Ice in wheel wells - air intake

[Orbital Debris]

I haven't found a thread on this yet. After some snowy driving, I stopped to clear my wheel wells prior to entering the garage, so I don't end up with lots of slush on the garage floor. As typical, there was quite a bit of snow and ice stuffed up in the wheel wells, including the right front where the air intake is.

Could this affect the air intake? Is the intake structured to pull in air if the vents are clogged? I have not noted a degradation of performance.

If so, is there anyway to minimize/avoid this?

 

[Jeremy556]

I haven't found a thread on this yet. After some snowy driving, I stopped to clear my wheel wells prior to entering the garage, so I don't end up with lots of slush on the garage floor. As typical, there was quite a bit of snow and ice stuffed up in the wheel wells, including the right front where the air intake is.

Could this affect the air intake? Is the intake structured to pull in air if the vents are clogged? I have not noted a degradation of performance.

If so, is there anyway to minimize/avoid this?

The fender is far from air tight, don't worry about it.

 

[3wbdriver]

Good question! I just shined a light under the hood and it looks like there is still airflow coming in through the radiator opening. So I'm not even sure why the vents are in that fender well.....

 

[Swarty]

Those vents let air into the wheel well. It's for brake and suspension cooling. Not an air intake at all. Even faces the wrong way for that. Why would Toyota want the filthy air in the wheel wells pulled into your engine?

 

[96r50]

The fender is far from air tight, don't worry about it.

What he said. There are lots of gaps and holes for air to enter other than those slots.

Those vents let air into the wheel well. It's for brake and suspension cooling. Not an air intake at all. Even faces the wrong way for that. Why would Toyota want the filthy air in the wheel wells pulled into your engine?

It's been a while since I stuck my head in the front wheel wells but I was under the impression those slots were only on the passenger side where the air intake is. Any dust that makes it through the slots has plenty of time to settle out of the air before it reaches the airbox, and at that point there's the filter to catch the rest.

 

[3wbdriver]

It's been a while since I stuck my head in the front wheel wells but I was under the impression those slots were only on the passenger side where the air intake is. Any dust that makes it through the slots has plenty of time to settle out of the air before it reaches the airbox, and at that point there's the filter to catch the rest.

True again. I went out and looked another time and there are not vent holes in the driver's side. The mystery deepens, and the thot plickens.......

Maybe it was originally intended for the airbox to be down lower and further forward, and they just never got around to redoing that fender mold?

 

[Deep Snow Commuter]

Asymmetry of wheel well ducts

The engine is mounted slightly more towards the driver side to allow the transfer case to sit more centrally. I wonder if this impacts their decision not to vent the driver side wheel well.

 

[Orbital Debris]

Thanks for all the feedback. I suspected that there were some alternate paths, but wanted reassurance that I don't have to obsess about keeping this area clear.

 

[Engineer]

I thought this was going to be a new style of cold air intake, just add ice

 

[3wbdriver]

I thought this was going to be a new style of cold air intake, just add ice

You kid, but 20 years ago we used to have some local guys pack ice in coolers in their roundy round cars and route their intakes through them to try and gain HP during the hot summers in Louisiana. Ingenuity is always trying new stuff! :madgrin: