Brett

For the last couple years ( basically since i finished my build) my car has been running on the cold side. It warms up enough for VTEC to kick in, but not much more then that. Especially on the highway, the gauge would be well below zero. So around xmas I got a warning from a road check about not having a front plate. Which I've not had on my car for almost 3 years now with no problems from police. A couple weeks ago I put it on, before my warning became a fine ( I had 72 days to comply). Guess what, my car runs at the right temp now. I guess the old rad was getting to much air before. I was planning on taking the plate right back off again, but its making the car run better. Anyone else every had something similar happen?

szuberi

i dont think just the plate can have that a difference in performance. it must be something else

k_r_a_c_k_e_r

iTrader: (3)

I'm kinda with Sal on this.. but then again, cars are weird, and do weird things!.. so it could be true.

EK86

wow, 3 years without a plate, and only a warn. Lucky you, for me i had my plate, but it was in my buddyclub bottom grill. And i got a ticket for that... which doesnt make sense. =(... but going to court for that ticket and the muffler.

rick10

yea cars do weird things

my 1993 jetta would not start sometimes , it was just random mostly in raining days , i took it everymechanic and they could not figured out the problem until one day i move the wires in the computer harness and my car started right away ,

after that , everytime my car would not start i just opened the hood and tapped the computer harness wires and problem solve ( kind of)

spike

Never had that problem before.

Midori

it does make sense. the plate is reducing the cold air that is flowing through the grill thus making it warmer.

Im surprised a licence plate is big enough to make a different though

screwface

according to corky bell's math, a plate could block about 4000 cfms of flow at 100kmph. taking that figure into account, i can certainly imagine the plate causing all the damage.

Dexst

do you have an aftermarket rad, the oem stock one looks like its out of a ceral box, so id imagine it would do alot. the plate could have been blocking appox 1/4 to 1/3 of the oem rad.

Brett

^^ I do have a OEM rad. I would say the plate cuts down the airflow by about 30%...