Do I have to use the engine fabric skid cover 2016 Fusion?

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Is this cover really fabric as the OP keeps describing it as such?

There is a difference between fabric and plastic resin. Fabric would not last very long underneath a car.


It is like a plastic thing covered in some kind of fuzzy stuff. This cover is the exact reason why I let one of the techs at work do the oil change on my mom's Fusion.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Originally Posted by PimTac
Is this cover really fabric as the OP keeps describing it as such?

There is a difference between fabric and plastic resin. Fabric would not last very long underneath a car.


It is like a plastic thing covered in some kind of fuzzy stuff. This cover is the exact reason why I let one of the techs at work do the oil change on my mom's Fusion.




Thanks for verifying. I am surprised Ford didn't incorporate a easy access for oil changes but in the grand scheme of things that is minor.

 

[Whimsey]

Ironically our 2017 2.3 EB Explorer did not come with the "under cover". Where as the 3.5 & 3.5 EB Explorers have it

. Ours is extremely quiet, so quiet I find myself doing wayyy above the speed limit at times. With 40,000 miles on it it's stayed relatively clean on the under carriage. As a bonus servicing it is easy not having to remove a shield every time I need to perform a routine maintenance services. Personally I'm glad it didn't come with one, but that's me

. And really it appears kind of flimsy so how well will it hold up over the years, especially if you keep your vehicles more than the warranty period.

Whimsey

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Originally Posted by PimTac
Is this cover really fabric as the OP keeps describing it as such?

There is a difference between fabric and plastic resin. Fabric would not last very long underneath a car.


It is like a plastic thing covered in some kind of fuzzy stuff. This cover is the exact reason why I let one of the techs at work do the oil change on my mom's Fusion.




Thanks for verifying. I am surprised Ford didn't incorporate a easy access for oil changes but in the grand scheme of things that is minor.


They use the same cover with different engines so they would have to have multiple spots, or else a large single one.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Originally Posted by PimTac
Is this cover really fabric as the OP keeps describing it as such?

There is a difference between fabric and plastic resin. Fabric would not last very long underneath a car.


It is like a plastic thing covered in some kind of fuzzy stuff. This cover is the exact reason why I let one of the techs at work do the oil change on my mom's Fusion.




Thanks for verifying. I am surprised Ford didn't incorporate a easy access for oil changes but in the grand scheme of things that is minor.


They use the same cover with different engines so they would have to have multiple spots, or else a large single one.




Gotcha. Thanks.

After years of changing oil on vehicles with real skid plates, these plastic shields are nothing. My Mitsubishi Montero Sport had two plates with a dozen or so small bolts attaching them.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Gotcha. Thanks.

After years of changing oil on vehicles with real skid plates, these plastic shields are nothing. My Mitsubishi Montero Sport had two plates with a dozen or so small bolts attaching them.


Its annoying because there are multiple fasteners and it is on the rather large side. Its not like a Toyota skid plate with 4 fasteners where the size is easily manageable.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
They use the same cover with different engines so they would have to have multiple spots, or else a large single one.
Yeap, on the Fusion of the era the OP asked about, there (4) engines available:

1.5L
2.0L
2.5L
2.7L

If I'm not mistaken, the AWD models have a different one as well.

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Its annoying because there are multiple fasteners and it is on the rather large side. Its not like a Toyota skid plate with 4 fasteners where the size is easily manageable.
It is - it goes from a few inches inside the front bumper edge all the way back to below the gear selector region (??), I think. Side to side it goes from wheel well to wheel well too. It has (2) chintzy plastic clippy things that are supposed to be used to hold it loosely in place so you have two free hands to screw in the regular fasteners but I think they fall out or break on most cars.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
It is - it goes from a few inches inside the front bumper edge all the way back to below the gear selector region (??), I think. Side to side it goes from wheel well to wheel well too. It has (2) chintzy plastic clippy things that are supposed to be used to hold it loosely in place so you have two free hands to screw in the regular fasteners but I think they fall out or break on most cars.


I did the first oil change on her car at work on a lift. The clips didn't do anything and it fell as soon as I put it up there.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I'm not gonna lie. If I had one of those covers, I'd take it off and never put it back on

 

[Corollaman]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
I'm not gonna lie. If I had one of those covers, I'd take it off and never put it back on

On mine it's missing one of the clips and a couple screws plus someone at some point put some sheet metal screws in to replace the lost ones. I ordered some replacement ones. Kind of a hassle.

 

[Eddie]

Does anyone think the manufactures would spend money on an undercover that no sees except an oil changer, if there wasn't a good reason? I suspect it is there for fuel mileage and a side benefit is a cleaner and probably a cooler engine bay. Ed

 

[MrMoody]

If it's fuzzy, it's definitely for noise deadening as well.
Originally Posted by PimTac
After years of changing oil on vehicles with real skid plates, these plastic shields are nothing. My Mitsubishi Montero Sport had two plates with a dozen or so small bolts attaching them.

The GTO has a big steel belly plate that weighs over 20 lbs., presumably to protect the aluminum oil pan.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by MrMoody
If it's fuzzy, it's definitely for noise deadening as well.
It is "fuzzy" - maybe felt-like is a reasonable description. I drove without ours on once and immediately noticed that it was louder without it on.