ron m.

So I've managed to rip the entire lower engine shield from my wagon (it took a few years to finally lose all of it). Having said that, what would be so bad if I never replaced it, aside from a dirtier engine bay, poor wind routing, poor aerodynamics, improper engine cooling, exposing electrical components to water?

tirona

i personally don't think it will make any difference. i think a lot of cars don't even have it. actually that's better for an older car, this way if something leaks you will know before hand, whereas with the pan at the bottom you could be prolonging the drips on the floor for some time.

ron m.

Thanks. When the shield came off, I felt that the front end of the car was lighter at speed... maybe it was psychological but it felt like its absence created lift in the front.

stickygreen

You are exactly right-all of these will be side effects, albeit to a small degree unless you drive your car at higher speeds. Biggest effect IMO would be on aerodynamics and the front end will feel lighter, as it seems you have already experienced.

Adding one of these "belly pans" to an older 5 series (which never came with one originally, but was offerred by BMW for the later model ///M cars) has a surprisingly significant effect on high speed stability.

ohlord

they are cheap and easy .Even the dealer has them.Or pm me and I can get one.Your engine and your mpg will love you for it.

usaims

If Mercedes designed the car to have it, then I would replace it. It's there for a reason.

vinceC

I have found that the surpentine belt and pulleys don't last anywhere near as long on cars where the pan has been removed.

martz

"Effects of missing lower engine shield"?

It just shows that the car has been maltreated.

patakka

It depends entirely on what type of roads you drive, like nice and smooth roads or bauxite, sandy, gravel roads

tirona

i think you guys are exagerating a little bit. i don't think it will make any difference at all. actually a lot of mechanincs will tell you to remove them in older cars.

ron m.

Wow... what rush to judgement! Have you been stalking me?

The shield was ultimately damaged and lost because I have a lowered car, and because it is lower, the shield tends to get beat up a lot (unintentionally). The last straw came when I ran over something that the shield obviously did not clear.

Some would say that lowering a car is in and of itself mistreatment of the car. I did it because I prefer to (despite the fact that it is a wagon). I went the extra step and installed the proper eccentric bolts and adjustable rear end links so that my alignment spec is good.

Anyway, I don't normally get annoyed by other people's comments, but I do practically all the work on my car and take offense at the accusation.

ohlord

A lot of Mechanics are morons.You give me the name of one that says remove them,and I will personally call him and tell him he is a dope
Take off belly pans?
Why would they suggest that,when every high performance car on the market is trying to streamline the underside of the car as much as the upper.
How do you think the E-class rated a Cd of .28 and achieves 27mpg?
Not just the ulev engine that's for sure.

Why does a jet lift its wheels right after take off?Drag
why do race cars and high performance car have almost sealed undersides?Drag

Those mechanics are a drag.

usaims

Unless the mechanic has worked on exclusively Mercedes all his life (40 plus years of experience) and he's about 60 years old, I'd be cautious to take there advice.

martz

Well, first off, excuse the smart remark. I had no intention of offending you , just wanted to get your attention, which I obviously did.
Let me put this way , if you were to trade in or sell your car today , a missing belly pan would be an indication of you not taking care of the car at all, 2nd knowing that you have lowered your vehicle you should be even more careful when parking. I wonder what your rims look like, are they all scuffed? j/k
I have a lowered W202 on H&R sports and 18 inch Monoblock rims and every piece of plastic is intact under the belly.
Your inquiry whether to just leave it alone gives the impression you dont care about what happens underneath for as long as your paint continues to shine.
Its a Mercedes buddy not a pick up truck!!!!!
just my 2 cents. its your car , you are entitled to do whatever you please.

tirona

actually when i damaged mine a few years ago and was looking to buy a new one a couple of indies that work mainly on german cars and also the service tech advisor at the mb dealership told me that on older mb's they suggest to leave the belly off because older cars are more prone to leaks, and with the belly pan off you could observe the fluids on the ground sooner then with the pan on.
i personally took the belly pan off for close to a year, and i couldn't tell any difference in driving, fuel consumption etc with now that i have it on. also don't forget a lot of cars don't have belly pans from factory.
and i highly doubt he is going to drive the car at race cars or jet speeds. we are talking about city (25-45mph) and highway (55-75mph) speeds.

tirona

yes both mechanics that have told me so are over 50 and worked on mercedes all their life. also the other person was the service tech advisor from a mb dealership.

ron m.

And I do. The initial damage was incurred by someone else driving my car. The final one occured when I hit debris on the freeway. It wasn't damaged because I ran over something while parking.

Secondly, I have no plans of selling the car. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lowered it in the first place.

Of all your assumptions, you were right in assuming that I've considered leaving it alone. That's why I asked. To assume that I don't care as long as my car shines is innacurate, because if I didn't care, I wouldn't have asked in the first place.

Anyhoo, this is pointless. Trying to reason with someone who assumes things broadly is even more pointless. Back on topic, please.

martz

Yes, its called neglect-, so you're basically saying you can live with the filth that its going to collect under the hood.


then the proper/wise thing to do is replace the pans.

ron m.

But I wash my car's engine bay on a regular basis, would that be neglect? You should see what I did to my intake manifold.

The reason why I originally posted is to ask if there is anything else at risk aside from the ones I already knew. Can you think of anything else aside from what I mentioned, Martz?

I agree, the prudent thing is to replace. I don't doubt the functional aspects of the shield being there. However, missing a bottom shield isn't the same as driving with an engine without oil, so I don't have to pony up money immediately (I'm always looking for deals). Please don't lecture me on the benefits of preventive maintenance because I live that every day.

martz

The bellypan/ shield, protects your under side from devastation, just like you said -" you went over debris on the freeway", can you imagine without any protection at all from what was left of the shield hanging and which you happen to finally rip off.
Just think if the debris went directly and punctured your oil pan, or a main hose ( radiator, power steering, A/C etc) =Devastating!!
Plus it provides the obvious- better air flow and deters accumulation of dirt ....

ron m.

That's more like it, tangible reasoning rather than opining.

So I went to the dealer this morning to pick up parts for my neglected car, and got a quote for the shield plus the left and right fender well pieces. Total price: $240. Hmmm... I think I can do better than that.

BoS7463

pelican parts has underbelly brand new about 109 bucks, fender liners are about 51 bucks brand new there. thats the best i could find new in comparison to the dealer but thats only about a 39 dollar difference

patakka

Hey ron m,

There is also an original MB protective plate of steel , for the oil pan area.
I have them under my, E300 TD, C180,and S320

ron m.

Seriously? Where can I get that? I was actually thinking of fabbing up something from stainless or aluminum, but that would probably cost more.

tirona

patakka where do you live? if the roads are really bad with a lot of potholes it makes sense to have a metallic bellypan in order to protect the oil pan.
but most of the roads in america are not that bad to where it's needed to have a metallic pan.