How to protect your radiator from debris and damages

[carloverguy2017]

Most cars today has rather huge openings and lack of a protective mesh to deflect small stones and debris away from the radiator. Often causing damage to the radiator fins. Although these damages are cosmetic rather than detrimental, it is always good to maintain a clean and good looking car, and not to mention those unsightly dented fins on those shinny radiators.

Here is a DIY video on how to remove a car bumper and installing a mesh to protect your radiator.

Cost of mesh is couple of dollars from most Handy-shops or DIY stores.

Most cars manufacturer uses similar methods on mounting their bumpers, so the video is as detail as possible without causing boredom to you. Hope you all benefit from it.

Youtube link here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWO097xLl34

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWO097xLl34

[Mkl22]

Unless your car doesn't have aircon, it is the aircon condensor in front of the radiator. Which is why your your car is overheating, you don't turn on the aircon to create extra heat to the radiator.

[Gnahp]

I wouldn't do that, it will impedes the airflow and reduce the radiator/condenser/intercooler/oil cooler efficiency, especially during high speed driving.

 

the total area of the mesh wires is the effective area that is blocking the airflow

 

stand in front of a table fan with grill on and grill off, you will be able to tell the difference or try swinging a badminton racket with string and without string.

[carloverguy2017]

There is no big deal whether the mesh act as a barrier high enough to deplete air flow.

The fan is able to draw constant air flow through the radiator.

It will not overheat.

 

Have you tried getting stuck in a massive traffic jam in mid afternoon sun ?

Nothing happens. Your fan keeps blowing, that's all. Having a OBD-gauge helps you determine your engine coolant temperature, and from what I had experienced, the temperature in mid hot day sun and mid night , yields the same temperature while idling. The system is regulated to around 90 degrees and the fan will switch on if the temperature rises.

 

And yes, that is the A/C radiator. The engine coolant radiator is usually mounted sandwich behind the AC radiator. Both are called radiators.

 

Phang, 

About speed , I don't get your point when you say you dont get cooling efficiency, especially high speed driving ? 

 

A car radiator fan does not work dependent on the speed of the car. It is dependent only on the temperature. 

Whether the car is speeding at 90km/h or 190km/h, as long as the temperature is below its threshold, the fan wont switch on.

 

But should the temperature rose above it's threshold even when it is going at 190km/h, the fan will still insist to blow, despite the air flow through the radiator would had probably surpassed the flow rate of the fan's capability.

 

Mkl22

 

A tip on overheat and AC.

If you wish to lower your coolant temperature quickly, you should switch on your AC fan to highest speed and disable the AC mode, turn the knob to extreme clockwise to the RED side maximum heat.

 

The AC make use of both freezing air from the AC pump, mixed with the hot radiator coolant that passes through the AC system to achieve the required temperature you desired.

 

By switching off the AC mode, there is no cold air going through the system, thus the system is only blowing hot air that is circulated through the system. The maximum fan speed will quickly cool down the coolant by several degree within a minute.

 

You will be able to witness this if you have a ODBgauge installed.

 

I tried this usually whenever I got back to my home, I would switch off AC mode, heater to max, fan to max, I would watch the temperature reduce from 90-92 down to 85-87.

 

I did this not to cool the engine actually. Just coincidentally I realize it. I use heater to dry up the AC system air duct to prevent mouldy build-up due to moisture remaining in the air con duct after I switch off the car engine.

Edited August 6, 2017 by carloverguy2017

[Gnahp]

It is a long winded discussion involving fluid dynamics

 

we often read about flying birds smashing into jet engine and brought down the aircraft

 

ever wonder why nobody solve this problem by fixing a mesh/grill on the jet engine intake? :-)

[Ishiwgao]

There is no big deal whether the mesh act as a barrier high enough to deplete air flow.

The fan is able to draw constant air flow through the radiator.

It will not overheat.

 

 

the following is based on my opinion and what I have studied before. If I am wrong please correct me :)

 

On the topic of airflow, installing the mesh may lower the airflow to the radiator, so depending on your car setup, if you already pushing it due to aftermarket installations, then you would need to be careful if you want to install this. However, based on what I could see from the hole sizes etc, i think this mesh will probably only reduce airflow by about 15%, or a little more, and as what bro carloverguy said, the fan can make up for it easily.

 

Now, on the more important topic of "installing a mesh to protect your radiator", the mesh in the video is so flimsy and if you really buy the few $ one from DIY shop, do you really expect it to protect your radiator from rocks when u are travelling at 50-100km/h?? if really so simple, all automakers will install this cheap thing liao, dont need to make special molds to manufacture strong metal grills to protect the car liao. I don't know if bro Phang is trying to address this point when he says nobody install mesh on jet engines, but i believe it may be the same thing.

 

anyway, if any of you disagree, please feel free to write :)

[Mkl22]

It is a long winded discussion involving fluid dynamics

 

we often read about flying birds smashing into jet engine and brought down the aircraft

 

ever wonder why nobody solve this problem by fixing a mesh/grill on the jet engine intake? :-)

 

it will be like a french fry cutter. with the speed the aircraft is flying at, plus the suction of the engine, most of the bird will still go through.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Mkl22

[Buadongdong]

the following is based on my opinion and what I have studied before. If I am wrong please correct me :)

 

On the topic of airflow, installing the mesh may lower the airflow to the radiator, so depending on your car setup, if you already pushing it due to aftermarket installations, then you would need to be careful if you want to install this. However, based on what I could see from the hole sizes etc, i think this mesh will probably only reduce airflow by about 15%, or a little more, and as what bro carloverguy said, the fan can make up for it easily.

 

Now, on the more important topic of "installing a mesh to protect your radiator", the mesh in the video is so flimsy and if you really buy the few $ one from DIY shop, do you really expect it to protect your radiator from rocks when u are travelling at 50-100km/h?? if really so simple, all automakers will install this cheap thing liao, dont need to make special molds to manufacture strong metal grills to protect the car liao. I don't know if bro Phang is trying to address this point when he says nobody install mesh on jet engines, but i believe it may be the same thing.

 

anyway, if any of you disagree, please feel free to write :)

Correct me if i'm wrong, I guess TS is probably saying the installation of the mesh acts as a deterrence to rocks damaging the radiators bah.. Of cos if at high speeds, these "not so strong" mesh would be useless in preventing a damage.

[Watwheels]

It's a good idea given the existing design of the front grill of TS's car is kinda exposed. For my car the front grill come with the elongated honeycomb design which is good enough to act as a deflection to protect the radiator.

[Kklee]

There is no big deal whether the mesh act as a barrier high enough to deplete air flow.

The fan is able to draw constant air flow through the radiator.

It will not overheat.

 

Have you tried getting stuck in a massive traffic jam in mid afternoon sun ?

Nothing happens. Your fan keeps blowing, that's all. Having a OBD-gauge helps you determine your engine coolant temperature, and from what I had experienced, the temperature in mid hot day sun and mid night , yields the same temperature while idling. The system is regulated to around 90 degrees and the fan will switch on if the temperature rises.

 

And yes, that is the A/C radiator. The engine coolant radiator is usually mounted sandwich behind the AC radiator. Both are called radiators.

 

Phang, 

About speed , I don't get your point when you say you dont get cooling efficiency, especially high speed driving ? 

 

A car radiator fan does not work dependent on the speed of the car. It is dependent only on the temperature. 

Whether the car is speeding at 90km/h or 190km/h, as long as the temperature is below its threshold, the fan wont switch on.

 

But should the temperature rose above it's threshold even when it is going at 190km/h, the fan will still insist to blow, despite the air flow through the radiator would had probably surpassed the flow rate of the fan's capability.

 

Mkl22

 

A tip on overheat and AC.

If you wish to lower your coolant temperature quickly, you should switch on your AC fan to highest speed and disable the AC mode, turn the knob to extreme clockwise to the RED side maximum heat.

 

The AC make use of both freezing air from the AC pump, mixed with the hot radiator coolant that passes through the AC system to achieve the required temperature you desired.

 

By switching off the AC mode, there is no cold air going through the system, thus the system is only blowing hot air that is circulated through the system. The maximum fan speed will quickly cool down the coolant by several degree within a minute.

 

You will be able to witness this if you have a ODBgauge installed.

 

I tried this usually whenever I got back to my home, I would switch off AC mode, heater to max, fan to max, I would watch the temperature reduce from 90-92 down to 85-87.

 

I did this not to cool the engine actually. Just coincidentally I realize it. I use heater to dry up the AC system air duct to prevent mouldy build-up due to moisture remaining in the air con duct after I switch off the car engine.

 

Let's say after a long drive,  you let the car idle with the AC off but FAN on,  will the coolant temperature go up or maintain at around 90 ? 

 

P.S.  asking for information to find out how things work.

[carloverguy2017]

Drove for total of more than 5 hours at 110-120 km/h to Melaka and back.. return with a clean radiator !!

But as I pushed the net to check, it came loose.. LOL

I guess I have to rework on the fastening... but the result is promising 

[Jamesc]

Maybe using this kind of mesh grill better.

 

 

Edited August 12, 2017 by Jamesc

[Jamesc]

 

[carloverguy2017]

 

 

Yes you can but here I'm not spending more than $5 on the DIY.

How much you are willing to spend, that is the question.

No qualms on spending, anything also can work lah.