The Prius Experiment: Upper Grille Block -- Better Fuel Economy for $2

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This is the first video in the "Prius Experiment" series. In this series, I will perform modifications to improve the fuel economy of my 2nd generation Prius.
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#hybrid #hypermiling #aerodynamics #prius #priuslife

Опубликовано:

15 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 56

@johngassenhuber9872 Год назад

Well did it help at all?

@michaelblacktree Год назад

Yes, especially in the winter. Fuel economy results are in the next video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uEQysHouoOo.html

@johngassenhuber9872 Год назад

Got it thanks What in your opinion would be the best mod to apply to a 2014 prius?

@michaelblacktree Год назад

The driver is the single biggest variable in fuel economy. So I'd suggest doing the "driver mod" first. That said, here's a thread on Ecomodder where someone modded a 3rd gen Prius. Might give you some ideas. ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/3rd-gen-prius-aeromod-thread-28466.html

@camposvazquez 10 месяцев назад

@@michaelblacktreeMr Blacktree.. I am in the deserts of California. Will this mod black the radiator increasing coolant temps beyond acceptable operating conditions

@michaelblacktree 10 месяцев назад

I don't know, never drove the Prius in a desert.

@SeanBaker 2 месяца назад

I'm definitely trying this one before the weekend is up.

@nathanhatcher7096 2 года назад

Look into your oil as well! A test myself i switched to full synthetic 0w20 mobile1 in all 3 of are high mileage 2nd gen Prius, not only has fuel economy improve by 10% but also the oil consumption is nearly stopped! Beside in 2010+ 3th gen Prius Toyota recommended 0w20, it has better flow characteristic and better cleaning property to help with hybrid engines during the starting and stopping plus cooler temp it runs than the 5w30 design for! Thanks Nate

@michaelblacktree 2 года назад

Actually, I switched to 10w30 full synthetic (Valvoline MaxLife). I haven't noticed any significant change in fuel economy. You make a bunch of glowing claims about that oil. Makes me wonder if you're on their payroll or something...

@nathanhatcher7096 2 года назад

@@michaelblacktree I'm a retired hybrid tech ran my own shop repairing nothing but 2nd gen Prius, I still enjoy working on Prius, hands down one of the best reliable cars out there! Thanks Nate

@WeebAttorney 2 года назад

@@nathanhatcher7096 how high mileage are they? I have a 229000 mile 2nd gen Prius, I'm using 10w40 in it. If what you say is true, I might also try out using mobile1 0w20 in mine.

@nathanhatcher7096 2 года назад

All 4 of are Prius are high mileage 200k+! I tried heavier oils didn't not improve oil consumption though after switching to 0w20 noticed that the oil was darker for a couple of changes simply because its much better at cleaning internals! Thanks Nate

@michaelblacktree 2 года назад

IMO putting thinner oil in a high mileage engine is a step in the wrong direction. But you're free to believe what you want.

@billsherman6129 Год назад

People on PriusChat -- including me -- were doing this 10+ years ago. Once the material starts to degrade from sunlight it may end up flying off and polluting the roadway. Zip ties or other attachment methods are suggested. If you live in a cool-ish area you can block most of it all year long. From what I recall, many folks left an area near the air intake unblocked so that the external temperature reading would be relatively correct. Definitely useful to be able to see engine temperatures during warmer weather so I'm glad you've got that. You can also purchase/install an engine block heater for a 2nd gen Prius (probably other cars as well?). You can run that for an hour or two before you go driving. I've still got my heater installed. People ask why I've got a plug sticking out of my front grill.

@michaelblacktree Год назад

Those are good points. Although here in Florida, a block heater won't be of much use. My concern was if the grille block would affect cooling in the summer. And it appears to be fine. So the next step will be to make a more permanent grille block.

@marbesky 2 года назад

been doing this mod for the last 2 years and yes it is a big difference i live in uk and i have the whole grill completely covered throughout the winter i only drive 11 miles at a time and thermostat never opens not even with full grill covered

@michaelblacktree 2 года назад

That's pretty cool. But here in Florida, that may not be possible.

@greeneking77 2 года назад

Have you ever removed the back seat to see if a weight reduction improves the mpg?

@michaelblacktree 2 года назад

If you do a lot of stop-n-go driving, weight reduction should help. But I think you may need to remove more than just the back seat, to make a noticeable difference.

@oldmcdonald1759 2 года назад

I removed the back of the back seat to have more cargo space and it saved 50 lbs

@JingsWorld 19 дней назад

I might try on my Prius ,but at 51mpg I’m satisfied for now unless the gas goes up again.

@paladain55 2 года назад

You can do the grill block year round as well. About one of the only effective ways to get the car to warm up quicker.

@michaelblacktree 2 года назад

Yeah, I noticed that. The faster warmup, in and of itself, will improve fuel economy. The improved aero is a bonus.

@drippingwax Год назад

I know that weirdos on Ecomodder always say that the full grill is designed to handle towing uphill in Death Valley in the summer, but my Accord and Civic started overheating on level ground in Phoenix in the summer. I put Dollar Tree painter's tape on the lower grill of my Camry when I drove home from Phoenix and I didn't like how warm my engine was getting driving over hills to get home from Phoenix. I am sure that I could run a grill block when it is 80 or below, which is most of the year in the mountains, but not too much of the year in the Phoenix area.

@paladain55 Год назад

@@drippingwax I could see that. In the summer it doesn't help much having a grill block outside of city driving anyways. But I know on my prius the gas mileage below 75F the car is typically up from 48 avg to high 50s.

@drippingwax Год назад

@@paladain55 It makes the engine warm up faster, but it also makes the car slightly more aerodynamic.

@paladain55 Год назад

@@drippingwax Truth it does help. I bet i pick up a mpg or two up top from the grill block. The worst part i notice with the prius is it has an extremely hard time maintaining 150F to go into hybrid mode and shut off at will. That seems to be the big gain for me.

@raffaellorelaxingvideo Месяц назад

Hey nice your job for us! I have a question: Have you ever heard a noise coming from the steering wheel that goes "knock-knock"? Could it be the steering gear?

@michaelblacktree Месяц назад

Yes, I do get a clunk sometimes. I've replaced almost the whole suspension (because it was worn out), and the clunk is still there. So maybe it's in the steering rack? I'm not sure.