front air dam off or on
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
From: mankato mn
front air dam off or on
bought used 99 convertable noticed the front air dam missing all 3 pieces and brackets wondering if i should replace or leave as is temp runs around 187 on highway and creeps up around 215 in town on 65 degree days
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,493
Likes: 1,178
From: Dyer, IN
I would replace it out of sheer curiosity......just to see what affect it has on the temps.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 911
Likes: 27
From: Southern IL
probably wont miss it much for the winter, but mine personally ran very hot with the AC on in the summer.
I ended up buying a new one and trimming it down 1 inch to give more clearance for a lowered car.
Someone affiliated with GM posted on here once saying they designed the 2 outer pieces for aerodynamics at higher speeds.
I ended up buying a new one and trimming it down 1 inch to give more clearance for a lowered car.
Someone affiliated with GM posted on here once saying they designed the 2 outer pieces for aerodynamics at higher speeds.
Last edited by Vicarious.; Oct 25, 2011 at 04:56 PM.
Team Owner
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they assist with pushing air up into the radiator...you really need to replace it and if its that hot on a 65 degree day you need to clean the fins desperately 
you may wanna check your fans as well...
you may wanna check your fans as well...
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Mine was damaged when I let a son-inlaw borrow the car while I was out of town. Yeah, I was stupid. Saw lots and lots of mud on the driveway when I got back and asked. He said he was in some mud with it but got it out. Anyway, long story short, the center airdam was damaged and bent up with a tow truck's lifting hook. This damaged the lower radiator support too. The result was during this past summer was hotter than normal coolant temperatures. I ended up buying a new center section, pulling out the radiator support and bending it back into the proper shape, cursing myself a lot, putting it back together and now the engine temperatures came back down to normal. It is important for these airdams to be there.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,119
Likes: 156
From: Huntington tx
Mine was damaged when I let a son-inlaw borrow the car while I was out of town. Yeah, I was stupid. Saw lots and lots of mud on the driveway when I got back and asked. He said he was in some mud with it but got it out. Anyway, long story short, the center airdam was damaged and bent up with a tow truck's lifting hook.
How crazy is that? You should have known your son-in-law was missing some brains long before you lent him your car.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Truly he seems to be very responsible but to this day, he's not admitted he had to have it lifted out of the mud with a tow truck. He was under there with me pulling that radiator support out and reinstalling it. He's not driven it since and won't.
AKA "The CLOWN"
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,261
Likes: 13
From: Chicago South Suburbs
I removed my air dam, but I have my car tuned for the fans to come on sooner, 160 stat and screens in the front. No cooling issues here, never over 200-205 on the hottest days!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The fans shut off at like 35 mph going down the road and that's when the heating problems will start happening in the summer if the airdams are not in place. Turning on the fans above 35mph will cause the flow of air to be interfered with therefore that too can cause more heating issues. I'm not the designer of the system so I don't know what they intended but I do know that when you modify the design, then you can create problems. Its like when I see people suggesting that 225 degrees is a good number yet I know all too well that 225 is an indication that something is wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion as am I too. I've been driving my '99 since October '98 and its still running good with 325K miles on it. I must be doing something right. No, I don't know everything but will certainly admit the designers of the car put a whole lot more thought into things than us amatuers.
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
I will second the idea of adding it just out of curiosity. If you are worried about ground clearance, just put the center piece back in and trim it down a bit. I trimmed mine to be even with the lower radiator support (the two bars that hang down). Never scrapes anymore and cooling has been the same for many years.
Dope
Dope
