Radiator rubber blanking strips

Radiator rubber blanking strips

Author
Discussion

Lesliehedley

Original Poster:

250 posts

267 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
Can anyone tell me why there are (or in my case should be) two rubber strips, one either side of the radiator. What do they do ? My 400SE doesn't have them and I find that the coolant temperature is good traffic and at speeds up to about sixty, but once on the motorway at a steady seventy the temperature creeps up to just on the edge of the red sector on the gauge. Would replacing the rubber strips help with this or make it worse?

Wedg1e

26,892 posts

272 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
I think the theory is that at low speed the flaps fall into place to blank the side vents, leaving the fan to do its work, then at speed the extra airflow lifts them out of the way to give additional cooling.
I'd say hoofing from corner to corner on a twisty road is more likely to cause the temperature to rise, when the flaps won't be lifting enough to be a benefit.
As you say, I find my car cruises at speed without overheating.
Well, it used to... when I actually drove the thing rolleyes