why does everything have a plastic panel over it?

[brainhulk]

Do they think a couple of measly plastic tabs is going to force me to go to the dealer? It's just gonna piss me off and go even less.

Oh yeah time to go to the dealer and buy more plastic tabs...fml

 

[JulesMaximus]

My wife's car is like that. To be honest though, the engine is pretty ugly so the plastic panels are kind of an improvement.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Who cares if the engine is "ugly" - the hood is there to hide all that anyway. All those extra covers are just a nuisance.

Sure, if you have a show car you might want something to hide some of the ugliness, but 99% of cars are not show cars and you wouldn't use cheap plastic covers on a show car anyway.

 

[Ferzerp]

Ford does this right on their mustangs at least.

 

[michal1980]

nvh

no mass automaker would put in extra pieces just because. Talk about a waste of money.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Who cares if the engine is "ugly" - the hood is there to hide all that anyway. All those extra covers are just a nuisance.

Sure, if you have a show car you might want something to hide some of the ugliness, but 99% of cars are not show cars and you wouldn't use cheap plastic covers on a show car anyway.

People who open the hood? I'm sure aesthetics had something to do with it. Might help mute some of the engine noise too.

Ultimately it was probably a business decision that came down to cost. Plastic panels are cheaper than finished metal or painted intake runners and they hide all the electronic connectors and everything else on the engine that most people aren't going to ever mess with anyway.

I replaced the radiator cap on my wife's car a few months ago and it took me 20 minutes just to get all those fucking plastic panels off just to get to the radiator cap. Believe me, I think they're ridiculous but I can understand why they are there. That engine is pretty ugly looking with the covers off.

 

[NutBucket]

So it isn't strange I like the look of this?

 

[LTC8K6]

The Ford and the Honda are neat and tidy and look fine. Under the cover, the Lexus is a mess.

 

[Midwayman]

I guess it simultaneously makes the engine look less intimidating and the sealed looks says "Take me to a dealer, you don't need to know what is under here!"

I figure they do it since a lot of people look under the hood when they buy and some study said that people are more likely to buy if it look pretty. I removed all my plastic garbage and engine temps improved in the summer.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Oh I get it now.

They realized these pretty plastic covers allow them to leave the engine in a complete mess underneath, and the cost of plastic covers is cheaper than putting some thought into the routing of the wiring and hoses.

Also serves to do what Midwayman said, double whammy because then if someone does take the cover off it looks unnecessarily complicated and makes people even more likely to just stick the covers back on and say screw it and take it in

 

[TridenT]

I think they do it because it dampens the engine noise. (And all the accessory part noise) Supposedly, some car service manuals specifically reference them as sound dampening parts. Makes sense.

You all are sounding like conspiracy theorists with the, "Oh, they do it so you are intimidated and have to go to the dealer! DAMN COMMIES!"

 

[JulesMaximus]

I think they do it because it dampens the engine noise. (And all the accessory part noise) Supposedly, some car service manuals specifically reference them as sound dampening parts. Makes sense.

You're all sounding like conspiracy theorists with the, "Oh, they do it so you are intimidated and have to go to the dealer! DAMN COMMIES!"

LOL! No kidding... :biggrin:

The plastic covers on my wife's car went back on after the radiator cap incident. I figure Lexus put them there for a reason so back on they went. The one over the engine did have quite a bit of sound deadening material on the back of it, I do remember that now.

We just take it to the dealership for service anyway. Part of the reason I bought her a Lexus was so that I wouldn't have to be bothered with servicing it.

 

[ElFenix]

how much could hard plastic that's not very securely attached to anything dampen noise?

 

[NutBucket]

A lot of times there's some sound dampening material attached to the underside of those pieces.

 

[mmntech]

I always thought they did it to keep you from doing DIY jobs on the engine.

 

[lakedude]

The covers make it very obvious where the fills are for oil and coolant...

Instead of your eye sorting a bunch of dark greasy shapes your eye goes right to the fills.

I suspect sound proofing as the primary reason for the panels.

 

[KentState]

A lot of times there's some sound dampening material attached to the underside of those pieces.

That's how all the plastic panels are on my car's engine.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I haven't bothered looking in my BMW manual, but the VW manual clearly tells you how to take the cover off and where all the fluids are. There is sound dampening material on the underside of it and it takes all of 30 seconds to pop off and put back on

 

[Midwayman]

A lot of times there's some sound dampening material attached to the underside of those pieces.

There's none on any of the pieces on my Acura. I suppose they could be NVH pieces, but I notice no difference with them off.

 

[exdeath]

Because people are petty and dumb.

Plastic covers look exotic and high tech.

If they see what looks like a conventional engine it looks like old fashioned old tech and they scoff. Remember this is the generation of car buyers who buy cars because they have blue headlights and more swiveling TVs than their friends car, while knowing nothing about anything that actually matters.

What engine do you have? I don't know, the one with 22" rims and a 56" navigation screen dawg!

 

[deathBOB]

Sound dampening

 

[LTC8K6]

Sound dampening

But I love the mechanical sounds...

I would much rather have a neat engine bay and be able to hear the parts working.

 

[TridenT]

But I love the mechanical sounds...

I would much rather have a neat engine bay and be able to hear the parts working.

Right, but you're not the average consumer. Most consumers do not like engine noise or accessory noise. It's not very luxurious when you have to listen to engine noise in your cabin.

This is also why most cars do not have twin turbos, 1000whp, and 8L v12. Most people do not want that.


You are not the center of the universe. Live with it.

BTW, don't like it? Take them off and sell the pieces.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I do wonder how much they actually do dampen noise. A lot of cars aren't at anywhere close to being loud in the cabin and they haven't had those covers. There's usually more road noise than engine noise in the cabin anyway.

 

[halik]

Minimal plastic on mine. Not buying the dampening theory, 2mm of abs plastic won't do shit for noise.