Since most of my driving is spent on the highway I quickly rack up a bunch of bugs on my front end. I wash my car about once a week and for the life of me I can't get the bugs off the FMIC. I tried using a long screwdriver, which takes way to much time, and my hose isn't powerful enough to spray them out and I don't want to use my power washer because I don't want to ruin the paint on the front grilles.

Any suggestions you guys have for keeping the X's spotless?

 

Well, I know you said you don't want to use a power washer, but that's what works!

They generally come off with my spray washes.

Rocks flying into the IC, on the other hand... that's annoying. I suppose the only way to "wash those out" is to look for a bigger, better FMIC

 

This should give you some ideas..

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...ht=intercooler

 

You haven't had problems with your power washer damaging the grille paint?

Does anyone know if the grille is dyed black or if it's just painted black?

 

Genius. I guess I'll have to do that when I get my new FMIC.

 

make sure your power washer is not to *powerfull* lol i bent half my fins on my intercooler : /

 

I haven't had any issues. Though, I just use the standard spray wand wash... I wouldn't call it a "power washer".

I was under the impression that it was dyed. Anybody know otherwise?

 

Well Its personal preference but I Removed the section of grille that is infront of the IC on my IX when I installed my buschur IC prolly do the same with my X when I get an IC for it as well. But a pressure washer will do the trick just make sure you put the correct tip on it so it doesn't remove fins on the IC just the bugs!! lol

 

Did you read this part of the thread. I was planning on doing the same thing until I read this.

I did a version of this by using similar black screening over the top of the Musubishi oil cooler and radiator openings. It looked stealth and kept all of the heat exchangers very clean. This was great. When I went to Buschur's shop and he said to get that junk off the car. I thought he was nuts. Then I remembered that I was having oil over heating proplems at the track and no one else was reporting these same problems. Dave also said that the screening really reduces the intercooler efficiency. So, I removed the screening before my next track day. I had no oil over heating problems whatsoever. So, as usual Dave was right. Unless you want to give up some performance and increase the chance you will have over heating of one sort or another you should not do this. If this was such a great idea, all of the manufacturers would use screened openings in their grills to keep their various heat exchangers clean. Not one car make does this because they all know the same thing that Dave knows. It will dramatically reduce air flow through the oil cooler, radiator, and intercooler and thus is a bad idea. I am sorry to rain on your parade. But I have been there and done that.

 

Thanks for pointing that out, I just briefly looked at the thread but now I have no reason to do that to ruin the performance on the car.

 

Thanks for the link bro!