So i tried the foam pipe insulation and wasnt happy with the look and the foam kept breaking. So I have some roof tape for what ever you use it for to protect your house roof and wrapped the foam with it and then it wouldnt stay stuck to it. SO I wrapped the lower air dam with the tape. I was able to cover 3 of the 5 air foils. Will this help improve MPG? Here's the pic. I like this look and hope it helps. If the guy making the cover charged $50 for his model I might buy one to make it look clean but not for over $100. This was free. If I could get the air dam off I know I could make it look way better.
You'd need a real time monitor of ICE temps to tell you if its doing any good. MPG is a separate thing, and whether it helps or not will depend on if the ICE temps are staying higher. Of course you can just turn off the heater instead, since its the call for heat that forces the ICE to run as much as anything.
My regular MPG on my commute has been between 44-45, but after my version of the lower air dam commuting into DC (40 miles) first trip was 51.8, and today was 51. Unbelievable and awesome. Is the air dam needed in warm weather or only cold?
How certain are you that you won't over-heat the ICE? Absent active temp monitoring, it should be cold weather only. At best you'd wind up running the cooling fans all the time, at worst you over-heat.
creative thinking, well done. you have a lot to learn about grille blocking and it's effects. i suggest studying some of the threads here, there is a mountain of info. as for your mpg's, no way. 1-2 if you're lucky, depending on outside temps. no idea what made your mpg's go up that much, but it's more likely you just aren't measuring correctly. if you really want to understand it and run with it, you need a scan gauge or something to monitor your coolant temp to avoid overheating. all the best!
A block heater is the best approach to cold weather. Grill blocking is only safe with real-time monitoring of ICE and inverter temps.
I have no idea about " real-time monitoring of ICE and inverter temps" but I took the tape off the lower grill and I was averging 50 to almost 52 and now without the tape Im averging 47-48. So Im sure it helped but I don't want to hurt the car. In warmer temps do these cars get better than average MPG? Also the only other difference has been that I don't run in ECO mode anymore. I just run in regular mode. I seem to get the best MPG that way.
I got a sheet of black plastic at Home Depot, about 6" x 36", trimmed to fit BEHIND the lower front grille, attached with a couple zip ties, and no one can see it. When my scan gauge hits 193 F regularly, I take it off. Just removed it this week when outside temps start averaging 60 degrees F. Increases my winter mileage about 2 mpg.
These couple of tubes have been used for 3 years, no breakage. To be fair, the car's garage parked for the most part, and it comes off in spring, once temperatures rise to the point I might use A/C for cooling. Anytime temps are above freezing I take one of them out. I can't see using tape, grill block should be flexible imho, ie: easily installed removed. The tape in the pic is double-sided Velcro, a piece at both ends. I just leave the tubes full width of the grill.
I have been running my grill block for the winter. We have the occasional day in the 60's but this winter has sucked for mileage. everytime i get a good tank going, we get some snow. I was really hoping to have my first 500 this week... I was hoveringa round 48 until we got the snow in DC... I have been using torque on the warmer trips home and have not seen anything over 190 yet... My grill blocker is here.. post 36 and 38 for pics. Grillcraft installation - protection from stones | Page 2 | PriusChat I figure next week it may come off full time.. JA were in the Dc area are you? I live in vienna and commute into Georgetown.
