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I decided to make a template out of cardboard for the grill block that I am planning to make pending obtaining the right material to make a permanent one. This is a sort of DIY as well, in case someone else wants to do the same.

I decided to this this block partially to reduce engine heat-up time, as well as create a bit of an aero buffer. While the aerodynamics probably wont change much at all with the current materials and set-up, when I do it propaerly I chould have pertty much the whole front fascia covered.

Before I went about doing this, I reasearched the max/min temps to run the car at. For the Yaris auto, ideal running temp is around 220 F, whereas the max temp to be able to run the car at before the "overheating" light comes on is 284 F, according to my local car dealer. Temperatures have been from the mod 70's to 80's of late, which is much "colder" than usual here in Cali, so I thought I'd risk it and see if there are any gains from doing such a block.

Here are the pictures of the process:

Cardboard templates cut out and spray-painted:
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1387/p9220073lx2.jpg

In order:
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/5719/p9220076hd3.jpg

Before:
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4991/p9220074mk1.jpg

Comparison:
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3692/p9220077vf2.jpg

How I string them:
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5535/p9220080ti2.jpg

RESULT:
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/369/p9220093in8.jpg
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3949/p9220082rg3.jpg
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/7378/p9220096cb8.jpg
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7590/p9220094lw7.jpg
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/672/p9220095jc8.jpg

Whoops, I just realized I posted this in the wrong forum. I meant to put it in the Mod/DIY section, in General.

Nice pics. Coroplast or something similar would fit in for a more permanent fit once those proxiies have served their purpose. Aero benefits probably won't be noticeable unless you're getting into highway speeds.

Wow, 284F? In my Scion xA, the fan kicks in at 200-202F so I try not to let the heat get that high.

I like the black color. Very stealthy, though I wear my blue tape grill blocks with a twisted sense of pride. :D

Wow, 284F? In my Scion xA, the fan kicks in at 200-202F so I try not to let the heat get that high.

I like the black color. Very stealthy, though I wear my blue tape grill blocks with a twisted sense of pride. :D


That is 140C. Unbelievable.

But it is correct.

Just see http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system3.htm.

With the optimal mix of coolant/antifreeze you get 113 C / 235 F as a boiling point,
and when it start to boil it will pressurise the system and thus increase the boiling point further 25 C by pressure alone, up to 138C/ 284F !

And I get worried when the temp goes up to 94C and the fan kicks in...

"Before I went about doing this, I reasearched the max/min temps to run the car at. For the Yaris auto, ideal running temp is around 220 F, whereas the max temp to be able to run the car at before the "overheating" light comes on is 284 F, according to my local car dealer. "

I am surprised to see the ideal running temp is around 220 F. My Yaris has a lower grille block, and the max temperature I ever saw is 195 F.
Also, are you sure that you want to block so much at first? I would consider just doing the upper, then at a later date go for the lower. Just a thought.

Just adding to the info pool...
On the hottest 100 degree day this summer I only saw 200 degrees once while crawling in heavy traffic. Normal warm temps ranged from 184 to 190. The Yaris cooling fan does kick in at about 200.
Keep us posted.

Just drove the car 54 miles (2-way commute, 27 miles each). Of course I shouldn't have expected much, as I didn't really notice any change in MPG on the way there, and aerodynamic difference were null.

I actively monitored the engine temps, and I can say that that 220 figure the Toyota guys gave me is way off. I did notice my engine warmed up rather quickly considering the colder temperatures. Ambient temp was around 75 and the engine "cool" light went off in about 1 minute as opposed to 1.5 minutes. Engine is at 89F upon startup, and the "cool" light turns off when it hits 185F.

While the drive to my destination wasn't quite as hot (8:15 am), the max temp that I saw was 202F, and this while going at around 26TPS/1.4 GPH/2200 RPM on a steep incline at 50mph.

On the drive home, engine temps stayed from lows of 196 to highs of 202, and the highest I saw was 206 F, just before coming to my house, where I have a very steep hill and I have to gun it just to get up. The fans turned on very briefly at this point, but nothing exploded.

Only major change I noticed is in Trip MPG. I didn't really try my best hypermiling on the way home, and I managed to get 58.7MPG whereas I usually average 56mpg on the return trip. I guess this shows that the slightly higher temps did help there :D

I will continue keeping records, and before I install my more solid grill block, I will check and see what the un-blocked temps are.

Here is an elevation chart of my route to show my driving cycle, and what I mean by "steep" uphills.

http://xs231.xs.to/xs231/08392/untitled984.png (http://xs.to)

Yeah, that's steep.

Wait, are you sure the cool light is kicking out at 185F? In my own car, it goes off at 140F. 185F seems too high.

I dunno, that's what I got this morning. I'll check again tomorrow and post my numbers.

Alright, so some correction are in order. The heat-up time was likewise rapid this morning, with temps around 70. Cool engine light turned off at around 170F. Max temps achieved in morning drive was 202F, while on return trip, 206F was the max. 198-202 seems to be the range of temps that I see with the block. Anyone know if this is high or not?

I did notice my engine warmed up rather quickly considering the colder temperatures. Ambient temp was around 75 and the engine "cool" light went off in about 1 minute as opposed to 1.5 minutes. Engine is at 89F upon startup, and the "cool" light turns off when it hits 185F.

75 seeming cool to you shows the different situations we drive in. It's 50 or cooler here in the morning.

I'd put a grill block on, but I don't have a scan gauge and am a little concerned as I would be driving blind in regards to engine temp.

Which do you think would be safe to block without having to be concerned about engine temp? Even when it's 70-80 around here the car seems to take far too long to warm up and it just grates my teeth to have to rev it at 3000 rpm with that stupid light on.

75 seeming cool to you shows the different situations we drive in. It's 50 or cooler here in the morning.

I'd put a grill block on, but I don't have a scan gauge and am a little concerned as I would be driving blind in regards to engine temp.

Which do you think would be safe to block without having to be concerned about engine temp? Even when it's 70-80 around here the car seems to take far too long to warm up and it just grates my teeth to have to rev it at 3000 rpm with that stupid light on.


Here's a quote from Bailout's grill block DIY on YW: http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8985

"My own rule of thumb is to block the upper grille when daytime temperatures are peaking at 65F, and also the lower grille when daytime temperatures are peaking at 55F. I also use an engine insulation blanket once daytime temperatures drop to 45, and I will post a DIY on that when that time comes".

Here's a quote from Bailout's grill block DIY on YW: http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8985

"My own rule of thumb is to block the upper grille when daytime temperatures are peaking at 65F, and also the lower grille when daytime temperatures are peaking at 55F. I also use an engine insulation blanket once daytime temperatures drop to 45, and I will post a DIY on that when that time comes".

Thanks for reminding me about this.