Plastic Cover Under Engine

[Bat.]

Hi all,

Just signed up and very glad to find an impressive looking Skoda community!

After driving through a ford(the water variety) 3 times to amuse the kids some weeks back , the large plastic cover which sits under the front of the car just behind the bumper broke free and dropped down. I have attempted to bodge it back several times, but the underlying problem is that the main mounting behind the near side front wheel is broken. All I can see coming down is the thread of a bolt. I did manage to reattach the thing with a nut and a washer, but it isn't up to the job as the hole in the plastic is enlarged.

2 questions for anyone that may know. Firstly am I right in assuming the head of the bolt has sheared of from the mounting behind the wheel, in other words should there be a bolt or screw going up from underneath?

Secondly I was advised by someone to just remove the whole plastic cover. If this is feasible then great, but I'm of the mind that it was put there for a reason or they would not have bothered. Advice most welcome!!

Ross

[mluton]

The previous owner ripped mine off. Not had one on since.

Welcome to the forum

[RobClubley]

My car never had one from new!

[fordfan]

They are held on with screws and I would advise getting it sorted for the follwing reason:

A customer of ours had a child run out into the road straight in front of her, the child went clean under the car. It is my opinion that the cover saved him from serious injury by filing the gap between the engine and the radiator and deflecting him downwards away from hard points under the car.

[Bat.]

Thanks very much guys. I will take it off this weekend. I take the point on safety, but surely the front bumper would have forced the child low to the ground before they got further under the car?

[mannyo]

I prefer the cover in place, just think what all that water could have done to the delecate electronics/sensors in the engine bay had the cover not been there.

Yes, some water splashes get through anyway but nowhere near the deluge it will get without the cover.

[UncleRic]

Atleast you've done this in the right order.. breaking something and then joining the forum.

The reason?

If you'd have joined BEFORE you found that ford (the water kind) you would have probably got the modding bug like everyone else, in which case you would have probably fitted a CAI and this post would have been more along the lines of..

"I've sucked a few gallons of water into my engine driving through a ford and now it won't start"..

[dsmithmobile]

I wouldn't worry about not running the under covers as i took them all off as i kept catching them on speed ramps and i've never had any issues running without them

[Bat.]

Atleast you've done this in the right order.. breaking something and then joining the forum.

The reason?

If you'd have joined BEFORE you found that ford (the water kind) you would have probably got the modding bug like everyone else, in which case you would have probably fitted a CAI and this post would have been more along the lines of..

"I've sucked a few gallons of water into my engine driving through a ford and now it won't start"..

I like your thinking!

[Bat.]

I prefer the cover in place, just think what all that water could have done to the delecate electronics/sensors in the engine bay had the cover not been there.

Yes, some water splashes get through anyway but nowhere near the deluge it will get without the cover.

This is why I was cautious. Thinking about it though, the fact that the damn thing must have filled up with a lot of water in order for the weight to break the mountings suggests that there would not have been a great deal of difference without it.

I'm going to take the cover off and avoid fords of all kinds wherever possible!

[Tech1e]

On the diesels the cover stops a lot of noise from the engine. On the 1.8T without one the secondary air injection pump doesnt last long and the forward cover protects if from the elements.

[Tech1e]

This is why I was cautious. Thinking about it though, the fact that the damn thing must have filled up with a lot of water in order for the weight to break the mountings suggests that there would not have been a great deal of difference without it.

I'm going to take the cover off and avoid fords of all kinds wherever possible!

I would have thought either the undertray was insecure and the wind got under it or it was hit and broke.

[Bat.]

I would have thought either the undertray was insecure and the wind got under it or it was hit and broke.

You're probably right. In your view though removing it on a TDI shouldn't cause any major issues?

[Tech1e]

It wont cause any issues as such just a bit more noise, maybe a squeaking aux belt if its really wet.

[Bat.]

It wont cause any issues as such just a bit more noise, maybe a squeaking aux belt if its really wet.

Thanks mate, that's good to hear.

[ap0gee1978]

I have attempted to bodge it back several times, but the underlying problem is that the main mounting behind the near side front wheel is broken. All I can see coming down is the thread of a bolt. I did manage to reattach the thing with a nut and a washer, but it isn't up to the job as the hole in the plastic is enlarged.

That sounds more like the studs for the heatshield that I recently bodged on my car using curtain hooks. The original part was a metal disc about the size of an old 50p piece with a sort of star-shaped cut-out in the middle that gripped the stud...

[KenONeill]

I think the cover keeps the engine a lot cleaner and drier. If that's worth anything to you...

[Guest musky]

New ones cost about £25 if you want one

[Bat.]

New ones cost about £25 if you want one

Cheers for that.