Cover for Grill?

[bigbird1]

We far northerners do the cheap cardboard thing as well. The problem with the RAV grille is that you need to remove the upper rad cover to install the cardboard in front of the AC condenser. The other alternative is to push the cardboard up from below the grille, but that's blocked by a shield as well. That's not a fun thing to remove outside in cold temps, so buy/make a winter front. Any auto upholstery place can make you a cheap vinyl cover with snap on attachments. That way you can open it part way to adjust for changing winter temps.. just like the big highway tractors.

[Dr. Dyno]

I'd think something covering the grill on the outside would be better than cardboard next to the radiator. On the outside would still allow the fan to circulate air thru the radiators in the event it needed to such as when extended idling on a warmer day.

[CanuckRAV4]

Originally Posted by vanib

how does 20L/100 km sound?

It would be 20L/100Km for me too, if not for the very 1st outing in the morning coming out of a 10C heated garage

It's all those 5Km trips with extended cooling period in between that kill the fuel economy. It would be likes starting from stone cold each and every time . . .

But hey, you can at least skate on the canal this year

[4x4 rav]

Originally Posted by CanuckRAV4

It would be 20L/100Km for me too, if not for the very 1st outing in the morning coming out of a 10C heated garage

It's all those 5Km trips with extended cooling period in between that kill the fuel economy. It would be likes starting from stone cold each and every time . . .

But hey, you can at least skate on the canal this year

[pico]

Perhaps someone with more talent than I have can build an ACTIVE AIR FLOW control for the radiator. KIA, Hyundai and BMW use it.

[vanib]

weather was -15C/5F today.
On the highway I was getting 9.8 Lph (24 mpg) at 100 km/h (62 m/h)
With 10% city driving, average came out to be 12.5 Lph/19 mpg.

The highway driving and "warmer" temperature helped a bit.

[rav4two]

Originally Posted by pico

Perhaps someone with more talent than I have can build an ACTIVE AIR FLOW control for the radiator. KIA, Hyundai and BMW use it.

I've actually seen a (relatively) poor man's version of this. It was a three layer sheet, with the inner layer being a shutter that exposed holes in the outer sheets when activated. It was controlled by a thermocouple connected to a relay fed off battery power to move the shutter. It was to be used when a thermostat wasn't optimal, and the applications I saw were for fluid coolers like oil, transmission fluid, or differential fluid. It was sized to fit various aftermarket coolers, so I don't know if one exists for a standard radiator size, nor do I know if one could be used to cover part of a radiator.

I don't know that I never really understood why this was better than an in-line thermostat, but considering that it was way more expensive than a thermostat and the lines, there must have been some reason.

[Meander]

You may consider installing different thermostat. Some of them open at higher temperatures allowing engine to heat up faster. I use to have camry and when replacing thermostat I had to choose at what temperatures I want engine coolant to flow from the radiator.

[JuneBug]

Originally Posted by Meander

You may consider installing different thermostat. Some of them open at higher temperatures allowing engine to heat up faster. I use to have camry and when replacing thermostat I had to choose at what temperatures I want engine coolant to flow from the radiator.

That's a bad idea. The wrong temperature thermostat will cause the computer to try to compensate with the fuel injectors. The computer and thermostat will be constantly fighting each other and mileage will suffer.