Guys,

I live in So Cal (Inland Empire = Dirt and heat)

I work in OC, so I have a dialy commute of 70+ miles round trip.

recently I took the Engine cover off. The cover that is on top of the kompressor and clutch.

With 90 degree outside temperatures... and running the car a bit hard, I would notice slight drop off in power and torque. Basically more hesitation to engage the Komp and the pulls were not as hard.

Now with 90 degree outside temps and making freeway pulls, I notice steady boost from the kompressor. During city or freeway driving, I lost 1 bar or dash from the water temp guage on our E55.

I was running at 100 and now I'm 1 dash below it. The more air the engine gets, I have seen up to 2 bars drop.

Could this theory hold true?

I'm going to heat rap my intake tubes as well to add to my testing.

 

That plastic cover does nothing for cooling.Its a guard for the sc clutch and belts is all.Wrapping the air tubes does nothing either.Air moves through to quickly for there to be any noticable differences.

 

I hear you...

but that I'm getting improved results...

I do have ASP pullies, so any relief for heat helps. I'm running a new IC pump installed by the dealer this year.

All I ask.. for somebody else to run their E55 with pullies on a hot day without the cover. Mostly on highway or freeway driving...

I believe the cover creates more heat to the kompressor.

 

I am in LV and just took off the cover. I will report after a day or two and see what happens.

 

No offense dude, but all the engine cover does is sit there and look pretty. I don't know why you saw a drop in engine temp but I highly doubt it's because you removed that cover.

 

Where is the temp sensor located?

 

that is a good question!

I'll give you this update.

This mornign my water temp going up the 241 toll road was at 100C, on my way down it dropped to about 90C and it stayed 1 bar below 100c. Before it was always on 100C and a bit more.

Before I would never see this type of fluctuation with water temp.

I know a cover is just that... a cover. But the kompressor builds up so much heat, that any relief to disperse heat probably helps.

 

Its 104+ today in LV. When it is 100+ in LV, my temp gauge bar is halfway between the 120 and 80 mark (I think those are the numbers) and it never goes down from that mark but it can go up 1 more mark. Today, I noticed that the temp gauge bar was 1 below the normal or halfway point between 120 and 80. When I would get on the highway, the temp gauge bar would go back down 1 more mark or 1 mark below normal. I do not know if this is a fluke or not but I will continue to have the cover off and see what happens. I will report back this weekend. I apologize if I am confusing on the temp gauge marks. But, the most important thing is the temp gauge bar was 1 mark below normal and when it did go back up to the normal mark it came back down 1 mark once I started moving.

 

amen brother..

so... atleast I'm not loosing my mind.

The most important thing for me is the kompressor boost is more steady and it pulls harder to 5.5k rpm.

 

Found it. The temp sensor is part number 29 in the diagram......right below the cover...hmmmm...

 

nice find!!!!

try it guys!

if you live in a hot area (south west) you must try this.

 

...........still trying to figure out where the temp sensor is located. What color is item 29? Is it black with a hollow opening righ below it? Pic would be grately appreciated if you it.

Ted

 

This should help.

 

How would the water temp sensor come into play here?

 

Someone who knows more detail will have to chime in but my guess is that the sensor converts the engine temp into a small voltage which is read and interpreted by the ME control unit. From there it can apply whatever "rules" are in the ME unit to things like fuel mixture and engine timing. The ME unit takes similar readings from the charge air temp sensor and charge air pressure sensors too to decide how the engine will perform.

I would like to see a detailed tech paper on exactly how the ME control unit works but I think I understand the basics.

 

Weight savingzzz yo!

 

yea those covers are just for looks and heating up the engine faster, to rob power. maybe just some but i believe your numbers.

 

..........I wanted to know the location of the temp sensor because in some racing applications, I have heard that people apply ice to the temp sensor right before a race. I have also heard of permanently imersing it in a tiny refrigerator, such as the tiny ones you get from Walmart. If you know anything about this, please chime in.

Ted

 

.........thanks.

Ted

 

Ive heard of peolpe putting ice on the intakes, and sesors that read the ambient temps,but never the water coolant temp sensor.

 

I have done data logging in the past with the cover on and off,and also other covers removed and never noticed a diff in temps?

Funny thing is I just recently opened the hood to measure something and noticed I had forgot to put the cover back over the SC the last time I was under the hood.Ive been driving it around for a few weeks now and nothing different.Maybe its just me but I dont see any temps changes?

 

Sorry TopGun 32.... but after leaving off the cover for several days now, I have not seen a difference in temp - other than that 1st day, which I can only guess was just a fluke. The temps are now running like normal, with or without the cover. Regardless, I appreciate the fact that you posted on this forum and shared the information. Have a good weekend.