Air Dam

[SVOboy]

<a href=http://hondainsight.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1970&postdays=0&postorder=asc&star t=0&sid=cbcb6e704f9cb5dd580f045fef5ed337 target=_blank>Air Dam for Insights</a>

This idea is very interesting to me. Rather than replacing the thermometer to increase engine temps, you prevent the radiatior from cooling down the engine as much. Worth a try do you figure?

[Compaq888]

So what you are saying is putting a piece of cartboard between the AC condenser and the radiator. That way the ac works like usual and the radiator gets less air and the engine temps rise??

When the engine temps rise the car runs leaner???

I see this is a benefit for me because my radiator cap allows me to go to higher temperature and the car won't overheat. The only downfall of this idea is if the fans keep coming on that means I'll waste more fuel.

[SVOboy]

You're not sposed to use a/c with this because it'll put strain on your a/c system.

But the basic idea is this: you prevent the radiator from radiating as much, increasing operating temperature. This doesn't really lean the fuel mixture out, just increases operating temperatures which is more efficient. I don't think it'll turn on your fans, but if it does, you can always decrease the size of the air dam so that you are still increasing temperature but without going high enough to turn on the fans. I don't know very well the issue with fans and mpg though.

[Compaq888]

Ok i'll try it on my next tank. I almost never use the AC. I noticed on the Insight website it said that it should be tried on outside temps of low 80's or lower because it overheats the car. Do you think I can try it with the temps in mid 80's???

The benifit I have is That I have a radiator cap with higher temperature rating and I have a bigger engine.

Also my radiator is fully plastic should I be worrying about something?

[SVOboy]

I don't think so, just watch the temperature gauge to make sure it doesn't go to high, if it does just pull it right out, it shouldn't be hard to do or undo. The reason they say lower than 80s is because you don't want to heat it up so much when it's already that hot, but I think you should be fine. If you're worried you can only cover up part of the radiator instead of the whole thing, which would mean less of a temperature increase.

[Compaq888]

My intent was to never cover up the whole part. Just the bottom half where the air goes inside the grill of the bumper. If the temps stay the same and everything is working right I'll do 3/4 high of the radiator.

I'll do this on the next tank or the one after that because I want to experiment the results of every change. One of my next changes is tire pressure. I have it at 35psi and tried some quick steering stunts off the freeway ramps. The car floats a little. At 32psi it doesnt float at all, I turn the wheel at high speeds and it does exactly what I want. So going to 40psi is dangerous for my car. It will kill the agility and the braking distance of the car. I think I'll just take it up as high as 36 or 37psi.

[SVOboy]

Haha, I would never turn my mom's camry at a high speed, but I've never floated in my crx, even with lots of air, but then again I've never taken a turn at higher than 40mph, I take the freeway ramps at full speed though, cuz that's fun. In any case, yep, your plan sounds great, just like my plan, in fact. Document things well, and post your results in the experiments section to share with others! :-)

Hopefully soon matt will have up the database that can compare all the results with tables and nice looking stuff.

[Compaq888]

My car weighs 3000lbs so I expect some float with higher tire pressure. My car handles really good, it's just slow and gas guzzling.

I already checked my radiator and it's very plausible to do it.

[SVOboy]

Threw in a piece of cardboard about 1/3rd the size of my radiator on the way over to my girlfriend's house tonight, took about two minutes and I got not intelligible increase in engine temperature, since I'm using this tank to fiddle around as the acetone works (prolly a few more tanks) I might just keep increasing the air dam size until I get just a bit extra engine temp, which is fine cuz it is usually pretty low since my radiator is huge.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Threw in a piece of cardboard about 1/3rd the size of my radiator on the way over to my girlfriend's house tonight, took about two minutes and I got not intelligible increase in engine temperature, since I'm using this tank to fiddle around as the acetone works (prolly a few more tanks) I might just keep increasing the air dam size until I get just a bit extra engine temp, which is fine cuz it is usually pretty low since my radiator is huge.

Another solution is to replace it with a smaller radiator :P

[SVOboy]

I could get some turbo half size radiator, but that's money, and blocking a third isn't really eliminating a third, prolly couldn't fine tune a new radiator as much, if I get around to dropping the 7 bucks for a 192 thermostat I shall.

[SVOboy]

I'm prolly blocking about 60% of my radiator now, and the car's temperature dropped!! What the hell, I think, but I'll let it go for a tank and see what happens.

[Compaq888]

I didn't get any change in mileage. I'm covering about half the radiator.

[Matt Timion]

I think that the air dam is effective on Honda Insights more than our cars. The temperature changed caused by the air damn actually forces the car into "lean burn" mode more than normal, which saves a ton of gas. The electric engine is utilized more and the gas is used less.

I think that if we want to get better (higher) temperatures in our cars we might want to just install a 195 degree thermostat.

[diamondlarry]

[quote]I think that if we want to get better (higher) temperatures in our cars we might want to just install a 195 degree thermostat.

That's what I ended up doing with my Saturn.

[Compaq888]

I already have a 195 degree thermostat. I have done everything to my car except take it out back and shoot it.

My tank only lasts me for 2 weeks, sometimes even a week. I don't even make that much.

I have changed to different intakes, I experimented with different tire pressures, I put nitrous in it, I put synthetic in it, I changed to a different radiator cap, I put a grounding kit in it, and soon I will put hydrogen in there too.

There is always something new with the car. It's either oil change, or tire rotation, or fuel it up, or something broke. Thank god I don't have a girlfriend.

This car is frustrating me, when I didn't have a car I was frustrated I didn't have a car. Now I'm frustrated because I spend $200-250 on my car a month. I don't even enjoy it as much as my neighbor when he parks next to me and scratches, dings or dents my car.

Sorry for the vent.

I'm under a lot of stress now. I got tests all the time now, and my jobs are killing me and some girl hit my car.

[davens]

I think that the air dam is effective on Honda Insights more than our cars. The temperature changed caused by the air damn actually forces the car into "lean burn" mode more than normal

This is what I also got out of that thread...not worth the hassle and risk if you're car can't get into a lean burn mode.

I live in Texas. Its been in the mid to high 80s this week and even hit 108 well into Sept this year. Summer temps can run over 100 for weeks at a time....the whole idea of blocking your radiator(or going without AC) just seems nuts.

[SVOboy]

I'm planning on getting another thermostat, but I dun see how it would make it hit lean burn, it's totally rpm dependent except for some correction factors that don't really have much to do with the vtec crossover point.

[Matt Timion]

Dude, sounds like you're at your last rope with this car. What's sad is that you're already like 7-8mpg above the EPA estimates which themselves are difficult to obtain.

For a little humor, check out this article on reducing the weight of a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE.

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Dude, sounds like you're at your last rope with this car. What's sad is that you're already like 7-8mpg above the EPA estimates which themselves are difficult to obtain.

For a little humor, check out this article on reducing the weight of a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE.

I only beat the EPA by 2mpg. Because I don't drive 100% freeway. I've seen that sentra article so many times. It's funny. What's sad is after they were done they only got 14.4

I can get that 14.4 with some nitrous, i/h/e and slicks. I already got a 15.7 with just nitrous and intake.

The problem with the car is it's just too heavy. I don't want to remove my seats or anything I use. So far I only removed my spare and jack.

[Compaq888]

I refueled again. But this time I went the speed limit and I used cruise control all the time. I got 27.4mpg

My next tank will be low, my cousin drove back because I was drunk. I went to 2 parties and 1 club in the same night. I was giggling like a little school girl. LOL

The air damn trick doesn't work, I think it only works for hybrids.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

I refueled again. But this time I went the speed limit and I used cruise control all the time. I got 27.4mpg

My next tank will be low, my cousin drove back because I was drunk. I went to 2 parties and 1 club in the same night. I was giggling like a little school girl. LOL

The air damn trick doesn't work, I think it only works for hybrids.

Be sure to keep your data for when we get a more formal experiment section up in the next week or so.

[SVOboy]

Yeah, I really think my air dam is actually screwing me over, so I'ma get rid of it in a bit.

[Compaq888]

I'll be sure to record the data.