Has anyone removed the cover under their vehicle permanantly ? Any dangers doing this ?

[spasm3]

The manufactures try to save every penny on a vehicle. If it really did not serve a purpose they would not expend the manufacturing to do it. It could be that some areas its not as necessary as others i.e. keeping salt out of the engine bay, up north.

 

[JeffKeryk]

In many cases, you will pay the price of removing a belly pan in gas mileage. Every time you drive.
Your choice.

 

[pghvolvo]

I asked way back in the eighties about the plastic airflow shields under the engine compartment of my Volvo. The tech said they were their to protect the engine and accessories, two, improve the airflow for cooling, Venturi effect, three, a slight aerodynamic advantage on the highway.

Five bolts that I have to take off once a year to get to the oil filter is no big deal. It's the three tabs on the front of the panel that fit into a metal frame, are the real pain to get the panel off and back on. Not an issue if it's on a rack you can leave the panel hang still attached to the tabs. But if your working under it with ramps and jack stands you have to remove it to get to the oil filter.

 

[ecotourist]

I asked way back in the eighties about the plastic airflow shields under the engine compartment of my Volvo. The tech said they were their to protect the engine and accessories, two, improve the airflow for cooling, Venturi effect, three, a slight aerodynamic advantage on the highway.

Five bolts that I have to take off once a year to get to the oil filter is no big deal. It's the three tabs on the front of the panel that fit into a metal frame, are the real pain to get the panel off and back on. Not an issue if it's on a rack you can leave the panel hang still attached to the tabs. But if your working under it with ramps and jack stands you have to remove it to get to the oil filter.

I had an '86 Volvo 740 Turbo. When I completed one 4 or 5 hour trip I heard a scraping sound and found that the splash shield was hanging from those tabs and was dragging on the pavement. The screws holding up the back end must have worked loose. I somehow got it off and threw the shield in the trunk. It wasn't even damaged so the final screw(s) must have fallen out right at the end of the trip. It was a heavy (and I'll bet expensive) part.

So the tabs made it harder to work on, but saved my bacon when the screws fell out!

That car was notorious for things falling off on long trips. The exhaust pipe broke off (right in front of the rear muffler) and was dragging on the road on 2 different trips. I decided to carry heavy wire and pliers in the glove compartment to be able to jury rig future (and as yet unknown) problems!

 

[RazorsEdge]

The Hyundai Tucson has 17 6mm bolts and is very large and flimsy. It might be a 5 minute job the first time but by year 2 or 3 you're fighting to get half of those 17 bolts off unless someone put anti seize on them. That said, it comes off and goes back on. I've never cut one of them up. But forget about 5 minutes, 10 to 15 if you're out of luck.

I just think to myself how much the cover helps protect the front-end of the vehicle from all the salt,sand etc. they put on the roads here during the winter months.

I like the Tucson

 

[pghvolvo]

I had an '86 Volvo 740 Turbo. When I completed one 4 or 5 hour trip I heard a scraping sound and found that the splash shield was hanging from those tabs and was dragging on the pavement. The screws holding up the back end must have worked loose. I somehow got it off and threw the shield in the trunk. It wasn't even damaged so the final screw(s) must have fallen out right at the end of the trip. It was a heavy (and I'll bet expensive) part.

So the tabs made it harder to work on, but saved my bacon when the screws fell out!

That car was notorious for things falling off on long trips. The exhaust pipe broke off (right in front of the rear muffler) and was dragging on the road on 2 different trips. I decided to carry heavy wire and pliers in the glove compartment to be able to jury rig future (and as yet unknown) problems!

I also had a 86 740 Turbo five speed, silver with black hounds tooth interior, until I got hit head on by a drunk driver. Got a 87 740 Wagon to replace it. It was a good car that lasted me 22 years and 370K miles. I had to replace the turbo at 225K miles, alternator, and an AC compressor around 320K miles. Never lost a splash cover but I did lose the plastic cover bolted under the back bumper on a road trip once.

 

[ecotourist]

I also had a 86 740 Turbo five speed, silver with black hounds tooth interior, until I got hit head on by a drunk driver. Got a 87 740 Wagon to replace it. It was a good car that lasted me 22 years and 370K miles. I had to replace the turbo at 225K miles, alternator, and an AC compressor around 320K miles. Never lost a splash cover but I did lose the plastic cover bolted under the back bumper on a road trip once.

Mine was an '86 740 Turbo five speed, white with black trim, and black hounds tooth interior. Bought it new. A sharp looking car. I kept mine for 18 1/2 years and 285,000 Km. Never replaced the turbo. Had to have the overdrive rebuilt, and replaced the clutch when the linkage broke.

It was a very good car. Sold it to friends who drove it for 5 more years. They sold it to some clown who promptly wrote it off.

 

[CR94]

Road junk like truck tire fragments and an errant tractor seat eventually removed part of the plastic under-engine shielding and the rubber shield between engine and wheel of my Mazda. A few years later, I had to drive through a lot of snow, and a much of it ended up in the engine compartment.

Result: Melting snow on ignition cables and distributor cap, causing misfiring, causing a hidden vacuum hose to blow off, causing engine to quit in a snowstorm in the dark.

Moral: Keep your shields on!

 

[ondarvr]

I made a mistake earlier.

I thought the splash shield on my CRV had fallen off, which was common for some years.

But for two years they didn't have a splash shield under the engine.

 

[GMBoy]

I have them on the CTS, not too much trouble to pull them off for the oil change. They serve a purpose and removing it every 5-8k miles is not big issue to me. I would keep the covers on.

 

[wtd]

Are the panels held by plastic pins or steel bolts. The pins are a pain. I helped a friend with his MDX and we found you need a sharp tool to pull the inside of each pin assembly. Some broke. If they are bolts, use an impact driver with an adapter to a socket. Your son would probably have some fun zipping off the bolts.

There are cheap push pin pliers that make taking out those plastic pins very easy. I have several of them.

 

[Snagglefoot]

There are cheap push pin pliers that make taking out those plastic pins very easy. I have several of them.

Pic?

 

[wtd]

Pic?

Here is just one of many that you can buy. I have several with different angles of the head part. Amazon.com: Performance Tool W86561 Angled Push Pin Pliers for Retainer & Anchor for Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, Chrysler: Home Improvement Most auto parts stores carry them as well.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Very good. A must have for the Acura folks.

 

[PimTac]

I just use a thin flat blade screwdriver. It’s not that hard. Reinstalling them is a breeze as well. I don’t understand all the anguish about these push pins.

 

[DuckRyder]

I just use a thin flat blade screwdriver. It’s not that hard. Reinstalling them is a breeze as well. I don’t understand all the anguish about these push pins.

Hondas can be both tenacious and delicate... flat blade screwdriver will break half the head off when they get some age on them and it doesn't help that some of them are ridiculously priced ...

 

[Snagglefoot]

All the discussions reminded me to order up a replacement splash guard for my son’s 2011 Silverado. The original got busted off. Ordered it up for $42 US delivered from Amazon. One of the key things is it will keep the salty slush from depositing on the AC unit, lower belt tensioner, and the metal part of the power steering lines. It will also guard from road grime being flung through the engine compartment by the serpentine belt.

Here is the area that I will be covering up. You can see the two bolts in the front that will go through the splash guard. Still waiting for it on Amazon and will install it in the new year. The A/C belt is the lowest belt, from the A/C compressor to the crank pulley.

 

[nitehawk]

Thanks for all the comments , info and some humor . The shields will remain along with some measures to keep attaching hardware in good shape or spares to replace.
Merry Christmas all and hope for a better 2021 !

 

[Jetronic]

How do we explain that on some cars the diesels get a full undertray and the gas engines none or just a splash guard that stops at the sump?

 

[pghvolvo]

I've known people on fuel mileage boards that bought the Hybrid under carriage panel kit for their normal civic and picked up between 5-10% better fuel mileage on the highway.