Blocking the brake cooling ducts for winter

[Frenzal]

I know this may sound weird, but I'm thinking of blocking the brake cooling ducts for winter.

Where I live, there is lot of salt used to de-ice roads in the winter. When you drive on melted ice or snow, there is a salty mist from the car in front of you that you drive into.

It gets under the hood and everything rusts so fast. This is quite impossible to prevent as the car needs air to get there.

But it would be possible to prevent that salty mist to go straight on the front brakes. And I don't really care if my brakes get less air to cool down in the winter as the temperature is already cold, and there won't be any spirited driving with winter tires in ice and snow...

Any ideas anyone?

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[optronix]

This is a case where it seems like it's wise to just trust the engineering. Maybe throw out a question to Jon Rivers in the FB group or something- you have to imagine that salty roads have been taken into account when they designed the car. I really don't see how blocking the vents would make it any better or worse...

 

[acurax]

I have a $40 monthly carwash membership which allows me unlimited washes, that might be something to consider if available in your area.

Otherwise, you could just get some black gorrila tape, flex tape or the like to cover the inlets/outlets. If it comes off, no biggie just reapply. If some residue remains, just take some goo gone adhesive remover to it.

 

[Frenzal]

You don't really want to wash the car in the winter here. Some years, it stays below freezing from December to March.

And I can tell you that engineers who design cars don't really think that much about salt. I've had power steering lines failure from rusting through, calipers freezing because all rusty...

I think prevention is a good thing.

I think best way to block them would be from the front. In the rear of the bumper, it's just a circuar hole with nothing around.

Will update if i find something.

 

[acurax]

I've done it here and, after drying my car as best I could as quickly as I could before the water froze, drove home to let the remaining water melt off in the garage. Granted, my temps aren't nearly as low for nearly as long, but I do wonder what harm washing your car in the winter there might inflict.

Yeah, they can't use higher cost corrosion resistant parts everywhere, but that's more of a number cruncher's reason than the engineer. I'm sure engineers would engineer it for that if they didn't have limitations on cost.

 

[Frenzal]

I've done it here and, after drying my car as best I could as quickly as I could before the water froze, drove home to let the remaining water melt off in the garage. Granted, my temps aren't nearly as low for nearly as long, but I do wonder what harm washing your car in the winter there might inflict.

I don't think it can harm the car to wash it in the winter. But the doors might freeze closed, then you'll be locked out of the car. It happen sometime with freezing rain. Not fun to use a hair dryer to be able to get in the car... Could also freeze other stuff shut.

I wish I could use my garage in the winter for the ITS, but there is already my S2000 in there, stored for the winter.

 

[acurax]

Yeah, frozen doors doesn't sound like a good time! Though I do open and dry the door surrounds and could use compressed air at my car wash to blow water out of hard to reach spots, something tells me the time to freeze would likely run out too quickly...

 

[Azkyrie6]

I don't think it can harm the car to wash it in the winter. But the doors might freeze closed, then you'll be locked out of the car. It happen sometime with freezing rain. Not fun to use a hair dryer to be able to get in the car... Could also freeze other stuff shut.

I wish I could use my garage in the winter for the ITS, but there is already my S2000 in there, stored for the winter.

Get a protective waterproof cover for harsh winters. It won’t change the temperatures but it will prevent snow from freezing over your paint and exterior components. This minimizing the expansion and contraction your car has to go through each freeze and thaw cycle

 

[Frenzal]

Get a protective waterproof cover for harsh winters. It won’t change the temperatures but it will prevent snow from freezing over your paint and exterior components. This minimizing the expansion and contraction your car has to go through each freeze and thaw cycle

Way too much work to install and remove the cover everyday! Too lazy for this!

 

[Azkyrie6]

Way too much work to install and remove the cover everyday! Too lazy for this!

I get it but hey your S2000 is getting all the love being in the garage, gotta show your ITS some love too by throwing on a cover for sub freezing nights

 

[Midnight_VTEC]

I live in Western Canada and wash my car all winter every couple weeks. 12 year old daily driver has zero rust granted we don’t use the quantities of salt they use out East because our temps are typically even lower. The trick is to wash your car mid day when it’s usually warmer and wipe all the door jambs as dry as you can. I like to use a little lock de-icer on the door handles and gas door if you have to do it when it’s real cold. I recommend also using a chemical decontamination like Iron X in fall and spring and during your maintained washes spray something like brake buster by P&S on your wheels and brakes.

 

[acurax]

Not sure what kind of space you may have in your garage, but something like these would allow you to park both in it if you have the space.

https://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=407-P

https://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/parking-lifts/hd-9st/

 

[Frenzal]

Not sure what kind of space you may have in your garage, but something like these would allow you to park both in it if you have the space.

https://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=407-P

https://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/parking-lifts/hd-9st/

Would so like to do so...but don't have enough room. Would need to modify the garage, so much $$ (plus de lift!).

Easier to just find something to block the brake cooling ducts!

 

[acurax]

Yeah, I hear ya on $$!

 

[optronix]

No one else is saying it so I'll continue to be that guy on here- you're vastly overthinking this.

I still fail to see how blocking the cooling ducts will somehow prevent salt and road grime from getting on the brakes in the winter? You realize they're still just as exposed to the elements with or without the cooling ducts, right?

This is not the first car to have brake cooling ducts; my E36 M3 had them. and they were just shitty pieces of plastic, not nearly as well designed as the ITS and I assure you, the only problem from rust I had on that car was the rear subframe. The brakes were fine.

If it makes you feel better just get some sheet metal screws and piece of plastic to block the hole in the fender... but trust in the fact that your brakes will still get crap on them.

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