In NE, do you block your grille during winter?

ttcheung

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Location
Sudbury, MA
TDI
2011 TDI Sportwagen 6MT
Anybody in the Massachusetts area block their grilles during the winter? If so, are the benefits noticeable? I commute about 60 miles daily and go up and down 495; my water never seems to reach the midpoint, even when going ~80mph.



If you block your grilles, what foam diameters have you been using? Thank you.
 

KITEWAGON

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Location
Seacoast, NH
TDI
2014 Touareg Exec, 2014 JSW
Yes I do. I don't know if its noticeable because I put it on before it was very cold out. I didn't do a scientific test. I use the IDparts winter cover. Fits nice. Looks good. My car gets to full temperature (actual 190-200 F using my P3 gauge, not going by built in dial) within about 7-8 miles or so.

If your car is never hitting temp you may have something else going on.
 

ttcheung

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Location
Sudbury, MA
TDI
2011 TDI Sportwagen 6MT
In slightly warmer temps (40s-50s) the needle will go to the mid point. 495 also has some inclines and declines, and I'm sure coasting cools the temps a lot. During regen mode that temp needle will climb to the middle as well. Therefore I hope my powertrain's alright.


People have been talking about fuel economy improvements; is it from the aerodynamics?, or from quicker warm-up times?
 

Matt927

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Location
Northeast
TDI
several
Yes. Lower Grille.

Around 165 actual coolant temp will indicate 190 on the dummy gauge.
 
Last edited:

jackbombay

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 12, 2002
Location
Diesel knows best
TDI
A4 Jetta
For a while I had a very consistent commute, 14 miles one way, 50 MPh, one stop light, and never any traffic of any sort. with temps typically in the single digits in the am and teens to mid 20's in the pm my winter front and intercooler cover gained me 2 MPG, PLUS the car warmed up in about half the time. I drove the commute as consistently a possible, on the cruise at 50 the whole time except for a few corners that I had to slow for.
 

Slurry Pumper

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Location
Allentown PA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
I commute about 1-1/2 hours down the PA turnpike, and yes I block the grill with the 1/2" pipe insulation jammed in every place I can jam it in. The difference is noticeable with quicker heat up times. As you probably should know starting the TDI up and letting it idle in an effort to heat up the car is useless, but the car now will heat up pretty well within a few miles of driving when without the grill blockage, sometimes like the other day when it was 5 degrees outside the temp may never get to the operating temp. You also get better winter mileage.
 

KAT90

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Location
Mass
TDI
99.5 Jetta
Western Mass here, commute to Hartford. I also block lower grill only with foam pipe insulation. Full engine temp reached 2-5min sooner depending on outside temp.
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
Pipe insulation isn't usually noticeable unless you point it out to someone. It holds in place, it is easily replaceable if lost or damaged, low cost - what's not to like?

I've left mine in place until I started to wonder on 70+ degree days if I would overheat, but I never have. Maybe on a day that warm if your fans failed it would, but if everything works, no problem. (Not that I recommend leaving it in there that long!)

Cheers,

PH
 

Metal Man

Vendor
Joined
Sep 29, 2001
Location
Sunbury,PA 17801
TDI
1998 NB TDI, 2006 Jetta TDI, 2014 Tiguan gas, , 2019 E Golf X2
So "this guy I know" had his rad blocked on his 06 Jetta last year. This car doesn't get used every day so things can get forgotten. So "this guy" took the Jetta on a trip to Jersey on the interstate. On the way back the temps are starting to get into the high 80's and the speeds are almost that high. He starts to wonder if he every unblocked the rad so he pulls over to check and sure enough it's all blocked off. Switched from A/C on to windows down and heat on high for the rest of the trip with no issues.
 

ttcheung

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Location
Sudbury, MA
TDI
2011 TDI Sportwagen 6MT
I bought some pipe insulation from the local hardware store and stuffed the lower grille with them. I didn't do a perfect job, so there's small openings on each end.


The warmup times definitely improve, and with temps either in the 20-30s, the needle rarely hits midpoint, unless I drive her harder, or that it's in regen mode.


I hate how the car's caked with salt.
 

RideoutKSC

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
2000 TDI Jetta, 2015 TDI Passat
Grill Blocking

I've been blocking my grill for five years with the same pieces of foam pipe insulation. I make the trek on 495 from exit 52 in Haverhill all the way to Exit 37 in Billerica/Lowell/Tewksbury or wherever that exit drops me off. My warmup times increased significantly after I put the foam in. Nobody really notices it, and it stays put when I go through car washes.
 
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