I just got a mustache protector for my 1.4 TSI:

http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/OCTAVIA-II/Octavia-II-09-11-Facelift-winter-grille-cover

Judging by the short drive home from work, it seems to work better than I even expected. Heats up noticeably faster, even at low speeds when you wouldn't think that windchill would be a problem.

And for anyone worried about overheating, I don't think it's an issue. My Skoda dealer sells the exact same product, I bought it from them. I even asked about potential issues and he told me it's OK to keep the upper grille covered from fall to spring. Covering the lower half can be an issue though, and he told me to keep an eye on the temps if I do decide to install it.

I have something called a thermostat that does an equally good job...

Edited 18 January, 201313 yr by Metblackrat

My car has a perfectly working thermostat too, but a grille cover still helps a lot when it gets cold.

I have something called a thermostat that does an equally good job...

That makes no sense.

What this cover does is help the engine warm up faster in cold weather... a thermostat does nothing of the sort!

The old (1960's) Octavia had a big lever in side that you pushed/pulled and it opened and closed a flap infront of the radiator to help it stay warm in winter.

Thanks for the heads up as I was after something like this.

How much did it cost from the dealer?

Phil

Ah... just noticed it's for FL cars... Boo.

They have a pre-FL version too:

http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/OCTAVIA-II/Skoda-Octavia-II-front-grille-winter-cover

A thin flat piece of polystyrene strategically placed between the radiator and the grill has done for me in the past. Cost virtually nothing if you keep the packing from something you bought. It would also look better and you can fine tune the size you need.

Just a few thought.

That makes no sense.

What this cover does is help the engine warm up faster in cold weather... a thermostat does nothing of the sort!

The old (1960's) Octavia had a big lever in side that you pushed/pulled and it opened and closed a flap infront of the radiator to help it stay warm in winter.

Thanks for the heads up as I was after something like this.

How much did it cost from the dealer?

Phil

The thermostat stops water getting to the radiator which is where the water is cooled by air. The block is not cooled by air and it is not designed to be.

The plastic thing stops air getting into a part of the grille. It doesn't seal the engine bay. The very negligible cooling effect of air passing over the block will not be stopped unless you seal up the whole front grille, the underside and any other gaps where air can rush in.

Lots of people in the business advise you NOT to put anything tight against the radiator. For instance, it blocks airflow to the fan which could cause the fan blades to bend towards the radiator and possibly grind through the material causing a leak.

Sticker price at the dealer was 70 euros(!!) but I got it for a lot less since I bought the car from them. Not as cheap as Superskoda but it would've ended up being the same after shipping, more or less. I'm still going to MacGyver something together for the lower grille, but I haven't quite figured out what yet.

It took me ten minutes to install using a pocket knife screwdriver. It's held on by two metal hooks that grab around the back of two of the grille slats. There are two small but visible screw heads on the cover for this reason.

The thermostat stops water getting to the radiator which is where the water is cooled by air. The block is not cooled by air and it is not designed to be.

The plastic thing stops air getting into a part of the grille. It doesn't seal the engine bay. The very negligible cooling effect of air passing over the block will not be stopped unless you seal up the whole front grille, the underside and any other gaps where air can rush in.

I'm pretty sure it will make a difference. Even though there is no water running round the radiator it will still stop a lot of air getting in the engine bay.

Also when driving with the engine up to temperature (especially a diesel) it can struggle to stay at 90c so this would help there also.

I also wouldn;t be comfotable with wedging something infront of the radiator as suggested above.

This is a much neater solution.

Phil

Sent from my Galaxy S3, not a Crapple!

Very insightful

I just used cardboard on my old car, never had a problem lol

Sent from my Galaxy S3, not a Crapple!

I was out in -18°C weather yesterday evening. The engine was struggling to stay at operating temp. It reached 90°C eventually, but dropped on declines where I coasted without burning fuel.

I see lots of Skoda taxis with the cover installed as well, so it can't be all useless.

I had a mk5 Escort with oval grill and when I bought it, it was replacing another 1.4 Escort old one was normal and took an age to warm up the next one had Ford clip on pads blocking inside of grill slats with same material as a bonnet under lining. The difference was amazing it genuinely heated up in a tenth of the time. I might do something similar to mine to test it out as the diesel engine feels like it takes about 65000 miles to get up to temp. Will have a look and think about putting something on inside of grill slats in 2 pieces to allow release lever to poke through.

A thin flat piece of polystyrene strategically placed between the radiator and the grill has done for me in the past.

I understand the logic but any bits break off and go anywhere hot would worry me and any heat to it (like when its up to temp and your idling in traffic) polystyrene may emit dangerous carcinogens and neurotoxins. There are different types but if somone decided it was a good one to try and used the wrong type might not be the best.

Any perceptible decrease in power from less cold air reaching the intercooler or reduced flow to the intake?

The thermostat stops water getting to the radiator which is where the water is cooled by air. The block is not cooled by air and it is not designed to be.

The plastic thing stops air getting into a part of the grille. It doesn't seal the engine bay. The very negligible cooling effect of air passing over the block will not be stopped unless you seal up the whole front grille, the underside and any other gaps where air can rush in.

the grill block stops the cold air cooling the coolant stored in the radiator to lower than normal temp, the result is that when the thermostat opens the block isn't flooded with very cold coolant and the engine doesn't work hard to heat this up again'

 I have a HEKO grill cover fitted, my Wife is doing about 600 miles a week early starts and she is adamant the heater and demist are getting warmer quicker,

you could use the LTI TAXI method foil covered card board if people don't wont to spend the money.

But what about the even larger open grille in the bumper??