I took my cover off for a summer one time and noticed slightly more injector noise. I don't think it was the placebo effect because I had the car running, forgot something and ran back into the house with the engine running. Coming out I was wondering why the engine sounded louder than normal and then I remembered the cover was off.
Purpose of those plastic engine covers....
- Thread starter mikeinaustin
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The plastic engine cover of my '00 E430 does both lowering engine noise and keeping the engine heat from the hood, aside from keeping the engine look nicer.
I tried to remove it once, it took me less than 10 second, after a 20 minutes drive I can hear engine noise is much more pronounced without the cover at highway speed and the hood felt much warmer after the drive.
I tried to remove it once, it took me less than 10 second, after a 20 minutes drive I can hear engine noise is much more pronounced without the cover at highway speed and the hood felt much warmer after the drive.
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: Canawler
Engine covers are there so the mice have a great protected place to build their nests.
You jest, but still I wonder. The mice clearly do look to inhabit certain, I presume less-used cars. Nesting under my engine's hat would be a losing proposition of the worst sort. I can't imagine mommy mouse believing that the noise and heat of my engine would make a great place to have her offspring. Unless she intended for them to be fried upon birth. . .
Then there was one of my HS girlfriends back in the good-ole 70s. Her parents had one of those classic late 60s land yacht station wagons with a mega cubes V-8. One morning, her mom started it, and immediately heard a combination of various horrible noises. Her dad, who was close by, opened the hood immediately. The all-metal, belt driven fan was still in the process of slicing and dicing the neighbor's cat which had found a perch somewhere up in there. I have long suspected that clutched cooling fans, and the later, more advanced electric ones, were really meant to allow critters time to be scared by noise and get away, instead of being immediately chopped and minced as the old fans would do.
This happend to a Honda recently (Fit I think), a giant python found its way into the nice warm engine bay. Owner hops in the car and drives off, only to be greeted by a nasty smell a few miles down the road. Pops the hood to discover a finely minced and partially cooked snake....gross!
Originally Posted By: Canawler
Engine covers are there so the mice have a great protected place to build their nests.
You jest, but still I wonder. The mice clearly do look to inhabit certain, I presume less-used cars. Nesting under my engine's hat would be a losing proposition of the worst sort. I can't imagine mommy mouse believing that the noise and heat of my engine would make a great place to have her offspring. Unless she intended for them to be fried upon birth. . .
Then there was one of my HS girlfriends back in the good-ole 70s. Her parents had one of those classic late 60s land yacht station wagons with a mega cubes V-8. One morning, her mom started it, and immediately heard a combination of various horrible noises. Her dad, who was close by, opened the hood immediately. The all-metal, belt driven fan was still in the process of slicing and dicing the neighbor's cat which had found a perch somewhere up in there. I have long suspected that clutched cooling fans, and the later, more advanced electric ones, were really meant to allow critters time to be scared by noise and get away, instead of being immediately chopped and minced as the old fans would do.
This happend to a Honda recently (Fit I think), a giant python found its way into the nice warm engine bay. Owner hops in the car and drives off, only to be greeted by a nasty smell a few miles down the road. Pops the hood to discover a finely minced and partially cooked snake....gross!
I heard it was to keep the engine noise down, the warmth in for emissions, protect things like gaskets, wires and spark plug wires from the elements and to neaten things up under the hood.
Here is what mine looks like:
Here is what mine looks like:
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
I wonder if Honda started doing that, maybe the ricers would stop plastering a "Powered by Honda" sticker across the windshield.
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
I wonder if Honda started doing that, maybe the ricers would stop plastering a "Powered by Honda" sticker across the windshield.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
I wonder if Honda started doing that, maybe the ricers would stop plastering a "Powered by Honda" sticker across the windshield.
Best I saw the other day was a Concord with CHRYSLER in 10" tall letters across the windshield. Wife turns to me and says "You know, I THINK that might be a Chrysler"... and then giggled.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
I wonder if Honda started doing that, maybe the ricers would stop plastering a "Powered by Honda" sticker across the windshield.
Best I saw the other day was a Concord with CHRYSLER in 10" tall letters across the windshield. Wife turns to me and says "You know, I THINK that might be a Chrysler"... and then giggled.
Better than 10" "JESUS SAVES" in yellow lettering on a turquoise coloured saturn.
Then he had some quote from the bible written on his hood in smaller lettering but the same colour.
Glad your religion works for you buddy, but you look like an idiot.
Then he had some quote from the bible written on his hood in smaller lettering but the same colour.
Glad your religion works for you buddy, but you look like an idiot.
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
I wonder if Honda started doing that, maybe the ricers would stop plastering a "Powered by Honda" sticker across the windshield.
Honda DOES do that. It's never stopped anyone.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The one on my Expedition is tiny, only large enough to cover the throttle body. I'm unsure of the purpose other than to advertise that it has a 5.4L TRITON.
I wonder if Honda started doing that, maybe the ricers would stop plastering a "Powered by Honda" sticker across the windshield.
Honda DOES do that. It's never stopped anyone.
For hot-running engines, the top cover can prevent heat from damaging the paint on the hood. Otherwise I would remove the cover, as I'd rather see my engine than a piece of useless plastic.
OTOH, lower engine covers are great for keeping road salt and other crud off the engine. And in some cases there are steel or aluminum replacements that provide more protection. The Dieselgeek Panzer mentioned in my signature is the one I prefer.
OTOH, lower engine covers are great for keeping road salt and other crud off the engine. And in some cases there are steel or aluminum replacements that provide more protection. The Dieselgeek Panzer mentioned in my signature is the one I prefer.
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
One morning, her mom started it, and immediately heard a combination of various horrible noises. Her dad, who was close by, opened the hood immediately. The all-metal, belt driven fan was still in the process of slicing and dicing the neighbor's cat which had found a perch somewhere up in there. I have long suspected that clutched cooling fans, and the later, more advanced electric ones, were really meant to allow critters time to be scared by noise and get away, instead of being immediately chopped and minced as the old fans would do.
Not sure if it helped, my father's 1983 COE International Eagle took out our neighbours cat the same way even with a massive plastic clutch fan. Never slowed that 290 Cummins down one bit on start-up.
One morning, her mom started it, and immediately heard a combination of various horrible noises. Her dad, who was close by, opened the hood immediately. The all-metal, belt driven fan was still in the process of slicing and dicing the neighbor's cat which had found a perch somewhere up in there. I have long suspected that clutched cooling fans, and the later, more advanced electric ones, were really meant to allow critters time to be scared by noise and get away, instead of being immediately chopped and minced as the old fans would do.
Not sure if it helped, my father's 1983 COE International Eagle took out our neighbours cat the same way even with a massive plastic clutch fan. Never slowed that 290 Cummins down one bit on start-up.
I took mine off during the summer to let heat escape better. It's going on in the winter to trap heat and protect the engine topsides from salt spray.
How'd the neighbors take the news about their cat?
How'd the neighbors take the news about their cat?
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