Let the car cool off with the hood up ?

[berniedd]

Every time I get home or when I reach my destination (and opportunity available), I always prop up the hood to let the engine cool off, and also let the battery and other parts cool down quicker. Hot acid is more reactive than cold acid and I like to think this would prolong battery life a little. Don't batteries in the colder northern states last longer than those in southern Florida, California and Texas?

Finally, and most importantly, I pop up the hood so I can make a visual inspection of the engine at the end of a run. Over many years, this practice has saved me from more extensive engine damage as I have on many occasions detected quite early coolant leaks from bad radiator hoses, busted radiator cap rubber gasket, leaking power steering hoses, leaking cylinder head gasket, drive belts with deep cuts, etc etc in the many cars I've owned over the past 3 decades.

 

[KrisZ]

I hose the engine down with water. I don't want oil to sit on all those hot parts and form sludge.

 

[mjk]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: cknight49090
nobody does this period ocd ..........


Yep. This is crazy talk. If I did this, I'd worry about the hood release cable breaking or the hood latch springs getting worn out because you're opening/closing the hood so much.


Look who the OP is. Enough said.

 

[CaspianM]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I hose the engine down with water.

That is a good one!

 

[JHZR2]

I've seen cop cars pop the hood when idling. IMO the important thing is to maintain water and air flow to get back down. Shutting off a car, even if the hood is open, only lets the relatively poor solid to air heat exchange to occur, yet there is a ton of latent heat trapped inside.

Lowest load driving at reasonable speed would be my choice.

 

[Doog]

I never drive my car if it's over 55F outside......just gets too hot in the engine compartment for my liking.....

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: yvon_la
The car benefit by letting it cool off.big rig have to do it now a days with oil in the 225 degree faren.you climb the i77 highway between nc and va and stop at the top and dont cool it off is a sure way to cook everything.rule of thumb is you let it cool of same time it take to warm it up when its cold to operating temperature


You mean the grade at Fancy Gap? How about in February?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I see this a lot on the trails ...

A lot of people buy $500 Cherokees that have not been maintained, throw a lift and some used tires on it and take it off road. And, without fail, they always overheat. So, after any obstacle, the hoods are propped on the cherokees haha.

I will, ocasionally, do this on my cherokee if it's really warm out and I am off roading and don't have the back of my hood shimmed. Otherwise, it doesn't want to start warm.

 

[hypervish]

I used to do it on road trips when I was still driving the Grand Caravan. I'd pop the hood when I stopped to eat, or every 4 hours whatever came first. I'd let it cool down, these trips were usually pushing 20 hours long non-stop, so I thought it was a good idea.

 

[DBMaster]

Having been in a vehicle with someone who forgot to latch the hood which then flew open in our faces at 60 mph I would not do it.

It was an 81 Subaru wagon. The secondary latch was working, but the wind was enough to pull it loose from that. Quite a startling experience resulting in a ruined windshield, dented roof, and rear view mirror ripped from it's roof mount.

 

[JDW]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Having been in a vehicle with someone who forgot to latch the hood which then flew open in our faces at 60 mph I would not do it.

It was an 81 Subaru wagon. The secondary latch was working, but the wind was enough to pull it loose from that. Quite a startling experience resulting in a ruined windshield, dented roof, and rear view mirror ripped from it's roof mount.


About the same story in a 72 Duster doing about 90, wrapped the hood on the WS like tin foil !!

 

[Volvohead]

We do this all the time with the two in the garage. Open them all the way when they return.

One's a turbo. It extends the life of everything under the hood to release all that heat.

The other has a adhesive foam hood liner that tends to dry out and turn to dust from long-term heat. PITA to scrape off and replace.

The garage is air conditioned, which also helps a bit.

We never drive on the safety latches. Too dangerous. Saw one fail once, and it wasn't pretty. Dragsters do it all the time driving back to the pits after a run, but never on public roads or at speed.

 

[JDW]

Do the same here Volvo with the T-bird

 

[DBMaster]

A very good friend in Houston does it with his 82 Mercedes 240D and 1991 BMW. Of course, the BMW's hood is hinged at the front.

I don't think it's a bad idea to do it, but not worth the risk, to me. I'm getting old enough that my mind wanders.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
How many of you let the car cool off with the hood up during the summer ?

I know it's totally unnecessary, but I've always thought of cars as being alive in some way.

I know I'd surely appreciate it if my owner raised to hood and let me cool off.

I do not apply anthropomorphic qualities to inanimate object. Plus I do not have the hour so to stand around my car to keep someone from stealing my battery or causing vandalism.

 

[Win]

I do it with my twelve cylinder Jaguar.

The engine barely fits in the car, and it gets really hot in there. The bonnet hinges at the front.

I don't worry about it on any of the other vehicles.

 

[cjcride]

I,ve done it on super hot days. I'm a BITOG'er.

 

[Kestas]

Conversely, I've seen an old movie from the 30s where, after a drive one evening, the driver lowered a blanket onto the hood of the car in the garage to keep the engine warm.

 

[Traction]

I don't a/c my garage, but when it is humid and warm I run a dehumidifier. With fans running, it makes a big difference, and not a good idea to pull a hot car in. Raises the temp for no reason. I will open the hood and let it sit out for a couple hours first. But in the winter I will pull it in hot for sure. If you don't work in your garage, then no big deal, it is just a car. It takes a lot of heat to melt cast iron. It does cool off much faster with the hood up though.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Conversely, I've seen an old movie from the 30s where, after a drive one evening, the driver lowered a blanket onto the hood of the car in the garage to keep the engine warm.


So that's where they got the idea from to pump the coolant in Priiii into an insulated tank?