Plastic engine slump - what a nightmare!

[leighboyuk]

The large plastic slump under the engine bay, my second in a month, again almost ripped off today on the motorway, while actually doing the speed limit for a change.

Fitted a Leon Cupra R splitter 2 days ago to the car, maybe the gap in the middle of the splitter redirected the air flow helping to rip off the plastic slump, anyone else had this?

No idea what to do now, do I (or get the garage) to replace the slump and wait a couple of weeks untill it gets ripped off again? Thinking of running without the slump, but surely thats opening a can of worms, with running low and catching everything in the road and basically ripping out the engine instead, and winter freezing...

What a design flaw!

[AlpineWhite]

A slump? :S You mean the undertray?

If you've lowered the car ("running low"), then it's hardly a design flaw, is it?

Also are you sure the screws were done up tight? You'd have to be very low to rip it off on the motorway...

[Dalgor_]

Replaced mine with a metal one, end of problems

[ste372]

if there is no damage to under tray (i presume this is what you mean) then clips will be worn should be fine with some new fixings

or you could do as many people on here have done.................. take it off!

[leighboyuk]

A metal one? Custom job I take it? Where from?

Car isn't low at the moment, its totally standard other than the Cupra R splitter, so still remains a design flaw in my eyes!

Surely removing it causes huge issues in the winter with freezing etc?

[Static]

i suspect the clips have come off so any new tray will last 5 mins....

[ste372]

A metal one? Custom job I take it? Where from?

Car isn't low at the moment, its totally standard other than the Cupra R splitter, so still remains a design flaw in my eyes!

Surely removing it causes huge issues in the winter with freezing etc?

come on mate any issues with freezing in winter arent going to be stopped by a thin plastic undertray

mine came loose on the motorway and im running standard height. absolutly shat myself the undertray vibrated badly against the underneath of the car thought it had thrown a rod or bearing lol. clips will be worn get some before you smash it to pieces.........like i did :(

[leighboyuk]

i suspect the clips have come off so any new tray will last 5 mins....

The old one came off (without the splitter on) while going a good rate of speed, my fault totally (although you would have thought that the car would be able to handle the top rated speed without falling apart).

Took the car to the garage as the old undertray/plastic slump had been totally ripped off including damaging the plastic arch inserts, both sides. Had everything replaced costing me £156! Hence why im little ticked off today to find the tray hanging totally off on one side. :'(

Beginning to think the only solution is to just remove the hole tray, just dont want the worry of the salt on the roads in the winter, etc recking my engine/engine bay.

[R1chard]

Took my undertray off after it cracked with being so low and never had any problems through winter without it !

Regardless of if the tray is on or off salt and water will still get in the engine bay in winter.

Loads of people have removed it and it's caused no problems

[mark.r.cullen]

Mine was off when I bought it - never been arsed about it

Edited 3 June, 2011 by mark.r.cullen

[Dalgor_]

A metal one? Custom job I take it? Where from?

I'm located in Finland and I bought it from a local shop. Cost me around £105, installed it myself (bolt-on) and haven't had problems since.

I think the make was "Sheriff" and the official item name here in Finland was just plain "Fabia RS 1.9 D TDI 9/2003 - 1896cm3 ASZ 6Y2 4cyl. 96kW 130bhp"

Ask around, think they should have them there also

[leighboyuk]

Mine was off when I bought it - never been arsed about it

Not surprized mate, your mental speed machine needs all the air flow it can get!

Its just the fact I paid 156 beans to have it fitted and 3 weeks later its hanging off again.

Take it you all just removed the tray and kept in the 2 side plastic wheel arches?

[mark.r.cullen]

Not surprized mate, your mental speed machine needs all the air flow it can get!

Its just the fact I paid 156 beans to have it fitted and 3 weeks later its hanging off again.

Take it you all just removed the tray and kept in the 2 side plastic wheel arches?

Quite - £156 quid to have it refitted is madness gone mad. Was it at a dealers? Simpsons Skoda? Can you not take it back and get whoever it was to fix their bodge job? It shouldn't be hanging off again 3 weeks after they "fixed it".

Yep - keep the plastic wheel arch bits.

Car been treating you well aside from that I hope?

Edited 3 June, 2011 by mark.r.cullen

[Guest BigJase88]

Not required!

I ripped mines clean off on a backroad!

Waste of time

[Johnny50]

Not required!

I ripped mines clean off on a backroad!

Waste of time

Agreed !

Mine came to an early death too

It knackered all the mounting holes at the same time, so i'll not be looking to replace it

[E11HES]

Not required!

I ripped mines clean off on a backroad!

Waste of time

2nd that comment. I took mine off to change the oil, forgot to replace and thought "meh, im not jacking it back up again to struggle to refit it, f**k it il leave it off"

My car is now stupidly quick with the weight iv saved by leaving it off

[leighboyuk]

Quite - £156 quid to have it refitted is madness gone mad. Was it at a dealers? Simpsons Skoda? Can you not take it back and get whoever it was to fix their bodge job? It shouldn't be hanging off again 3 weeks after they "fixed it".

Yep - keep the plastic wheel arch bits.

Car been treating you well aside from that I hope?

Yeah I know, was a local garage aswel, normally rather good, service they gave the car last year was excellent, maybe thats all i'll use them for now.

Cars been fine other than the under tray, just brought some BBS wheels for it, reps of course! still to be fitted though.

Mark, a take it when you took me for a spin in yours the remap was for a standard turbo, around 170bhp/300t? I.e mine will be the same after the remap?

Edited 3 June, 2011 by leighboyuk

[mark.r.cullen]

Yeah I know, was a local garage aswel, normally rather good, service they gave the car last year was excellent, maybe thats all i'll use them for now.

Cars been fine other than the under tray, just brought some BBS wheels for it, reps of course! still to be fitted though.

Mark, a take it when you took me for a spin in yours the remap was for a standard turbo, around 170bhp/300t? I.e mine will be the same after the remap?

That's good. I need me some new wheels next. Mine really are in a poor state.

Yep. It's *still* on the map for the stock turbo

VCDS suggests that it does tend to overboost constantly by 0.2 bar though, so it is probably a bit quicker than the stock turbo, but I don't think it is as quick as it could be.

A remap should still tide you over nicely though. Could be worth giving your SMIC a good clean up before a remap?

I'd recommend Clive Atthowe in Norwich for a custom map, unless you want to travel, then I am sure the usuals mentioned on here are good too.

If you ask for custom at Atthowe, you'll get Oscarli "Richard Washbrook" as opposed to the generic Revo... which must be good, as I am even still on the OE clutch too and it hasn't melted yet!