Quote:
Originally Posted by RockCrusher
My 996 Turbo came with a louvered engine cover. Washing or sitting out the rain resulted in the accessory drive getting wet.
Upon cold engine start I'd have to let the engine idle a bit extra to give the accessory drive time to dry. I'd hear intermittent chirps and the battery voltage reading was low (~12V) because the alternator was not being driven.
Also, the engine air intake box would get water in it. There was a small hole in the bottom to let the water drain but it got wet enough to wet the large paper filter along the bottom. (I could see the staining of the filter element.)
I was careful when washing to avoid flooding the engine cover with water. Rain of course -- even in one case just heavy fog -- can't do much about. (Car cover not really practical.)
What I don't like about the louvers mod on the M2 is this I believe will cause air flow the wrong way through the engine compartment. If it even affects air flow. The location may be in a neutral air pressure area there may be no flow out of or into the engine compartment. Taping lengths of wool yarn to the louvers then observing the wool yarn behavior one could see which way the air flowed at various vehicle speeds.
Normally air enters through the radiator openings and then because the engine compartment is sealed at the top flows down and past the turbos, exhaust and thus the hottest air flows away from the more heat sensitive items like engine wiring, fuel lines, etc. This downward/outward flow is helped by under car aerodynamics which creates a low pressure area under the engine.
With the louvered hood mod if it works at all the radiator air has another escape route which means it doesn't flow down and remove the hottest air out the bottom of the engine compartment but flows up and the hottest air either follows it or just kind of stalls and this lets the turbos/exhaust heat load increase.
With the louvered hood mod there is also the concern hot air that exits through the louvers then flows into the cabin air intake and puts more strain on the A/C system.
I might add in the case of my 996 Turbo the engine was at the back of the car. There was an active spoiler which created a high pressure area *over* the louvered engine cover. Thus air was forced to flow down through the engine compartment and remove the hottest air.
Plus there was an engine compartment fan which ran all the time and blew down so even if the car was not moving fast enough for any real pressure to build over the engine compartment cover the fan ensured cooler air entered at the top of the engine and then flowed down around/past the engine and the hot turbos/exhaust and out the back of the car.
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To each their own. Here is my opinion.
I installed this mod primarily because the look of the stock hood was too much for me. I preferred to have one or two carbon vents to offset the massive solid car hood landscape. Again, my opinion that it was just too big and plain.
As for the water, I cannot comment on any other vehicle or configuration, but I live in South Carolina. It rains often and hard. So much so, we flood regularly. I can assure you that lashing down rain and washing does nothing to negatively affect the engine, sensors, filters, etc. on "this car" with "this specific mod."
As for the air, I chose to trust data and research from Verus, Jackie Ding and PhD Racing as seen here. I do not think there is any air-flow in wrong direction that would be any impediment to proper air flow. See pics 1, 2 and 3 below.
Finally the install. I do not trust anyone. Only myself. If you are not comfortable with this level of work, my advice would be to skip it unless you do really trust someone you know.
This is basically it. At the end of the day it's a mod that is not for everyone and everyone will have an opinion. Here is mine. Do with it whatever makes you happy. It is your car.
Cheers!