Is the belly pan essential ?

A

andrew_j

Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Messages
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Location
Cow Hampshire
My 17year old daughter damaged the belly pan on her 2013 Acura ILX(think nice Civic) and it got torn off trying to backup on a misrouted road to relatives lake house.(Class 6 )

We live in New England so winter ice and snow is a thing.

How essential is this pan to vehicle?

Apple Maps misroute/17yo old Misjudgment to not turn around earlier.

70699179569__F38D3152-EE1F-4D52-B309-EE7DA3F5F1E2.jpeg
 
andrew_j said:
My 17year old daughter damaged the belly pan on her 2013 Acura ILX(think nice Civic) and it got torn off trying to backup on a misrouted road to relatives lake house.(Class 6 )

We live in New England so winter ice and snow is a thing.

How essential is this pan to vehicle?

Apple Maps misroute/17yo old Misjudgment to not turn around earlier.

View attachment 158341
Click to expand...
Essential. Get used one.
 
It depends on the vehicle. The belly pan may contribute to airflow and cooling. Some belly pans are merely splash covers that may prevent excessive dirt and water ingress and damage from debris on the road.
 
I contemplated removing the under cover on the LS400. It's obvious that who ever changed the oil before I got the car, didn't bother to remove all ten, 10mm fasteners to completely remove it. They just bent it out of the way, eventually tearing it.

I used some steel and rivets and mended it back together. I take the time to R&R it when necessary.

Other than air flow, it keeps the bottom of the car free of lube should you have a slow leak you're ignoring. Yeah, the downside is you may not know something is leaking until it's taken off.
 
Normally I’d say leave it off, but for a new driver, it might be good insurance against light undercarriage damage.
 
no belly pan or aluminum belly pan with few bolts
i hate the belly pans that are fuzzy and have 120 torx screws holding them on
 
The belly pan really helps in winter, it keeps snow, ice and debris from getting caught in the serpentine belt, or other rotating and/or sensitive parts of your engine. It’s more than just an aerodynamic drag reducer.

You don’t need to replace it tomorrow, but I would get it done soon.
 
Thanks I have the pan still.

It tore off but not held perfectly originally.

Not sure how much damage to fastening area but will try obtain them and hope it works.
 
andrew_j said:
My 17year old daughter damaged the belly pan on her 2013 Acura ILX(think nice Civic) and it got torn off trying to backup on a misrouted road to relatives lake house.(Class 6 )

We live in New England so winter ice and snow is a thing.

How essential is this pan to vehicle?

Apple Maps misroute/17yo old Misjudgment to not turn around earlier.

View attachment 158341
Click to expand...
Where you are it is very important, I see a lot of damage on cars that someone threw the shield away that would have been prevented.
Rotten trans, PS and oil cooler lines, rotted aluminum parts, badly rusted fittings, corroded coolers and radiator lower tanks, rusted oil pans, etc. It also keeps icy salt water from being blowing up on the hot engine. Always replace it, you can save a lot of money and real aggravation down the road.
 
andrew_j said:
My 17year old daughter damaged the belly pan on her 2013 Acura ILX(think nice Civic) and it got torn off trying to backup on a misrouted road to relatives lake house.(Class 6 )

We live in New England so winter ice and snow is a thing.

How essential is this pan to vehicle?

Apple Maps misroute/17yo old Misjudgment to not turn around earlier.

View attachment 158341
Click to expand...
they would not have installed one in the first place
andrew_j said:
My 17year old daughter damaged the belly pan on her 2013 Acura ILX(think nice Civic) and it got torn off trying to backup on a misrouted road to relatives lake house.(Class 6 )

We live in New England so winter ice and snow is a thing.

How essential is this pan to vehicle?

Apple Maps misroute/17yo old Misjudgment to not turn around earlier.

View attachment 158341
Click to expand...
I dont think they would have installed it if they thought it was not needed....I would replace it...
Trav said:
Where you are it is very important, I see a lot of damage on cars that someone threw the shield away that would have been prevented.
Rotten trans, PS and oil cooler lines, rotted aluminum parts, badly rusted fittings, corroded coolers and radiator lower tanks, rusted oil pans, etc. It also keeps icy salt water from being blowing up on the hot engine. Always replace it, you can save a lot of money and real aggravation down the road.
Click to expand...
 
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