winter front for grill?

Temperatures in my part of the world hit around -40C, so a winter front (usually some kind material such as cardboard) will be necessary. In my past vehicles I could simply slide the peice of cardboard behind the grill and ziptie it somehow to keep the cold air off the rad, but with the cx-5 the top and bottom is basically sealed and I don't want to be redneck and ziptie anything to the front of my vehicle. Any suggestions?

Dan PA said:

Temperatures in my part of the world hit around -40C, so a winter front (usually some kind material such as cardboard) will be necessary. In my past vehicles I could simply slide the peice of cardboard behind the grill and ziptie it somehow to keep the cold air off the rad, but with the cx-5 the top and bottom is basically sealed and I don't want to be redneck and ziptie anything to the front of my vehicle. Any suggestions?

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That's a really good idea for cold weather and, as you know, will result in faster warm-ups and better fuel economy. But I haven't checked to see what would be involved in removing the plastic grill to block the air flow. On my Volvo this wasn't necessary but it made a big difference on my Ford F-150. I think the cooling system on the F-150 was designed by Texans while the Volvo was designed by Scandinavians. The engine in the CX-5 is so efficient it can be slow to warm up in cold weather. I've noticed this when the first couple of miles driven are downhill. One time my cold engine light went off but came back on while I descended a long grade at 40 mph.

Have you come up with a solution for the CX-5 grill yet?

Years ago i would cut some corrugated black plastic sheet into a T shape, the top tabs were just to prevent the sheet falling down to the bottom.

Just keep a eye on the temperature gauge for overheating.

At one time going way back you could buy a spring loaded radiator blind that could be raised and lowered from the driver seat.