Hey all,

While installing a grill badge yesterday I noticed that the grill on my 05 is blocked on the extreme sides--areas circled in the photo. Now I never thought this was a huge deal until I realized the blockage one the driver's side is DIRECTLY in front of the stock air intake snorkel/hose thing. It seems it relies on the shape of the grill slats themselves to direct air upwards under the blocked area and into the intake hose. Has anyone dremelled this blockage out?? It's just black plastic that looks like it helps hold the grill slat assembly in place. It certainly could be done without! Does anyone think water could more easily work its way towards the intake by opening this restriction?

Ken

 

I doubt there would be an advantage to doing that.
And even so there wouldn't be any effect until 50 mph or so.
You'd be better served making a rubber boot that extends to the grill. Funnel like in shape.

 

Hmmm, interesting.

It strikes me that those locations that you have circled correspond to the factory locations for the driving lights.

The reason I say that is that the factory bra has holes for driving lights that are in exactly those circled locations...

Are the driving lights you have installed sourced from the factory or from a 3rd party?

Could the airflow-blocking structures you've observed be there for support of driving lights?

 

Hi Ken...I have done just that...



Since opening up the original intake hole for the AGS, I dremeled out the blocked honey comb grids at the right edge of the Aero Grill. This indeed does substantially improved the AGS's performance as the air flow has nearly a direct path to the filter surfaces...how do I know? I have to repeatly blow "whole" bees and flys off the filter with my compressor after each drive. Also, rain will be an issue if you do this. I've made a aluminum blocker panel to be inserted when the weather turns south...

Sid

 

No the lights I have are not at all factory, the brackets either. I think the factory brackets screw into the bonnet, but there is also a part that connects to the grill itself, so it may well have something to do with the factory lights.

To me, it seems the pieces are part of the entire grill assembly, so it's an easier piece to install, i.e. all at once. I don't expect to see much of a change in opening them up, but it's so hot and humid here (Miami) sometimes that I think every little bit of air helps!

 

A HA! I knew someone had to have done this! Good job. Well I have the stock airbox with a cone filter. I doubt that rain would be too much of an issue, since the stock box would have to fill up with water about an inch to even touch the cone filter. I have a date with my Dremel this weekend. Hurricane shutter installation and family will have to wait!

Now this mod with the AGS.......I'm drooling.......