Blocking front wheel arch vents

Andy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andy
Joined
Jul 3, 2020
Threads
6
Messages
49
Reaction score
17
Location
Grimsby / Lincolnshire
Vehicles
Range Rover - Defender - Taycan Turbo arriving soon
Country flag
I have just compared my Taycan with a friends, we both have similar specs except he ordered the manual door covers to the charging sockets.
On my car the air flow vents under the socket between the wheel arch and the front of the door are solid, yet on his these are open all the way through and they collect muck and small stones thrown up by the tyres,
Can these vents be blocked off in anyway as I see that the small stones pinging through could cause more damage to the door paintwork?
Sponsored

 

Dee

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dee
Joined
Dec 14, 2018
Threads
63
Messages
2,653
Reaction score
3,109
Location
The Netherlands
Vehicles
A lot
I have just compared my Taycan with a friends, we both have similar specs except he ordered the manual door covers to the charging sockets.
On my car the air flow vents under the socket between the wheel arch and the front of the door are solid, yet on his these are open all the way through and they collect muck and small stones thrown up by the tyres,
Can these vents be blocked off in anyway as I see that the small stones pinging through could cause more damage to the door paintwork?
Yes.
 

Dee

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dee
Joined
Dec 14, 2018
Threads
63
Messages
2,653
Reaction score
3,109
Location
The Netherlands
Vehicles
A lot
Buy a piece of polypropylene (pp) plastic and block off the areas.
Simple.
 

Tay Tay

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Threads
38
Messages
418
Reaction score
346
Location
State of Confusion
Vehicles
Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street
Country flag
I wouldn't do it but you could use automotive tape to attach a mesh there, which would keep the aero benefits and block the rocks.
 


OP
OP
Andy

Andy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andy
Joined
Jul 3, 2020
Threads
6
Messages
49
Reaction score
17
Location
Grimsby / Lincolnshire
Vehicles
Range Rover - Defender - Taycan Turbo arriving soon
Country flag
I wouldn't do it but you could use automotive tape to attach a mesh there, which would keep the aero benefits and block the rocks.
Agree
But what I find strange is that one car the vent is blocked off and the other is wide open
I just don’t understand the logic
 

Tay Tay

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Threads
38
Messages
418
Reaction score
346
Location
State of Confusion
Vehicles
Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street
Country flag
Agree
But what I find strange is that one car the vent is blocked off and the other is wide open
I just don’t understand the logic
Doesn’t seem odd to me. The mechanism for the electric door must block the vent.
 

Smithy37

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Threads
17
Messages
181
Reaction score
177
Location
United Kingdom
Vehicles
Porsche 991.2 C4 GTS. Taycan Turbo S
Country flag
Agree
But what I find strange is that one car the vent is blocked off and the other is wide open
I just don’t understand the logic
Do you both have the same wheels?

Sure I read somewhere that the vents work in conjunction with a specific set of wheels to aid airflow & increase range.

Might be mistaken though!
 


Bobby

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Threads
13
Messages
99
Reaction score
58
Location
Bucks
Vehicles
Taycan
Country flag
I have just compared my Taycan with a friends, we both have similar specs except he ordered the manual door covers to the charging sockets.
On my car the air flow vents under the socket between the wheel arch and the front of the door are solid, yet on his these are open all the way through and they collect muck and small stones thrown up by the tyres,
Can these vents be blocked off in anyway as I see that the small stones pinging through could cause more damage to the door paintwork?
Its a good question - I picked mine up yesterday and I have the manual covers....and the "gap" which has already picked up gunk! If anyone finds a solution which works - please let the forum know. Thanks
 
OP
OP
Andy

Andy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andy
Joined
Jul 3, 2020
Threads
6
Messages
49
Reaction score
17
Location
Grimsby / Lincolnshire
Vehicles
Range Rover - Defender - Taycan Turbo arriving soon
Country flag
Do you both have the same wheels?

Sure I read somewhere that the vents work in conjunction with a specific set of wheels to aid airflow & increase range.

Might be mistaken though!
Yes we both have the same wheels, the only differences is the electric socket covers and manual.
 

BruceF

Well-Known Member
First Name
Bruce
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
119
Reaction score
110
Location
Austin, Texas, USA
Vehicles
Tesla M3P, Taycan Turbo
Country flag
My understand is the vents are there for airflow. However the auto close door mechanism requires they be blocked off as it occupies the space that the airflow would pass through.

So all cars with the auto close charge door will have the vents blocked off. Otherwise the vents will be open. I do not believe it has anything to do with choice of wheels/tires.

is arguably one of the pluses/minuses of getting the auto close power charge doors. A plus is you get the airflow Porsche intended in their design and with them block they are “fake” vents, a minus is that with them open you get more dirt and debris through them and potentially a rock might get thrown up, through the vents and hit the door. I presume Porsche would have thought of that and I have seen they do have horizontal slats in the vent that hopefully would reduce the likelihood.

That said - if you have a Taycan without the auto close door and are going to PPF the front of the car it is a good case for also putting PPF on the doors.

My Taycan order (arriving early February) does not have the the auto close charge door so has the vents. When I decided not to get the Auto Close charge door it was because I did not like the esthetics of the fin that sticks out with the auto close charge door. I personally debated this a lot with myself and have a post somewhere else on this forum with a Survey on the Auto Close charge door.

While I understand it is nice to not have “fake” vents - personally I saw it as a negative having the vents open for exactly the reasons discussed above.

I am planning to PPF the whole car including the doors. If I was not going to PPF the doors I would have gotten the Auto Close Charge door partially because it would block the vents.

In any event, I hope this helps with the conversation around this.
 

Persuader

Well-Known Member
First Name
Peter
Joined
May 24, 2019
Threads
9
Messages
331
Reaction score
258
Location
UK
Vehicles
Porsche Taycan 4s, Range Rover Sport, Jaguar F-Type, Renault Kangoo
Country flag
I have just compared my Taycan with a friends, we both have similar specs except he ordered the manual door covers to the charging sockets.
On my car the air flow vents under the socket between the wheel arch and the front of the door are solid, yet on his these are open all the way through and they collect muck and small stones thrown up by the tyres,
Can these vents be blocked off in anyway as I see that the small stones pinging through could cause more damage to the door paintwork?
I think it's better to stick with the air flow benefits of the vents being open/unblocked as per how it was designed.
 

BlueShoes

Well-Known Member
First Name
David
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
168
Reaction score
125
Location
Missouri, USA
Vehicles
Taycan Turbo
Country flag
Yes, I ordered manual doors for partly this reason. I'm not a fan of fake vents. Also, I don't like the small fin that sticks out for that purpose. I'd much rather the have retractable door but the trade off with the vent and the fin did the decision for me.
 

Spd_Tkt

Active Member
First Name
James
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Threads
1
Messages
29
Reaction score
15
Location
Tri-Cities, Washington State
Vehicles
21 4S, 20 Jeep JLUR, 14 991.1 C2S-MT, 13 BMW K16GT
Country flag
I read somewhere that these open vents have a measurable impact on the drag. Which translates to increased range. The 19 inch base wheels are also more aerodynamic than the 20 or 21 inch wheels. Cheers!
 

faroutinNM

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Nov 8, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
284
Reaction score
313
Location
Albuquerque, NM USA
Vehicles
'21 Taycan Turbo, '05 MINI Cooper S
Country flag
I believe the opening to the rear of the wheel has a negligible effect on drag. As the airflow passes outward and over the upper, faster-moving portion of the wheel and then continues past it, it has already done its work as a "curtain". The wind tunnel illustration below demonstrates the airflow in the powered charge port door configuration, with the air curtain effectively (at least theoretically) reducing the wheel's disruption of the laminar flow.

source: https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/products/taycan/aerodynamics-18554.html

Porsche Taycan Blocking front wheel arch vents taycan wind tunnel
Sponsored

 
Last edited:
 




Top