Plastic Pieces under the car...how important are they?
 

So I was driving home from work the other day at 11pm and after 10 minutes I noticed that my HID headlights weren't working(my fogs were on, and I am not very observant). No big deal, probably blew a fuse. Then there was a scraping sound from under my car. I pulled over and found out that one of the plastic pieces that goes from the bumper to under the oilpan had come loose and was dragging on the ground. The other side was missing completely. My husband told me that one has been gone since I've had the car.
I tried to put the loose piece back, but one of the holes is broken and scaped and the others don't seem to match up--I am not sure how it was attached before. It is pretty busted up. It would be better to get a new one, but would I have to go to a dealer? This is the piece that protects the oilpan. How important is it? Could I just take it off?

Heather

The plastic piece is just there to keep grim and water out of the engine bay. You don't have to have it.

My box hasn't had any of those pieces since before I bought it. Don't worry about it. It just means your engine gets more dirty.

I think you are talking about the engine splash shields.

I took mine off because of lip kit.

the plastic engine shields serve two purposes to keep the engine conmpartment from getting really dirty and airflow purpose some cars will overheat if those peices are removed and some wont

.... and that grime gets onto belts... and drag can be increased, etc. A lot of people run without them, but if you have them, it is still better to use them.

I have cleverly ziptied mine so it doesn't hang down anywhere. :)

Thanks for all the input:) I'm going to try to fix it but if I can't I guess I won't worry too much...

Exactly. Most people think its there just to keep engine bay clean.

How do you know if you car will overheat or not? Wait and see?

At one point, I had sort of ghetto rigged a splash shield out of coroplast, but an upstate NY winter destroyed it (my aftermarket lip kit makes this an interesting bit of engineering). I've also got my lower grille blocked off, and even in 105F norcal heat, it's fine.

I did, however, re-route the CAI that my car came with so that the air filter isn't getting coated with dirt and water flung off the wheel, since my fender liners are hacked all to heck. It's up inside the engine bay, effectively a W[arm]AI - this reduces power, but results in a tiny increase in fuel economy.

Bear in mind also that I bought my car used, and all kinds of half-assed riced.

I would like to keep the shield on the right side cause that is where the pulleys and the intake are...might hit up a junkyard---mine is all rubbed to pieces.

I bought some flippers and I am just gonna set them back a bit.

About the same coverage.

I took mine out years ago, and several thousand miles later Ive not had a problem

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Time on a trailer don't count HA HA HA

Failbox with several thousand miles jk had to go there

def makes it easy to get to the engine mount bolts without those in the way

I couldn't keep mine on the car, finally after like the 10th time of securing them after they fell and started dragging I ripped them off, I haven't really noticed my bay getting much dirtier either and no overheating here.

Good, cause I am not sure how long mine will hold, since one of the two tabs that connected the splash shield to the bumper are missing. And it scrapes on the speed bumps all the time! I hate speed bumps!!!!

mine are still intact even with aftermarket bumpers. wold be handy to have at least the pulley side piece there. or you'll ruin the belts fast

I would love to put mine back in, its just such an ordeal to get under my box. I cant fit my forearm between the pavement and lip