"Block off" the grills...

[huy397]

Given the cold weather, I am thinking of blocking my grills to make my Frosty warm up a little faster,Anyone has their grills blocked off with a cardborad or whatever else ?Does it help much ? and what did you do ?thanks

[pmh013]

I did last year when I was having catalytic converter trouble. I was hoping a little more insulation would help it out (it didn't). This year, I opted to not install a Saskatchewan winterfront. Hasn't been too bad really without it. I wonder if GM offers some sort of winterfront for the Vibe?I was thinking that if I was particularily crafty I could make one that snapped onto my existing front end cover, but I don't have the right equipment (sewing machine) or time to do it now.

[cohocarl]

Personally, I don't think blocking off airflow with anything is a good idea. As long as the thermostat is working correctly, cardboard across the front of the grill won't make it warm up that much faster. If by chance you block off too much air through the radiator when the motor does get warm enough for the thermostat to open, you're running into the chance it will overheat and cause permanent damage.Spring's just around the corner.......

[GrafxWerks]

Blocking off the grill or radiator wouldn't help your Vibe warm up faster. The thermostat is closed until the block reaches operating temperature (at which point the thermostat opens and coolant flows to the rad/heater core). Might look fancy, tho - Ryan