Engine covers, on or off?

[buster]

Do you prefer to keep the engine cover on your engine? The Mazda's engine cover started to spray tiny pieces of foam (from underneath the plastic cover) and it was getting all over. I prefer to keep the cover on, as I think they look good. I'm going to keep it off for now and from what I understand, it's more of a decoration with little purpose other than maybe noise reduction.

The engine stays clean overall, mostly due to the splash guard.

 

[JHZR2]

IIRC, the covers are for sound deadening mostly.

Id pull it, get some high-temp insulation, clean the old stuff, spray 3M super spray adhesive on it, put the insulation on and replace the cover. Done.

 

[stephen9666]

The one on my Hyundai has some sound deadening on it, but I don't think the VW cover does. I have them both in the garage, but I leave them off all the time.

I don't care about the looks of the engine. Plus, I work on them a enough that it's just much easier to keep the covers off.

 

[NHGUY]

The covers hide the ugly engine underneath.This way a piece of cheap plastic can replace proper engine detailing that manufacturers use to pride themselves with.Remember the Shelby Charger chrome valve cover,and the Chrysler Turbo aluminum covers? These were all show of course,but now they just cover everything cheaply and dont even bother to try.

 

[OVERKILL]

Remember the gold Olds ones with "Oldsmobile" embossed on them? I had them on my 350 rocket. It had the matching air-cleaner with the large "350 Rocket" sticker on it.

 

[tommygunn]

I take them off.

An engine is an engine and unless I got a sporty car, I'd rather not have to meddle with the cover. Plus if I had a nice car I'd rather see polished quality parts then plastic.

May aswell put a picture of a good looking engine under the hood if you're just covering everything with plastic.

 

[beast3300]

OFF

 

[Spazdog]

On.

Normally I would prefer it off but in this case, it actually looks better on.

Mazda did not finish the valve covers. They are dull grey. Since they were putting a cover on they also did not bother to tuck the wiring. I thought they might be grey plastic but took a piece of fine sandpaper to it and it got shiny silver.

It's one of the rare places that the '06-'09 Fusion looks/works better than it's Mazda near sibling.

I was to understand that the cover served many purposes including reducing potential injuries to pedestrians. I originally thought that they were there for much the same reason that you could not see the engine on the original Honda Hurricanes. Honda could save $60 by not painting the engine components.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I was to understand that the cover served many purposes including reducing potential injuries to pedestrians.


Umm, how would the cover reduce potential injuries to pedestrians? Did Mazda have a problem with people walking on their engines?

 

[Spazdog]

It adds another barrier between the sharp, irregular, and often hot engine components maybe?

It kinda' makes sense if you consider the EU pedestrian safety regulation that requires more easily deformable energy absorbent hoods

 

[Colt45ws]

I had it on, but I hadn't taken it off for any reason. I had to take it off recently to remove the factory intake tube. I left it off. It serves no purpose. Just like I pulled the insulation off the hood.

 

[mechanicx]

I tend to leave the engine covers on purely for the sake of keeping it original. The plastic engine covers kind of remind me of the plastic engine covers they use to dress up cheap Briggs&Stratton lawnmower engines

.

 

[Stephen_G]

Two Cars, Same engine, both engines are the same except the ford lacks variable valve timing, and an engine cover.

Ford Focus Duratec:

Mazda 3 MZR:

 

[Kiwi_ME]

I prefer my cars not to have an engine cover but if one was fitted I leave it on as keeping the car original is more important to me and I don't want to have to store it anywhere.

 

[johnsmellsalot]

Those plastic covers are there to help reduce noise. They also act as a heat barrier.
Originally Posted By: buster
Do you prefer to keep the engine cover on your engine? The Mazda's engine cover started to spray tiny pieces of foam (from underneath the plastic cover) and it was getting all over. I prefer to keep the cover on, as I think they look good. I'm going to keep it off for now and from what I understand, it's more of a decoration with little purpose other than maybe noise reduction.

The engine stays clean overall, mostly due to the splash guard.

 

[Eddie]

The engine cover on my Mazda CX7 turbo must stay on. The cover is used as the air guide for the turbo inter-cooler. I think each cover must be checked to see if it more than a sound deadener or just a cover before tossing it. JMO. Ed

 

[Bamaro]

It doesn't hurt anything so it stays on. Otherwise I need to find a place to store it.

 

[Spazdog]

It's the one place where Ford did a better job of packaging and finishing than Mazda did between these two cars.

 

[buster]

I agree Spaz. I think it looks better on the 3. I only took it off because that foam stuff underneath of it is breaking up and coating the entire engine. So for now I'll keep it off.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

I wish my engine cover was bigger. I like seeing the engine, but it's so much easier to keep a giant piece of plastic clean than it is to try to get grime out of an engine bay.