How to insulate a car radiator in winter

Our experiment

The editorial Largus is equipped with a Multitronics C-590 trip computer, which, among other things, allows you to monitor the temperature of the engine coolant with an accuracy of one degree. The information content of a standard device cannot be compared - it shows two tiles on the display if the engine is not fully warmed up, and four at temperatures up to 100°C.

So, during the week, when the temperature in the capital hovered around zero, I collected information about the engine temperature. What happened?

The on-board computer, receiving signals from the “brains” of the engine through the OBD-2 diagnostic connector, displays them on the screen.

How to insulate a Lada Granta engine

Auto Blanket

- This is insulation, which is a sewing product made from glass and mineral wool fabric, designed for thermal insulation of car engines in the cold season.

The insulation is made of environmentally friendly heat-sound-insulating materials and can withstand temperatures up to +800 degrees.

* Reduces the time and number of vehicle warm-ups, especially at night;

* Due to heat conservation, the temperature in the cabin is always comfortable;

* Fuel savings up to 20 liters per month;

* Prevents the formation of ice on the hood;

* Fire resistance, heat resistance, acid and alkali resistance;

* Good electrical insulating properties;

* Created on the basis of environmentally friendly materials;

* Simple and fast installation;

The insulation is manufactured in four sizes, each size is universal and suitable for certain car models, marked with numbers:

AutoBlanket No. 1 – 160*90cm price 1300 rubles AutoBlanket No. 2 – 142*90cm price 1300 rubles AutoBlanket No. 3 – 130*90cm price 1300 rubles AutoBlanket No. 4 – 150*90cm price 1300 rubles

Winter is about to come and grant providers will have a new headache associated with this - constant warming up of the engine at high sub-zero temperatures.

We decided to conduct a short review of useful devices that can help a car engine in harsh winter conditions.

Is it possible to overheat the engine?

There is an opinion that using cardboard can easily overheat the engine, for example, when driving on the highway. We checked. At the same zero temperature, when driving at a speed of 100 km/h, the electric fan does not turn on, the temperature of the liquid in the engine cooling system does not exceed 90°C. This is not surprising: after all, as is known, the low rotation speed of the Largus electric fan turns on when the coolant temperature exceeds 99°C, and turns off at 96°C. So it's a long way from overheating. If you skid for a long time in the snow, the temperature may creep up, but the electric fan will cope even in such conditions.

Heater radiator: responsible for heating the interior

It’s hard to imagine a modern car without a standard set of devices and options, thanks to which driving the vehicle becomes as convenient as possible, and staying in the cabin is comfortable and safe. The functions of maintaining a favorable temperature regime in the car are assigned to the heating, air conditioning and ventilation system, which, depending on the situation, can heat, ventilate or cool the air in the cabin. At the same time, one of the key components of the heating system is the stove, which includes a radiator that acts as a heat exchanger. The air entering the car interior is heated by the radiator, and it is heated by the liquid that cools the engine.

"Lada Granta" is equipped with a large number of options, thanks to which driving the vehicle becomes quite convenient

How does the Lada Granta heating system work?

Structurally, the Lada Granta heating system consists of:

an air duct directing the flow to the left deflector (deflector is a device for enhancing traction);
heat exchanger covers;
seal;
stove radiator;
air duct to glass;
stove body;
central air duct;
an air duct directing the flow to the right deflector;
recirculation shutter rods;
fan shell;
directly from the fan;
a resistor that regulates the operation of the fan;
main air duct;
distribution valve rods;
regulating device;
a device that directs air to the feet of passengers;
thermostat shutter rods.

The structure of the Lada Granta heating system allows you to carry out repairs on your own

How does the heating system work?

The heating and ventilation system in Lada Granta is a supply and exhaust system . What does this mean? Air from outside penetrates into the cabin through a special device in the form of an air intake box placed in front of the windshield. The amount of air coming from outside is regulated by a special recirculation damper. The recirculation system provided in the Lada Grant allows for better heating of the air in the cabin in winter and faster cooling in summer (if air conditioning is available). However, you should not abuse the recirculation mode, since this will introduce stale air into the car. It is convenient to use recirculation to protect against foreign odors from the street entering the cabin, but only for a short time. The principle of recirculation is to block the access of air from outside and repeatedly pass internal air flows through the heating or cooling element.

Next, an air filter 7 appears on the path of air flows, which serves as a barrier for dust and dirt particles. Do not forget to change the filter element in accordance with the schedule recommended by the manufacturer. The air, cleared of mechanical particles, is picked up by fan 11, driven by engine 12, and pumped into the car interior.

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After this, the air stream passes through the air conditioner evaporator 13 (if provided in the package), under which there is a drainage hole 14 for draining the condensate. Depending on the position of the damper 15, which regulates the temperature, the air moves to the heater radiator or bypasses the heat exchanger. If the damper directs the jet to the radiator, then heated air enters the cabin, the flows of which can be distributed as necessary onto the windshield and side windows or under the feet of passengers.

Heating and ventilation system "Lada Grants" - supply and exhaust

The exhaust occurs through special openings in the rear of the body, which can be found under the trunk lining. For normal operation of the hood, these openings should not be blocked by cargo carried in the trunk. Among other things, a closed hood can cause windows to fog up.

Operation of the Lada Granta stove radiator

There is a heater directly under the windshield; after passing through it, air flows are directed to different parts of the cabin. Judging by the reviews of the owners, the stove installed on the Lada Granta works more efficiently than the heaters of other VAZ models, for example, Lada Kalina .

The radiator leaked, the sealant was filled in - the leak stopped, and the stove also stopped heating. The service center said that I shouldn’t have done this: the stove radiator was clogged. Replacing a stove costs approximately 4–5 thousand rubles. + oven. Refused, no money. A friend advised me to change the expansion tank cap. And so they did. Cool, the oven works great!
Nikolai
https://avto-granta.ru/remont-i-obsluzhivanie-lady-granty/pechka-na-lada-granta

The heater of the Lada Granta car has a plastic housing

At what temperature should cardboard be removed?

The upper limit of ambient temperature permissible for using cardboard in front of a radiator can be considered +5°C. Monitor the weather forecast, the sea temperature indicator and the frequency of operation of the electric cooling fan.

To warm up or not to warm up a modern engine? All the details and video are here.

Is cardboard in front of the radiator necessary today? - experiment on Lada

Modern cars

We've sorted out the old cars. But the question remains open as to why such solutions, like cardboard, not to mention a car blanket, are used on modern vehicles.

Modern cars include models produced closer to the 2000s, as well as all current cars. Namely:

Do-it-yourself hood insulation

Thermal insulation of the hood is a labor-intensive process that requires the use of high-quality materials and strict adherence to the installation algorithm. The first step is to select the appropriate material.

To insulate the hood, you can use the following options (except for those already described above):

1. Without foil coating:

PPE NH - heat and noise insulation material based on polyethylene. The product is distinguished by its affordable price, excellent performance characteristics, ability to retain heat and suppress unnecessary noise. It is used for thermal insulation of the hood, floor, luggage compartment, doors and other things.
Splen 3004 - an affordable option that allows you to solve two problems at once (provide sound and thermal insulation). The peculiarity of splen is the presence of an adhesive layer, ease of installation and the absence of the need to additionally heat the product. Splen 3004 has a fine structure and is made using polyethylene. Dimensions (width, length) - 1,000 and 20 mm, respectively. The thickness is selected taking into account the tasks.
Ultimate Soft Gray - foam rubber, characterized by decent characteristics and low price. It is used to provide heat and sound insulation of doors, trunk, floor and engine compartment. Roll parameters (width, length) - 500, 750 mm, respectively.

Ultimate Soft Gray with foil. A special feature is the presence of a thin layer of foil on the surface. The product is resistant to high temperatures and is suitable for heat and sound insulation of various parts of the machine. With its help, it is easy to insulate the car hood, luggage compartment, roof, doors and other elements of the car. The length of the material is 750 mm, the width and thickness are 500 and 10 mm, respectively (the latter parameter may vary).
NPE - polyethylene foam, covered with a thin layer of foil on top. This combination provides powerful thermal insulation. In recent years, this material has been increasingly used in the organization of hood thermal insulation. Advantages: high quality, low price. Available in white and gray colors in rolls of 50 meters long and 100 cm wide. Thickness may vary.
Isolontape 300 LA - characterized by the presence of a self-adhesive layer, as well as the ability to store heat, retain noise and moisture. Pros: reasonable cost, no odor and hygienic safety. Sold in gray and white, in rolls of thirty meters long and a meter wide. Thickness may vary. It is based on chemically cross-linked polyethylene foam. Often used for hood insulation.

To insulate the hood with your own hands, you should proceed as follows:

1. Prepare the necessary tools and material. To work you will need:

Stationery knife;
Scotch;
Paper;
Pencil pen);
Marker;
Scissors.

2. Make layouts taking into account the sizes of the hood sections. To do this, use cardboard or paper. Here it is important to make the workpieces with precision in order to avoid wasting excess heat-insulating material. As practice shows, to insulate the hood of a car, an average of 0.6-0.7 square meters of insulation is required.

3. Cut out all the blanks and sign with a marker (this will eliminate confusion during installation).

4. Attach the blanks to the heat-insulating material and outline the boundaries with a marker.

5. Carefully cut out the blanks that will later be glued to the hood.

6. Prepare the surface of the metal that is being processed. Wash the inner surface with a soapy solution, then let the surface dry.

7. Treat the metal with a degreaser to eliminate sagging.

8. Apply the prepared pieces to certain areas and stick them. Please note that it is not advisable to insulate the hood with glue. Use products with a ready-made adhesive layer.

If everything is done correctly and consistently, the hood insulation will be ready in 20-30 minutes.

In addition, with the correct choice of materials, it is possible not only to insulate the engine compartment, but also to improve the sound insulation of the car hood.