Automatic grill block from the factory?

[dieselbenz]

Nevermind the ugly 635d. What I'm interested in is at 1:10. Is that what I think it is?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oeoM0fa_g4

[lunarhighway]

yup apperently that's what they are
bmw seems to have some other interesting things to enhance FE
source

The BMW 123d with manual transmission features an Auto Start Stop function that provides greater efficiency particularly in city traffic. This system automatically switches off the engine when it is not required. As a result, when stopping at a traffic light for example, fuel consumption drops to zero at that particular moment in time. When the driver switches to neutral and takes his or her foot off the clutch, the engine electronic system silently switches off the engine. When the driver depresses the clutch pedal again, the engine restarts. By maintaining charging pressure the engine restarts in no time at all and without the driver having to do a thing.

In addition to this, a gear shift indicator offers ideal preconditions for best possible fuel management. The engine electronics calculate according to the driving situation the most favourable time to change into the next highest gear in order to achieve the most economical fuel consumption. The driver is informed of the ideal gear change time via an arrow which lights up on the instrument panel and indicates the best gear to select.

Ancillary components function economically and according to requirement:
Additional fuel economising measures are effected automatically. For instance, the BMW 123d is equipped with an active control system for the air vents located in the radiator grille. When the engine does not need to be cooled, the vents are closed, resulting in a measurable enhancement of aerodynamics and a further reduction in fuel consumption. Moreover, a number of ancillary components function according to requirement and therefore effectuate better fuel economy.. The Electric Power Steering EPS only uses energy when the steering actually requires assistance or if the driver desires. Consequently, no energy is wasted when driving straight ahead or when constantly driving round bends without additional steering movement

In addition, the new electrically operated coolant pump is not dependent on engine speed, but temperature-dependent, taking effect only when needed. This is a further contribution towards increased engine efficiency. With a power consumption of around 200 watts it uses only approximately one tenth of the drive energy required by conventional pumps. Furthermore, the belt drive of the air-conditioning compressor is equipped with a clutch. If the air-conditioning is switched off, the compressor is automatically deactivated, thereby facilitating a reduction of the drag torque of the compressor to a minimum.

[lunarhighway]

wait a minute!

When the driver switches to neutral and takes his or her foot off the clutch, the engine electronic system silently switches off the engine. When the driver depresses the clutch pedal again, the engine restarts.

i wonder if it would do that while rolling? factory installed EOC!!!!!

[GasSavers_Red]

Originally Posted by lunarhighway

wait a minute!


i wonder if it would do that while rolling? factory installed EOC!!!!!

If anyone was to get one should be a simple enough mod to block off the VSS signal to it

As for the grille block wonder how strong some kind of those fixed stiff blinds that you can mount inside a window are. Cut one up to size, mount a servo on the moving part and got a nice "automatic" grille block

[GasSavers_bobski]

Originally Posted by Red

As for the grille block wonder how strong some kind of those fixed stiff blinds that you can mount inside a window are. Cut one up to size, mount a servo on the moving part and got a nice "automatic" grille block

You've got the right idea, but I think actual blind slats would be too weak, possibly with the exception of wooden blinds.
If it were up to me to design it, I would cover the grille with two separate sets of slats. The first set would occupy the center 1/3 or so of the grille, triggered to flip open about 10?F below the stock cooling fan temperature (so long as that's above the target temp of the engine thermostat). The second set would cover the remainder of the grille, and would flip open when the cooling fans switch on.

You know... It just occured to me that a variable opening system, as opposed to this digital either open or closed setup, might be ideal. Unfortunately, it would be significantly more complex to set up with motors. You would need a true servo and a controller instead of a simple motor with limit switches.
But wait... The engine thermostat opens and closes without any of that crap. It relies on the thermal expansion of a chunk of wax. What this setup needs is some kind of (preferably low-tech) temperature dependant linear actuator. A plumbed sheath that engine coolant could be run through would be nice, but you could probably get away with tightly wrapping copper or aluminum tubing around the actuator.
I know they make actuators to open greenhouse vents at around 100?F... This would simply call for one with a higher opening temperature. Such a variable opening setup would probably be a little slow to react, so it would be attached to the smaller, center set of slats in my initial design.

[GasSavers_Red]

Originally Posted by bobski

You know... It just occured to me that a variable opening system, as opposed to this digital either open or closed setup, might be ideal. Unfortunately, it would be significantly more complex to set up with motors. You would need a true servo and a controller instead of a simple motor with limit switches.

Why not use the coolant sensor as a some kind of trigger? I believe they are a variable resister and it shouldn't need too much "brain power" to devise a control system around it.

[dieselbenz]

An ideal system would be no thermostat on the engine and a variable air flap mechanism in the grill to regulate engine temp. BMW does one better on all its new cars by using an electric water pump with variable flow in conjunction with the variable grill. Its the typical BMW solution: Over engineered and stupid to repair.

[GasSavers_Red]

Originally Posted by tjts1

A BMW does one better on all its new cars by using an electric water pump with variable flow in conjunction with the variable grill. Its the typical BMW solution: Over engineered and stupid to repair.

It does earn some cool points and of course the 1 up on the neighbors.

[Bill in Houston]

I do think that there is some FE advantage to an electric water pump. But, yeah, expensive to replace when it eventually needs it.

[usedgeo]

What you are proposing below was used on heavy duty diesel trucks about 30 years ago. They have used shutters for many years. It was called a vernatherm and was just like a thermostat actuator except it pushed on an arm to open the shutters. It was mounted in the bottom radiator tank. Kenworth figured the water gained 14 degrees going through the engine. You would generally set these up so then engine theromostat was fully open before the shutters began to open. These were nice because they only opened as much as needed.

Other shutters were air operated and one could use a valve that was mounted either in the thermostat housing or lower radiator hose. The valve was actuated by a pellet just like a thermostat has. The location chosen drove the temperature selection. I preferred the lower radiator hose because the response seemed more appropriate to me. I like seeing stuff like this finally coming. It seems like it should have come out 20 years ago though.

Here is a link: http://www.rostravernatherm.com/

Originally Posted by bobski

You've got the right idea, but I think actual blind slats would be too weak, possibly with the exception of wooden blinds.
If it were up to me to design it, I would cover the grille with two separate sets of slats. The first set would occupy the center 1/3 or so of the grille, triggered to flip open about 10°F below the stock cooling fan temperature (so long as that's above the target temp of the engine thermostat). The second set would cover the remainder of the grille, and would flip open when the cooling fans switch on.

You know... It just occured to me that a variable opening system, as opposed to this digital either open or closed setup, might be ideal. Unfortunately, it would be significantly more complex to set up with motors. You would need a true servo and a controller instead of a simple motor with limit switches.
But wait... The engine thermostat opens and closes without any of that crap. It relies on the thermal expansion of a chunk of wax. What this setup needs is some kind of (preferably low-tech) temperature dependant linear actuator. A plumbed sheath that engine coolant could be run through would be nice, but you could probably get away with tightly wrapping copper or aluminum tubing around the actuator.
I know they make actuators to open greenhouse vents at around 100°F... This would simply call for one with a higher opening temperature. Such a variable opening setup would probably be a little slow to react, so it would be attached to the smaller, center set of slats in my initial design.