Our car (a seat leon) has some sort of plastic / rubber cover under the engine – I guess to protect it from road debris getting flung up into the engine. Anyhow, it’s hanging way down and looks knackered (I drove across the A708 last night at a decent clip and it was a bumpy ride).

How important is this covering? Like would you be happy just binning it and driving around, or is it really something that needs to be there? Car’s had a good run and we’re thinking of replacing it if that makes a difference.

I do not have mine on my C5 and have not for about a year, you could also tie wrap it up through the holes, some say it helps the air flow/cooling but mine seems ok without it.

i’d take it off. i think it is probably more of an aero and noise device. it does keep water off the underneath, so try to avoid hitting big puddles etc to stop your wiring getting really soaked.

Bin it !

Though if you drive enthusiastically you may wish to consider an alloy sumpguard.

The original guard is there for aerodynamic reasons and to keep spray from the engine bay. Also to cut down noise. You are unlikely to notice any change with it removed.

Unless you live in Wales just now !

Just some plastic protection. Mine went loose and was almost on the floor but no big deal if you take it off.

If its a diesel keep it and just zip tie it up, the noise increase is noticeable and as for the aero effect it made a good 2mpg loss on my Passat over a run back from Scotland when I ripped one off by accident-bad news is new they are very very expensive £125 for second part of the two on the front of my Passat!
It also prevents a heck of a lot of road crap and moisture from getting up into the engine bay.

If it hanging down why not just reattach? A self tapper or even a zip tie will do.

Thks all – I’ve got a couple of zip ties on it and it’s looking better underneath. I see now that one of the side panels is pretty corroded, and it’s hard to see how to bodge it up at the top – I’ll see how it goes over the next couple of days.

Probably more likely a stronger headwind caused that 2 mpg loss

Inside as a driver you wont notice owt … If you stand by your car with it running alot you might

I damaged the tray on my Leon reversing into hard snow two years ago. Bodged it a few times but a couple of months ago it had to go – no big deal, bit noisier that’s all.

Mine came off ages ago. I just registered my best ever MPG figures for a full tank. Probably totally unrelated, but there certainly wasn’t a noticeable change in fuel consumption when it came off. Can’t say I noticed the difference otherwise.

Noise difference on motorway was definite in the cabin and it does make a difference to airflow/wind resistance-they wouldnt have bothered smoothing out the whole underside of the car with them if they were pointless 🙂 Tries not to rise to the bait 😆

Maybe the Passat has worse basic aero design and needs the sticking plaster of the under engine cover more than my 406.

My Clio has one, without it the surface water gets chucked up onto one of the aux. belt pulleys, definitely worth retaining to keep road water/salt/etc off the bottom of the engine.