What are the “gills” under the rear bumpers of most cars for?
- August 9, 2022
- 0
Many drivers do not even know about the existence of special “gills” in the body of most cars. That is understandable, because they are hidden from view under
Many drivers do not even know about the existence of special “gills” in the body of most cars. That is understandable, because they are hidden from view under the rear bumper. About why such a design is needed and what will happen if it is damaged, the AvtoVzglyad portal tells.
“Gills” are called special structures with partitions (they can be plastic or rubber), resembling the gills of fish. They are located on technological holes in the rear of the body. Usually they are covered by the rear bumper and therefore are not visible to the eye. And because of the upholstery, they are not visible from the trunk.
One of the functions of the “gills” is to provide normal ventilation of the cabin. After all, the air should not only freely enter, after passing through the filter, but also leave the “living space”. It exits through the gill valves, which are designed to release air, but they don’t let it in, as dust and dirt can get in. By the way, this can happen on old cars, where the plastic of the “gills” is deformed and the rubber is dry, so the safety of these parts should be checked.
And if, for example, you seal or close these valves with something during a body repair, you can disrupt the ventilation system. As a result, there will be increased humidity in the cabin, the windows will sweat constantly, and bacteria will multiply.
The second, no less important function of the “gills” is to relieve excess pressure in the cabin. To feel it, you have to intentionally close the valves and slam the door or trunk lid. At this point, a person feels resistance to closing, which was not there before. The fact is that the airflow creates overpressure, which is neutralized with the help of properly working valves.
If we imagine there are no “gills”, the excess pressure would prevent the fan from blowing air through the entire “living compartment”. For example, the rear passengers would suffocate from the heat and high humidity. Rubber glass seals would also wear out faster. By the way, these are not empty words. This was noticed by Chrysler in 1965, when they patented “gills”. Now they can be found on most cars.
Photo: Drive2.ru (whitevag56)
“Gills” are called special structures with partitions (they can be plastic or rubber), resembling the gills of fish. They are located on technological holes in the rear of the body. Usually they are covered by the rear bumper and therefore are not visible to the eye. And because of the upholstery, they are not visible from the trunk.
One of the functions of the “gills” is to provide normal ventilation of the cabin. After all, the air should not only freely enter, after passing through the filter, but also leave the “living space”. It exits through the gill valves, which are designed in such a way that they release air, but do not let it in, as dust and dirt can get in. By the way, this can happen on old cars, where the plastic of the “gills” is deformed and the rubber is dry, so the safety of these parts should be checked.
And if, for example, you seal or close these valves with something during a body repair, you can disrupt the ventilation system. As a result, there will be increased humidity in the cabin, the windows will sweat constantly, and bacteria will multiply.
The second, no less important function of the “gills” is to relieve excess pressure in the cabin. To feel it, you have to intentionally close the valves and slam the door or trunk lid. At this point, a person feels resistance to closing, which was not there before. The fact is that the airflow creates overpressure, which is neutralized with the help of properly working valves.
If we imagine there are no “gills”, the excess pressure would prevent the fan from blowing air through the entire “living compartment”. For example, the rear passengers would suffocate from the heat and high humidity. Rubber glass seals would also wear out faster. By the way, these are not empty words. This was noticed by Chrysler in 1965, when they patented “gills”. Now they can be found on most cars.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
I’m Sandra Torres, a passionate journalist and content creator. My specialty lies in covering the latest gadgets, trends and tech news for Div Bracket. With over 5 years of experience as a professional writer, I have built up an impressive portfolio of published works that showcase my expertise in this field.
