Belly pans are for protection to keep debris out of your timing belt if you have one. On my Mazda 5 they give you access for the filter and drain without removing the pan cover.
What good are belly pans for?
- Thread starter supton
- Start date
My daughters Mazda CX-30 has a belly pan that rarely needs to be removed because Mazda made an access door for the oil drain bolt and filter...it’s very user friendly for the DIYer.
Both of my Fords have belly pans that are a PITA to remove to change the oil and filter without a lift. IMO Ford does this to encourage owners to take it to the dealer for service.
I will agree that the belly pan keeps things cleaner under there and the aftermarket one that I bought on Ebay for my 2014 Focus (for $50) seems thinner than the OE and it does allow a little more engine noise to reach my ears so it must help with NVH.
Both of my Fords have belly pans that are a PITA to remove to change the oil and filter without a lift. IMO Ford does this to encourage owners to take it to the dealer for service.
I will agree that the belly pan keeps things cleaner under there and the aftermarket one that I bought on Ebay for my 2014 Focus (for $50) seems thinner than the OE and it does allow a little more engine noise to reach my ears so it must help with NVH.
I realize I necroposted (in my own thread!) but we already hashed out the reason (and I was never in doubt of what they did).
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My Tundra was annoying, it had a faux skidplate that had to be removed to do an oil change. I could drain the oil without removing, but the filter was badly placed. I heard of guys taking hole saws to the skidplate to "fix" the issue. Me, I just dropped it each time, was never fun but it wasn't that bad. My VW had a bellypan and I do think it helped keep water out of the engine bay, and with topside oil changes I never needed to touch it & its large amount of screws that held it in place.
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My Tundra was annoying, it had a faux skidplate that had to be removed to do an oil change. I could drain the oil without removing, but the filter was badly placed. I heard of guys taking hole saws to the skidplate to "fix" the issue. Me, I just dropped it each time, was never fun but it wasn't that bad. My VW had a bellypan and I do think it helped keep water out of the engine bay, and with topside oil changes I never needed to touch it & its large amount of screws that held it in place.
All my cars have had one. The time the evo didn't have one (torn up from wider wheels and breaking plastic clips) ended up with the engine bay completely exposed from underneath and causing the engine bay to get disgustingly dirty fast - not to mention the winter road salt that ended up EVERYWHERE in the engine bay. My profile pic was me going off into the grass one session and I ended up with grass and dirt everywhere in the belt and engine bay.
All of the under panels I have seen have oil change specific panels that came off. Most I've had to take off was 9 10mm bolts which took no longer than a minute or two. The evo's OEM under panels were also molded plastic with a duct towards the trans and transfer case. The Focus' was an interesting felt-type one but I had no issues with that one with an oil change access panel on that too.
All of the under panels I have seen have oil change specific panels that came off. Most I've had to take off was 9 10mm bolts which took no longer than a minute or two. The evo's OEM under panels were also molded plastic with a duct towards the trans and transfer case. The Focus' was an interesting felt-type one but I had no issues with that one with an oil change access panel on that too.
Not as bad this time. But they are warped a bit, and worse, I can see where they are holding sand against the unibody "rails". Those rails don't look to me like they have the thickest paint either. I think they are staying off for for a bit--there's several of them, it's not like I'm taking the one off under the motor, just the ones holding the most dirt.
That's sand getting caked onto the rail.
Think I'll run it to the car wash, when it dries off I'll hit it with some RP342 in places. Too much sand under it right now, too damp.
That's sand getting caked onto the rail.
Think I'll run it to the car wash, when it dries off I'll hit it with some RP342 in places. Too much sand under it right now, too damp.
Free fill dirt! Use it for that low spot in the yard!
wax wool (or is it wool wax?) is the new cosmoline (pr342) no?
Not familiar with that one, not doing Fluid Film, clearly this has been a high wash area and that stuff sucks in high wash areas.
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