Reducing radiator air flow during winter

[CR94]

Originally Posted by 2010Civic
... You aren't going to burn out the ac compressor by blocking part of the grill.
Right, as long as there's enough unblocked area to avoid overheating the engine.

 

[Skippy722]

I did something similar... except I used some Home Run Inn frozen pizza boxes, covered them in duck tape for water proofing, and slid them down between the radiator and condenser of my Caliber. I did cut a few smaller slits to provide airflow to the radiator in case it got warm out. Didn't cause any issues.

 

[14Accent]

No OEM remote start on your Malibu?

Maybe look into this: GM Part #17800737. It's the factory kit that can add remote start to your car, as long as option code "AP8" is present on your car. You buy the kit, bring it to the dealer, pay about a half hour's labor for a reflash and activation, and boom you're good.

GM's early adoption of factory remote start is WONDERFUL. My newly-acquired '07 Impala has it factory, and I use the Onstar app on my phone to "precondition" my Volt. It really is the bees knees.

 

[Uregina09]

My 2018 Ford F-150 has active grill shudders to I don't need a winter front. However, vehicle owners have been installing what we call winter fronts in Canada for decades. It helps the vehicle to heat up more quickly and is beneficial in helping to maintain temperature driving down the highway at 120kms per hour at -38 degrees Celsius.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I'm thinking you have a bad thermostat. The temperature should not drop like that. Mine climbs to 210 F in my Chevy and stays there with no noticeable drop. Can you tell us what engine this is?

 

[NO2]

Our Honda V6 is warm within 3 min, or about 1.5 mi. Our 4 cyl. Subaru takes 3 or 4mi, or 5-7 min to warm up, and I thought that was bad. It has better seat heaters, so no big deal. The only car I know that was as bad as the OP's chevy was a '71 beetle I used to drive. It never warmed up. I'd replace the thermostat. Extremely cold temperatures definitely affect coolant temp. I used to drive between Detroit and Montreal on a regular basis, and at times it was negative 25-35F. The coolant guage showed slightly below normal operating temps, but it didn't seem to affect mileage much. I had to use the rear heater on my van because cold outside air was only warmed to 50F or so.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
I'm thinking you have a bad thermostat. The temperature should not drop like that. Mine climbs to 210 F in my Chevy and stays there with no noticeable drop. Can you tell us what engine this is?

The thermostat is taking too long to close again.

 

[Kestas]

I put some cardboard in front of the radiator one winter. During a March warm spell the car overheated. Never did that again.

 

[Cujet]

It's best to block the radiator directly and not the grill.

It's fine to do it, and when done properly, the engine does not get a constant flow of frigid cooling water into the cylinders (the first place the water goes) .

It's also good to know that cylinder wear decreases markedly when coolant temperature is over 160 degrees. So blocking airflow properly during very cold times might be a good way to extend engine life.

 

[Drosselmier]

Replace the thermostat. You may even need a hotter one.
How long have this one? Let us know how it works out.

 

[Propflux01]

I vote thermostat as well. 7 miles is plenty of time, even at 35mph, to get the engine warm enough. Go OEM on the stat.

 

[joegreen]

Originally Posted by Chris142
The bad news. You also cut off the air flow to your AC condenser. If the compressor runs with the defroster or you happen to hit the AC switch you will most likely burn up your compressor. It cant run but a few seconds if the condenser cant cool it regardless of outside temp.

What's the difference if your sitting idle in the hot summer with your a/c on? There is no airflow through the radiator except the cooling fans.

 

[nickaluch]

I slide a piece of card board from a case of soda on my truck in the dead of winter it definitely helps make heat. First day above freezing I remove it or if sitting in major traffic

 

[MNgopher]

I vote lazy thermostat not closing down enough when opened.

That being said, covering things up some helps, but that looks a tad aggressive for me.

It's been done forever in cold climates to deal with poor heat, is common on diesels, and is flat out automated on vehicles with shutter systems like my f150.

FWIW, the shutters in the F150 default to 30% open (about) in temps below 35 degrees f and stay there. Defroster, ac button pushed, etc, does not matter.