, your fingers, and the flathead screwdriver to remove the 5 push pins on top of the bumper, right underneath the hood's front edge.

2) Once those are out do the same thing with the 2 that are in the front wheel wells, at the rear edge of the bumper piece.

3) Use the scissors to cut the foam to fit, using only one half of the foam each time (cut it in half lengthwise to make a half-pipe). Shape it a bit if you desire.

4) Run zip ties into the grille, and then carefully reach behind the bumper to route them back through the grille towards the front.

5) Close the zip ties and tighten them just enough to keep the pieces in place without wiggling too much.

6) Use the wire cutters to trim the excess from the zip ties, then use the screwdriver to push on the zip tie's nodule backwards into the grille in order to hide it.


That's it!

The lower grille is done in the exact same fashion.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg supplies.jpg (167.3 KB, 4851 views)
File Type: jpg bumper_removal.jpg (176.4 KB, 4817 views)
File Type: jpg bumper_removal2.jpg (175.6 KB, 4817 views)
File Type: jpg upper_grill_blocked.jpg (80.0 KB, 4922 views)
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Click the graphic above to see my detailed mileage logs.

Last edited by BailOut; 09-17-2007 at 11:29 PM.
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Old 09-18-2007, 07:38 AM   #2
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Now it REALLY looks like a "BumperCar". The assumption of all that work would suggest you need some "padding" in the passenger's compartment too...Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.

Get a sheet of that clear 3M stuff, cut it just a bit larger than the opening (trace the opening and add about 1 1/2" to the over all dimension) and then punch a few small holes (trace a half-dollar sized object) into it to allow SOME air to go in. It's clear, it blocks the air and it looks good. I've done it with a truck it had (diesel). That way I didn't cover up a custom grille and at the end of the season.....pull it off and toss it out.
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Old 09-18-2007, 08:35 AM   #3
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It gets THAT cold in Reno??
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Old 09-18-2007, 08:49 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris07LB View Post
It gets THAT cold in Reno??
I commute over a mountain pass that takes 3 plows and the world's largest snow blower to keep open in the Winter, and it still shuts down sometimes. Each day I pass directly in front of my favorite ski area (Mount Rose) which causes me to use many vacation days.

10 minutes from my office is the Diamond ski area. 20 minutes past my office is Squaw Valley, where the Winter Olympics were held in 1964. 30 minutes in the other direction is Heavenly.

One of our friends that lives just down the road is the Marketing Director at the Kirkwood Ski Resort.

In other words, yes, it gets that cold here.
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I often carry 2 carpool passengers and mountain bikes
or snowboards/skis over a 4,500 foot elevation difference.
Click the graphic above to see my detailed mileage logs.

Last edited by BailOut; 09-18-2007 at 12:57 PM.
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Old 09-18-2007, 08:50 AM   #5
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Makin' me cold just reading that.
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Old 09-18-2007, 11:49 AM   #6
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Surely there is a better looking option... Perhaps a power inverter with a space heater under your hood.

By the way, what is that on the front edge of your hood?
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Old 09-18-2007, 01:07 PM   #7
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By the way, what is that on the front edge of your hood?
Do you mean the magnetic bra?
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I often carry 2 carpool passengers and mountain bikes
or snowboards/skis over a 4,500 foot elevation difference.
Click the graphic above to see my detailed mileage logs.
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Old 09-18-2007, 02:27 PM   #8
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haha, yup, it gets super cold in Reno.
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Old 09-20-2007, 12:07 PM   #9
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Speaking of the weather here, it appears I got the grille block installed just in time. This is by no means anything close to what the mountain will look like in a few months when there are 6-12 foot tall snow banks on either side of the road, but today is only 09/20/2007.

Check out my drive over the mountain this morning:

7,000 feet:




7,500 feet:




8,000 feet:




9,000 feet:




With any luck my favorite ski areas will open early this season and I can try out my new snowboard.
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I often carry 2 carpool passengers and mountain bikes
or snowboards/skis over a 4,500 foot elevation difference.
Click the graphic above to see my detailed mileage logs.
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Old 09-20-2007, 02:31 PM   #10
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OMG...i feel for ya..dress warm,wear ya heavy sock,and keep some chicken soup in your thermost..Man I don't like winter..dont miss it one bit.
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Old 09-20-2007, 02:50 PM   #11
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I will probably take a carboard wrap in plastic and zip tie it on the inside of the grill.

I do this with my Echo and it works well. But will be harder to install on the Yaris
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Old 09-21-2007, 12:47 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steved View Post
I will probably take a carboard wrap in plastic and zip tie it on the inside of the grill.

I do this with my Echo and it works well. But will be harder to install on the Yaris
Or you could just let your thermostat do what it's supposed to.

I've been thinking about this whole blocking the grill during the cold months and am a little pesimistic. Diesel trucks do it because they won't even warm up do to the oversizes cooling system, but our little Yarii have no trouble warming up. My heat was blazing hot last winter even when it was well below zero.

Perhaps the loss of mileage in the winter months is more due to the cold air entering the intake. Cooler/denser air means more fuel is added to maintain air/fuel ratios. In addition, drag is always increased due to wet, snowey, and/or slushy roads.

Bottom line, if your heater is putting out hot air, your engine is warm enough to operate efficiently.
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Old 09-21-2007, 11:24 AM   #13
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Bailout props to you for your recent DIYs...You are the most interesting and devoted cause poster on this board.

I like your MacGyveresque approach. Taking simple tools and materials and applying to real world scenarios. May not look great but works i assume.
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Old 09-22-2007, 02:13 AM   #14
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I live in wisconsin and a padded blanket helps but i only put it on over night not while driving
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Old 08-20-2009, 12:02 AM   #15
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I know this tread is over 2 years old but does a piece of cardboard, and a can of black paint can do the trick as well?? put the cardboard behind the grill..maybe dunno..anyone tried?!
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Old 08-20-2009, 07:18 AM   #16
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Look in the hypermiling section and on hypermiling sites like cleanmpg.com. Many people have improvised grill blocks, mainly looking for aerodynamic gains. As an earlier poster said, the thermostat keeps the engine warm anyway.
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Old 08-20-2009, 10:19 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by the_boss View Post
I know this tread is over 2 years old but does a piece of cardboard, and a can of black paint can do the trick as well?? put the cardboard behind the grill..maybe dunno..anyone tried?!
That will work for a time but cardboard isn't waterproof, so sooner or later it will become weak and begin to warp. It is better to use a waterproof material.



Quote:
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As an earlier poster said, the thermostat keeps the engine warm anyway.
That is incorrect, and is also an oversimplification. The thermostat only controls when water circulates throughout the engine block and when it doesn't. In other words, it controls cooling rather than heating. Even with a closed thermostat the engine can find itself dumping heat rapidly in a cold environment. The ECU senses this through water temperature, the knock sensor and the O2 sensors. In this state the ECU causes the fuel system to run rich in order to create more waste heat, thereby using more fuel. A grille block alleviates this and can be seen in use in many vehicles, both commercial and personal, in northern climes (ever seen "Ice road Truckers"?).
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or snowboards/skis over a 4,500 foot elevation difference.
Click the graphic above to see my detailed mileage logs.
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Old 08-20-2009, 10:40 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BailOut View Post
That is incorrect, and is also an oversimplification. The thermostat only controls when water circulates throughout the engine block and when it doesn't. In other words, it controls cooling rather than heating. Even with a closed thermostat the engine can find itself dumping heat rapidly in a cold environment. The ECU senses this through water temperature, the knock sensor and the O2 sensors. In this state the ECU causes the fuel system to run rich in order to create more waste heat, thereby using more fuel. A grille block alleviates this and can be seen in use in many vehicles, both commercial and personal, in northern climes (ever seen "Ice road Truckers"?).
Yes, it controls cooling. Yes, an engine will still give up heat through its surfaces when the coolant flow through the radiator is blocked. If you're running the heater in the car, as most people will in cold weather, that's a significant source of heat loss. A grill block might reduce the heat loss from the surfaces of the engine by reducing turbulent air flow in the engine compartment. That would have to be established by experiment. If someone with a Yaris and a Scangauge in a very cold climate wants to do some comparison tests with the grill blocked and unblocked under the same driving conditions at the same outside air temperature, please post your results. Blocking the airflow through the radiator will have no effect on the engine coolant temperature with the coolant flow through the radiator cut off. The heater will likely be the main route of heat exchange under those conditions. We all know the ECU controls the engine differently when the engine's cold. We don't know that a grill block will make a significant difference in its operation. I seriously doubt it. But if you want one, go for it!
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