Saturn Vue ecomod thread

[BenArcher006]

Since Im starting to really get into ecomodding my Slowpoke Vue. I thought it was a good Idea to start one thread and post all my ecomods here rather than all over the forums.

So I just finish my Warm air intake, not 100% satisfied with to way iy looks. I will changé the Black Tape for aluminium foil Tape other than that Im going on the road now to test it, so I'll post the results when Ill get home.

[BenArcher006]

Redid my Wai and tested it.

It is 42 degrees outside right now and I can't seem to get my intake temps upwards of 60 degrees. The Wai that the air right above the exhaust manifold.



Kinda woried right now cause outside temps will get downwards of -15 this winter.

Another thing that bothers me is that, even with my front end completly blocked off, my coolant temp wont get to 232, it looks stuck at 205 and were still on the plus side températures.

Any hint or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[BabyDiesel]

What are all the mods you have so far?

I ask because there is possibility that colder air from outside is getting into the engine bay through the bottom of the car. This could negate the wanted WAI effect and keep the engine running cooler. Or your car could have really good cooling ducting.

IMO, the solution would be a front belly pan the finish sealing off your engine bay.

[2000mc]

To get your wai temps up you'll want to add a shroud of sorts. Right now you're getting air in the vacinity of your manifold. Try to pull air in such a way that, all the air gets drawn along very near to the manifold. Imagine you want to build a heat shield for your manifold, and then you take the air from the gap between.

Have you closed off the original inlet to the air box, so that all of your air comes through the wai? Is the intake air temp sensor still located in the air stream?

If you're successful in getting hotter air, I wouldn't trust tape to hold up, and would be curious about the source of the added plastic parts. That could be a reason to leave it as is. I built one that could add some good heat on the highway, but when I got stuck in some traffic it was too much- temps in the 150s and massive knock retard. So to go very far you'll want to have some sort of adjustability, or mix valve.

[Daox]

The others have given good advise on the WAI. I'd like to ask why you want to increase your coolant temp so high? 205 is probably where your radiator fan comes on to protect the engine and thats why you won't see temps above it. If you're hovering around 205 a lot your fan is probably running a lot and thats not really a desirable thing.

[BenArcher006]

In fact my fan comes on at 220.

Earlier today I remove the passenger side mirror and changed the driver side mirror for a smaller motorcycle mirror.






I just finished my 1St version belly pan. Sculpted à coroplast sheet to fit my truck's subframe shape and attached it with a couple of zipties.

I found out the truck's underneat is everything but flush and aerodynamic. All sorts of holes and shapes where wind gets in.

Next summer I'll rent à lift and do real eye candy stuff, Im still testing.



Went on a short road test to see it my Wai temps would stay higher. The truck was standing still for an hour when I departed.

Light trafic - Iat 103 Ect 194
35mph - Iat 90 Ect 205
Highway - Iat 82 Ect 200
City trafic - Iat 110 Ect 218

Better temps but its still in the 50s outside, I wanted to get the temps higher than that because Im sure we'll see temps lower of -15.

I'll have to make a shroud of some kind to get into the 120-130 intake temps.

What do y'all think?

[pete c]

Is yours a 5 speed manual?

I like the Vue and test drove one. I would have considered buying it, had it not had the worst damn shifter I have ever experienced. 1st gear was all but impossible to engage. I have read that others complained about it, but, I could not believe how bad it was.

[BenArcher006]

Yeah the shifter is a pita! It likes it rough, everytime I "powershift" keeping the gaz pedal to the floor its shift flawlessly but when I shift slowly, there is a disdinct cluck clunck between gears. Its mainly because the synchronisers arent brass but more like the friction material you find on automatic transmission clutches, proog is, this Manual transaxle requires ATF. Wtf!!

After 2 years driving the Vue I got use to it but... I lose it from time to time. Other then the kinda cheap materials quality, I really love that truck, indestructible reliability, really Nice fuel economy.

[BenArcher006]

I finally found the roof trims without the racks. It cost a wooping 40$ at my local car scrap yard. A monstrous 8$ for washers and pitch for the installation.





Nice clean roof without ugly chromed roof rails. Hope I will see some results, but my driving is mainly city milage.

Now, all there is left I to do is,

Redo my belly pan, but this time try to fully close the engine bay
Make Wai shroud for hotter intake temps
Redo my mirror covers without the use of Tape for better look
Injection kill switch for Eoc
Lowering the truck's suspension (costly)
Weight réduction but I have no Idea where to save

[kafer65]

If you cover the front with your hand its got a LandRover Defender kind of vibe to it Smooth!