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Thread: Sealing the hood gap

  1. #31
    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    I'm sure it did something for gas mileage. I'm also sure it was too small to notice. I think earlier in this thread, I estimated the gap sealed equaled sealing up about a 5" hole in the grill. That really isn't that big at all when it comes to surface area. People see a 1-2 mpg bump from blocking off the entire grill if they drive at high speeds most of the time. So, blocking off a fraction of the surface area leads to a fraction of the gas mileage increase.

    In my case, sealing the hood gap also seals off a way for the air to get around the radiator. This improves cooling performance and allows me to run with even more of my grill blocked off. Is it noticeable from tank to tank? Probably not. But, I know it is working, and its a super easy mod to do.


    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


  2. #32
    Senior Member DonkeyPal's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rndeleon1988 View Post
    I've sealed the hood gap and it actually... Did nothing for my gas mileage. I'm confused by this and just removed the stripping entirely
    I believed that Daox explained that his gas mileage dropped as his Wisconsin winter got colder and colder, and that he took measurements showing his weather stripping treatment allowed the temperature of the engine compartment to rise. If his engine had been running too cold to get normal fuel economy and the weather stripping allowed it to run at a more normal temperature, it makes sense that the weather stripping could improve Daox's mpgs.

    But if you experimented with covering the hood gap at a different time of year, or perhaps even in what passes for cold weather in Texas, I suspect your results might vary.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)


  3. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Rndeleon1988 View Post
    I've sealed the hood gap and it actually... Did nothing for my gas mileage. I'm confused by this and just removed the stripping entirely
    As Tim pointed out, this mod would result in a very small efficiency improvement, too small to measure. Your tank-to-tank MPG variation would be far greater.

    There are few magic bullets in DIY efficiency modifications. Think of this one as a single pellet in some magic buckshot.

    I would have left it on.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  4. #34
    Senior Member DonkeyPal's Avatar
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    I haven't measured it, but the gap around my 2015 Mirage DE hood looks to me to be about 3/8ths of an inch. Also it is a gap in a plane of the body that is swept backwards quite a bit. I don't think I will bother trying to cover or block such a tiny gap barely facing into the wind.

    If I found cold weather dragging down my mpgs, I'd pick a larger opening on the front of the vehicle to temporarily cover.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)


  5. #35
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    Generally winter blend fuels result in slightly lower mpg, so I wouldn't sweat any slightly lower winter mpgs.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


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