Car Grille: It's Purpose, Function and How To Maintain It

What Is A Car Grille?

A car grille is what you'll find between the headlights of your vehicle. It's a piece of trim, often designed in a mesh pattern, that sits in front of the engine bay. There are different kinds of grilles, for example: main grilles , lower grilles, kidney grilles (only BMW have those) and fog grilles.
A grille is a very unique thing to each vehicle and will likely be designed in line with the specific shape of the front of the car. This means when you're buying a grille, it's essential you check if it will fit your vehicle.

Trade Vehicle Parts has a special vehicle registration system which tells you exactly what grille is a fit for your car.

The Face Of A Car

Humans are programmed to recognize and trust familiar faces. This instinctive ability helps keep us safe and understand the intentions of others. And that subconscious process applies when we look at a car coming towards us.

The grille performs an important function in cooling the engine – specifically, the radiator, to prevent overheating. But the appearance of a grille is also a defining factor in a car’s design.

What Is It Made From?

Grilles can be made of a number of different materials, but the most common material you're likely to encounter is plastic and metal. However, stainless steel car grilles are an especially sensible choice for anyone looking for chrome car grilles because they look great and are very durable. Stainless steel grilles resist corrosion, are easy to clean, and come up to a lustrous shine with polishing.

What Does It Do?

The primary function of a grille is to allow your vehicle's engine to keep cool. As you drive, air is pulled through the grille which serves to provide ventilation through the engine bay. The way the grille is designed can have a considerable impact on its ability to cool the engine.

So, while a grille is a great way to improve the appearance of your vehicle, if you're shopping for car grilles it's important that you consider function over form.

Can The Design Of Car Grilles Improve Performance?

There are several parameters associated with a car grille's design that can improve performance. Vertical height, horizontal width, size, shape, position and blockages can impact upon aerodynamic and cooling performance. These factors influence aerodynamic drag and inlet flow rate. Some modern cars are fitted with active grille shutter systems which automatically adjust airflow dependent upon the demand placed on the cooling and air conditioning system.

Air Channels

If air cannot get into the grill hole properly, the car engine's temperature will increase drastically and make the engine overheat. If there is an overheating, the car could break down and have to be taken to a repair shop.

However, times have shifted and now more people are driving electric cars, that don’t have a combustible engine or radiator to protect. Automakers of these cars are still using grilles, though.

Manufacturing designs

Car manufacturers often use the grille as a signature to the company. When looking at the front end of the car, you can sometimes tell what brand the vehicle is.

For example, BMW has had the same twin-oval design for many years. It redesigns them every so often for a fresh new look. BMW even upgraded the oval shapes to a much larger size on some of its vehicles, but it might go back to using the same classic shape in the near future.

Then there are the vehicles, like Volvo, who varies the grille design with some of its models. Its signature brand feature is the emblem that’s always seen on the grille, no matter what style it installs on the car. People know it because it’s a familiar design. Same with the Cadillac. Buyers have been seeing the same sophisticated grille style, with its emblem embellishing it, for a long time.

Modification Options For Car Grilles

When someone is thinking about customizing their ride, one of the single most defining options is to install a custom grille. Some on the market are extremely popular and others are more bespoke.

For example, mesh grilles and chrome car grilles account for most of the customs grilles market. While stainless steel car grilles and woven mesh car grilles offer something a little more unique.

Research suggests that how friendly we perceive a car's appearance to be can depend on the shape of its grille. An upturned grille instinctively appears pleasant to us while some downturned styles can look more aggressive.

Perhaps just as fundamental is simply how recognizable some car grilles are. Most of us could pick out a BMW grille from a Mercedes grille. But if we see one of those models on the road with a modified grille, we would probably stop and take a second look.

 There are still many car drivers who do not know the function of the various components on the front of the car. The existence of a car grill is often forgotten because its size is not too big. On the grill, there is usually a company logo. In general, the grill has a significant role in a car, so it is essential to understand its use.

Why is there so much appeal with car grilles?

Some automakers take the look of the grille seriously to ensure a precise style. Rolls Royce, known for its luxurious vehicles will position the grille slats manually, so there are no imperfections seen in the final product. A marred appearance would essentially hurt its brand.

Other car manufacturers use larger grilles, covering most of the front end, to bring uniqueness to the style of the car’s exterior. When there are too many vehicles with similar body styles, automotive designers need to come up with features that make them stand out from its competitors.

To add some personalization to increase sales, automakers will sometimes design front ends with elements of facial features. For some reason, some people are drawn to a ‘face’ on the car.

By aligning the headlights grille and sometimes front bumper, you could give the illusion of a toothy grin, angry face, or a laughing car. Someone with a personality that fits the front end, might purchase a car because they, in a sense, see themselves in it.

Car grilles have been around for a long time and have gone through many changes over the years. We’ve seen them evolve from being functional to becoming a stylish feature. Whether you’re looking to protect a radiator, boost airflow, or get noticed with a vehicle that stands out, grilles will most likely continue to be an invaluable accessory, far into the future.

Aesthetics

Car grills are varied in shape and always adjusted to the car's appearance to add to the aesthetic beauty of the car. The grille shape is usually maintained with the same model because it becomes an iconic car brand.

In the past, car grills were mostly rectangular, and how to install them vertically. Well, then the grill with a horizontal design appeared. The times have indeed made the grill more diverse.

Now the shape of the car grill has become more diverse, such as rectangles, elongated lines, or vertical lines. The most popular car grill today is the honeycomb model. This grille model is usually available on European, American, or Japanese cars.

Aerodynamics and Performance

The car grill also adds aerodynamics to the car to support the car's overall performance. Currently, most of the grill designs have minimal holes to drain air into the engine. This way, the air hitting the car's front is diverted to the side or top side.

The presence of a cavity on the grill allows a lot of air to enter, making air resistance even greater. However, if the grille is closed, the car will become more aerodynamic.

How to Maintain Car's Grills

There are indeed large car grills, while some are small in size. The presence of a grill is significant for a car. The grill is important to be maintained regularly because its position is in the front of the car.

Do not leave the grill alone, causing a lot of dust or dirt to build up. Make sure you always keep the grill clean by following several steps below.

Steps to Clean the Car Grill

Most dirty grills are usually caused by dust and dirt from rainy weather. If the grill is not cleaned regularly, it can look dull. Make sure you clean the grill regularly, especially during unpredictable weather conditions.

1. Prepare equipment

The tools needed to clean a car grill include a toothbrush, brush, special car shampoo, cotton icing, and wax. All equipment will be used to wipe or remove various dirt on the grill. The tools and materials needed are almost the same as when you wash a car.

2. Mix shampoo with water

The next step is to mix a special car shampoo by adding water. The ratio of shampoo to water is 1: 3; that is, 1 shampoo pack can be used for 3 liters of water. By using car shampoo, various impurities can be removed and cleaned quickly.

Do not use shampoo to wash your hair because it has very different functions. You can get special car shampoos at affordable prices, such as at the nearest convenience store.

3. Basting to the car grill

If you have mixed shampoo with water, then the next step you can take is to apply the liquid to the car grill. You can use a toothbrush with a soft brush surface to damage the paint from the car grill.

Basting should be done evenly until it reaches various hidden areas. In this way, all parts of the car grill will be spread evenly, and the shampoo will make any dirt or dust come off the grill.

4. Brushing process

After the basting process has been successfully carried out, the next step is to scrub all parts of the car grill. Make sure you use a toothbrush with a smooth surface and brush thoroughly not to miss any details.

5. Wipe with a cotton cloth

 To make the car grill cleaner, you can do this by wiping it with a cotton cloth. Cotton cloth has a soft surface and is safe to use for wiping the car grill.

Using a cotton cloth can easily remove dirt and additionally will not scratch the grill as the fabric is soft. The pre-greased and brushed parts of the grill will be easier to clean and absorb by the cotton cloth.

6. Apply the wax

Waxing is the final step to keep your grill cool. By using wax, each part that is smeared will be shinier and will not get dirty quickly. Make sure that you don't miss any parts of the wax around the grill.

Basting should be done slowly, and make sure you pay attention to the various details needed when basting. If the basting is not done correctly, it can cause unwanted things.

7. Other Care

 For a long time, many people thought that cleaning mold or white scale on the grill can be done using toothpaste, but, unfortunately, this is not true. Even if you rub it gently with toothpaste, the fungus will still stick.

If your car is old and rarely cleaned, then you can use fungal medicine as a solution. Mold on the grill can ruin the appearance of your car, so it needs to be eliminated immediately.

When you let the fungus sit for a long time on the car grill, the car will look ugly and will make the car paint look dull. There are many types of treatments to prevent mold from the car, such as car paint treatment with waxing and  coating (nano and ceramic). With so many choices, then you have to choose which one you like.

 In conclusion, the car grille is an important part of the car. It helps to protect the engine and other parts of the car from damage. It also helps to keep the car cool by allowing air to flow through it. To keep your car grille in good condition, you should regularly clean it and check it for damage.