Why do most cars not have any hood vents? In the summer the temp under the hood is very high. (If you want proof, just raise the hood after a summer trip)
Wouldn't it make more sense to design hood vents into every car? Wouldn't the entire under hood area benefit if the max temp was significantly lower? I had a Datsun 280Z and it had a hood vent. It was designed not to let rain water come in.
Installing one myself would be costly, require some repainting, and prone to rust.
Several reasons - first, you don't want the underhood bits getting wet. Yes, I know you had a car that was "designed not to let rain water come in" but it eventually will. Secondly, you have to have pretty good control over the underhood fluids to keep Bad Things from happening to your windshield (the latter learned the hard way while stuck in traffic in a '53 Studebaker with a louvered hood and no "catch can")
If underhood heat is a real concern - and it does not appear to be in most cases - fender vents would be much more practical.
nate
Well you hit on a few of the good reasons they don't do it right there....
I live in sunny FL so it isn't a problem for me but I understand that for those who live in the frigid north (anything above the GA state line if you ask me) snow build up on a hood that isn't flat can be quite a problem as it is hard to clear.
Steve B.
Under-hood temperatures were a problem when they sealed the cooling system and went to higher temp thermostats, many years ago. Many elastomers were inadequate tor the higher temps. Fuel lines broke and there were a rash of engine fires. Electronics, just coming on board, failed a lot.
The car mfgrs answer, rather than lower the environment temperature, was to develop higher temp elastomers and electronics.
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