Jetta TDI Duct Tape Mods

[tasdrouille]

I too fear the coming winter. Especially since I installed my side skirts and went with an even lower airdam. Clearing the slush off the wheel wells will be mandatory after every trip. I might try greasing. I'm even considering taking the bus on snowstorm days. I also fear that coroplast will become extremely brittle in -30 weather.

I do not know at which temp exactly the rad fan kicks in (I think I remember hearing once a bit over 200 F), but it would be important to stay below that temp.

I've haD everything but the top grill blocked in the front all summer long. Stock belly pan under the engine. The temps throughout summer stayed below 200 F most of the time. For the winter I will block the upper grill too for my daily sub 10 miles each way commute, but will probably have to remove it for long trips.

[COMP]

Pam spray on helps with ice build-up

[COcyclist]

ChristphR, Lots of guys at the TDIclub.com swear by the metal replacement skid plates to protect our vulnerable engines. I have an A4 Golf in snowy Colorado and recently picked up an aluminum skid plate I'm hoping to install tomorrow. My buddy put one on his TDI New Beetle last winter after tearing his out on snowbanks and ice.

Sayad, It's good to see more modding by TDI guys on this site. I'll try to get my "garage" posted this weekend. Keep up the good work.

[MetroMPG]

I'm planning full front fender/wheel skirts for my car as well, and also live in the snow belt. So I've pretty much accepted that they may have to be only a "3 season mod".

That's the situation for alternator-less driving for me too (because of higher electrical demands in the winter, and less sunlight for solar recharging).

[Sayyad]

The Pam is a good idea. Ice only freezes to the body panels because these panels are below zero. Venting engine air or even some exhaust out the wheel wells would melt any deposits and keep our wheel well skirts clean and flexible. Failing that, maybe some sort of brush that is cut close to the tire to remove slush and snow.
Maybe enclosing the entire wheel well would trap enough heat on it's own. Very little air would be flowing across the brakes or through the wheel wells themselves. I'll bet the air temperature in an enclosed wheel well would stay around or above zero on it's own.
Tasdrouille; those are some amazing side skirts. Anybody who hasn't had a peek at his gallery please do so, it's worth a look. Flat hubcaps, blocked grill openings, low side skirts and air dam; I'm inspired. All you need now is a flat belly pan across the lower edges of the side skirts and air dam and you'll have a super smooth car.
I don't think they make a skid plate for my Jetta, but they're a good idea and they work better than the existing plastic cover. The last time I changed the oil I removed the large cover and the small oil pan cover. It is quite obvious that the previous owner went "off-roading" at some point because the oil pan has some big dents in it. If he had used a skid plate the oil pan would have been fine. Then again I guess it saves me a few hundred milliliters of oil each time I change it...
Evans NPG+ waterless coolant is probably a good idea if you're going to raise the engine temperature. This coolant is, if they're to be believed, far superior and it doesn't boil at any normally occurring temperature. It has no water so it's not corrosive either. Then I'd make sure everything is tuned up properly.

[MetroMPG]

Martin's car pics: Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com

[ecodean]

I like what you've done so far Sayyad. You can buy an aluminum skid plate for your A3 from Evolution Imports but it is not as large or aerodynamic as the skid plate I put on my A4 Golf. They are also expensive, however mine paid for itself when I hit a car battery at 50mph earlier this year. So far all I've done is to put lower grill block offs made out of coroplast and held on with velcro on my golf. For a while I also had wheel discs made of coroplast but the velcro could not hold the rt. front disc on for any length of time (I suspect a slight imbalance in the wheel kept causing that disc to be thrown off) My next mod will be rear wheel well skirts if all goes well.

[MetroMPG]

Sayyad: late notice, but the Ottawa EV group (EVCO) is meeting at the Sci/Tech museum this evening. I'll have the Flea in the parking lot for the meet 'n' greet around 6:30/6:45 if you want to drop by.

I'm sure you'll spark some discussion with your mods.