Car undercarriage - is a splash shield really necessary?

bflynn

bflynn

Final Approach
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Brian Flynn
The wife's engine splash shield broke - one too many steep driveways and it cracked in half. (The splash shield is a plastic plate on the bottom of the car (older prius), in this case all the way forward, about 2' in depth, maybe 4' across the car. It bolts in about 6 or so points.)

Is it really needed? I can get a replacement for a reasonable prices, but I see some of the bolts are rusted or deformed. Do I really want the headache of getting all those bolts out? It's probably only an hour or two (famous last words).

Yes, splash shield keeps water away from the bottom of the engine. Is that a real problem?
 
Now for the real answer. I have no idea if it is really necessary on your car but my general opinion of Toyota is they are a good company that focuses on reliability, customer service and profit. Putting unnecessary parts on a car doesn’t fit any of those goals. I would replace it.
 
Depends on the vehicle as to whether there's much of anything to be damaged by road debris/rain spray. However, I'd imagine that aerodynamics and engine cooling are more impacted by its existence than worries about rain.
 
SoonerAviator said:
However, I'd imagine that aerodynamics and engine cooling are more impacted by its existence than worries about rain.
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Good answers so far. This would be my answer and my concern. It must serve a purpose or Toyota would have saved the weight.
 
my son's BMW M5 has full undercarriage belly pans.....it appears it serves two functions; 1. It keeps everything clean. Most of the systems each have their own CPUs and wiring (suspension, transmission, engine, etc).....water and corrosion is the enemy to those systems. 2. believe it or not....the under carriage adds drag to the body form. Those belly pans "clean" up the drag and make the vehicle more efficient at cruise/driving speeds. Anything below 40 mph....drag is negligible.
 
Dunno about a Prius, but that sort of thing usually has been destroyed on the junk I drive. That kind of stuff is typically there mostly for fuel economy.
 
Yeah, on many cars it's not a "splash" shield but an "air dam."
 
In addition to the above, they seem to help reduce engine, road, and wind noise as well. If it's an old beater or just an around town car, I'd leave it off. If you road trip the car, or it's still a nice car, I'd fix it properly.
 
I'd fix it, a drill and cable ties can do wonders, or just buy a new one. Rain and snow forced up there under pressure will eventually cause issues.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Now for the real answer. I have no idea if it is really necessary on your car but my general opinion of Toyota is they are a good company that focuses on reliability, customer service and profit. Putting unnecessary parts on a car doesn’t fit any of those goals. I would replace it.
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@Tarheelpilot If the part makes the car more aerodynamic then' it's all good. Better fuel mileage and extended electric range have been the Holy Grail for designing engineers lately. Toyota and other companies will spend a lot of effort to improve those factors. I'd replace it too unless this you do not intend to take the car on the highway for long trips.

-Skip
 
flyingron said:
Yeah, on many cars it's not a "splash" shield but an "air dam."
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Generally speaking, the air dam is synonymous with the front "spoiler" or the plastic piece. I suppose it's worth asking: are we talking about the plastic "lip" that hangs down and normally gets caught on parking lot curbs and such, or are we talking about the splash shield/engine tray that lays flat up against the bottom of the car?
 
I have successfully performed a few splashshieldectomies.
They get in the way of access for maintenance and inspection. On the plus side they decrease puddle splashing on coil packs which will cause misfire and service engine light illumination. You make your choices and live with the consequences.
 
I can almost guarantee that if the car was manufactured in this millennium it is less of a splash shield and more of an aero enhancement. I'd repair or replace it if it were mine but I know many people who don't/won't and have little or no adverse effects because of it.
 
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