Do Hood Louvers Work?

We'll try to answer all common questions to help take the guesswork out of installing hood vents on your car. 

Do hood vents work? 

There is a lot of misconception about the purpose of hood vents and where to place them on your car for the best results. Unfortunately, we see many people putting their louvers in a location that will suck air into the engine bay, causing overheating and front-end lift. The purpose of these hood louvers is to vent hot air out of the engine bay to help prevent overheating. 

Without hood vents, the air that's sucked through your heat exchangers(radiator, intercooler, etc...) gets stuck in your engine bay and causes a pressure build-up. If this pressure get's too high, it prevents more air from being pulled through the heat exchangers, which is when you start to overheat. Simple solution, add vents in the correct pressure zones, and let that engine breathe! 

Where do I place my hood vents?  

To find the best location on your hood, you must analyze the high and low-pressure zones. Your goal is to place the vents in the lowest pressure areas if you are trying to vent the hot air out. High pressure pushes air in, which is the opposite of what we want. You can use a Magnehelic gauge to analyze the pressure, but that's not a standard item in your home toolbox. As a general rule, place the vent towards the front of your hood, just behind the radiator. 

Can you drive in the rain with hood vents? 

Yes! Water already gets into your engine bay when you drive, but you should be cautious if you have an open intake filter. It's best if your intake is not placed directly below a vent. 

With all of that in mind, hood louvers are a straightforward but effective addition to any car that's driven hard. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at anytime! Hello@spikedperformance.com