I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla. What is the purpose of the large plastic cover that stretches over my valve cover? Does it have a particular function? Are they just for looks? Or are they designed by the engineers to protect wiring? I believe its called an engine cover. (I bought a car that was missing this piece and I need to know if its critical)
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1A law was passed, I believe in the EU, that fixed a percentage of material used to build a car that was recycled or could be recycled, an engine cover never needed previously or battery cover made of recycled plastic was added to reach to the desired percentage. And then the manufacturers looked to injection mould everything else. Just had to last till the warranty expired. Entirely new and largely pointless components were added to cars to meet an arbitrary target set with good intentions.– Edward CookCommented Sep 9, 2020 at 10:16
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16 Answers
I believe the most common use is noise reduction. As engines got smaller they rev'd higher. The mufflers got moved to the back of the car. No more engine exhaust roar. The result is engine buzz,noise,clacks etc. The cover muffles the injector clicks,belt noise etc. It also just looks cooler to see Vortec, Turbo,SFI .
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1Interesting point, I hadn't thought of that. These covers do seem to cover more area that would be needed for just wire guidance and protection. Commented Dec 6, 2012 at 23:53
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I agree with the 'looking cooler' reason, but I've never heard of 'noise reduction' as a reason to have one. Do you have any sources or references on the sound reduction from a plastic cover?– EhrykCommented Dec 7, 2012 at 4:07
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1Remove one and notice how much louder the engine noise is. Also it is atypical for manufacturers to spend money for a WOW factor that is under the hood thus mostly unseen.– mikesCommented Dec 7, 2012 at 12:54
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Yes, this is true particularly on diesel engines. Running my 2002 TDI without the plastic engine cover in place makes it noticeably louder. The turbocharger spool in particular (fromthe intake side) is especially noticeable when the cover isn't on. Which is why the cover lives in my garage now.– TedwinCommented Jan 18, 2017 at 22:17
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Plastic is a really good noise insulator; I believe it's part of the reason valve covers are starting to be made out of plastic these days instead of metal. Some manufacturers also put insulation on the bottom of the engine covers to further quiet things down. Offhand I remember seeing this on an 04 Volvo XC90 and 06 Toyota Camry, but not on an 01 Nissan Pathfinder, FWIW.– atraudesCommented Feb 14, 2017 at 23:40
OP, Here's an example of a plastic engine cover on my 2001 VW Jetta VR6:
I can't speak for your car in particular (unless you specify what it is), but in my case it has a number of non-critical functions:
Aesthetics. This looks far nicer than seeing a bunch of exhaust headers (stock ones are never pretty), oil seepage on my valve cover, fuel injection and other wiring, etc.
Routing of spark plug wires. It keeps them organized and away from any hot engine components that would melt or deteriorate them.
Keeping fluids below the cover. In a car with 150k+ miles, I usually see more oil splatter and coolant being thrown around, up on the hood, etc. If I were to take my cover off, I'm sure I'd find some oil, grease and/or dried coolant under it.
Now, if I were to remove it, I wouldn't be too concerned except for my longer than necessary spark plug wires that I'd zip tie out of the way. However, it does look nice, so if you care about that sort of thing, buy a replacement.
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Good info, I just looked and my vehicle (2010 Corolla) routes the spark plug wires underneath were the cover would be located. So it sounds like mine is more for looks. Are they called 'engine covers' on the market? Commented Dec 6, 2012 at 20:38
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That's all I've heard them called, and what they're referred to on forums, so I'd have to say yes.– EhrykCommented Dec 6, 2012 at 20:39
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1+1 for aesthetics and keeping fluids from getting everywhere. Not sure routing spark plug wires is a main function - not many do that like the VR6 cover, most hide them under the cover :-) Commented Dec 7, 2012 at 0:07
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@DavidWalz, it would be a good idea to add your specific car information to the original question. Right now, that info is hidden here in the comments.– Bob Cross ♦Commented Dec 7, 2012 at 4:02
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@Ehryk, don't you have the air filter inside the cover also? Another reason is that it reduces the engine noise! Commented Mar 10, 2017 at 12:30
I have a VW Jetta 1.8T. The factory service manual produced by Bentley (for Volkswagen) specifically calls this component the upper sound absorber panel. To an extent, these are eye candy, but their primary function is for sound dampening.
That being said, I know many people remove them when they are displaying aftermarket components, or keep their valve cover looking immaculate. I had a valve cover gasket leak up until recently, so my sound absorber is best left in place :)
answered Dec 7, 2012 at 16:23
The covers reduce engine noise and protect the engine from dust, debris, etc, while adding a cleaner look to the engine bay.
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the "insulation" on the underside of a hood is not for noise, its a fire blanket. Its supposed to fall down on top of the engine fire as the plastic tabs holding it in place melt. Hood paint peeling is not from engine heat, its from sun damage and neglect of car. The engine cover is entirely there for looks, no other reason. cars ran great without them for 100 years. The first thing i do is remove mine and store it. It only gets in the way and hides leaks, holds heat into engine compartment, etc... for the guy who suggested it stay in place to keep fluids from splashing around....lol...you may want to actually be able to see those leaks early, and fix then....not use a cover to hide them? Noise reduction? not likely. My v8 nissan cover reduces no noise at all. They are for looks. probably one company started it and the others followed to not lose a sale to a manufacture with a "cleaner" looking engine.
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Your assumption for looks is the only answer that passes the sniff test. And you beat me to the punch about the guy who uses his engine cover to hide mechanical failures (what a moron!).– SMBiggsCommented Mar 31, 2020 at 21:20
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I assumed they were for noise reduction, but I haven't noticed much difference with mine off. Since its usually warm to hot where I live I would prefer to have some airflow over the upper intake components, even if it's a small %. Of course when the weather starts to cool again I'll put it back on to make sure the engine warms fast, so as not to get a mil light for engine temp to low. Also its convenient when you working on problems to not have it on.
How about saveing money. For the mechanic working on your car...20 minutes to remove and replace those stupid and useless eye candy plastic panels before he even fixes what's wrong is costing you money. 90 bucks an hour. I want to see leaks and problems. Take them off.
The covers usually help with noise and heat. Notice how newer cars aren't burning the paint off their hoods like cars from the mid 1980's. But if you take it off, you get more air cooling on the top of the engine. Cover on: damaged wire loom. Cover off: cleaner engine.
I have a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with a 2.0 Turbo. The engine cover is factory labelled as "engine aesthetic cover".
For your car, the covers do offer some protection to the components under them but you could theoretically remove the plastics without hurting your longevity. Engine noise will be more noticeable. In some cases it can be a lot more noticeable. At your drivers side front corner, one of the covers has an air scoop that directs fresh outside air to your air box. Removing that one might cause a slight reduction in performance but not necessarily longevity. Also, when the time comes to sell the car any of the engine compartment plastics you removed will be counted as missing parts and that can be a deal breaker. In my professional opinion, leave them on and replace any missing hardware. Most of the parts in your car are there for a reason.
The purpose of the plastic covers is to clean up the appearance of the engine bay; pull them off, and you will quickly see the maze of wire harnesses that connect injectors, ignition, and an array of sensors = Tha mo-dar shuurz purdeee thar boayy
Under hood insulation, while its true purpose is controversial, is listed as "Thermal acoustic liner" by most suppliers. Many performance cars do not use a liner, as they are not concerned with noise; such as Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker model.
Also, the "Thermal protection" will actually keep heat from escaping the engine compartment as easily, as heat remains trapped underhood; much like if you put grandmas meatloaf in foil and then wrap it in a towel, OR if you have ever been skiing, you bundle up to keep your body heat in, to keep from getting frostbite.
"Heat damage" to paint is unlikely to occur on todays automotive finishes, as they are much more durable than paint from thirty or forty years ago, when it was common for paint to fail and result in rust within just a few years.
If your car was made with a underhood pad, you can remove it to increase the mechanical sound, especially air intake sound, without causing any harm.
The main concern for me is stopping mice chewing the plastic on motor wires, pipes and the fuel pump ( had to replace that twice). So when I change my car an engine cover is a necessity!
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So you don't have mice that can climb up into the engine from below? Commented Dec 30, 2019 at 18:41
Take if off. Engine runs cooler without the cover so your engine will be more efficient and run better giving better performance and better mpg. I know because I have run my motor with the cover on and off. Engine runs so much better without that lump of plastic restricting air-flow over the engine. Fact.
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While I generally tend to agree with your assertion, how does this in any way answer the question of what the "plastic engine cover" is for? Please read the help section on how to answer questions.– Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦Commented Dec 2, 2015 at 0:54
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2The cover only sits above the engine, not all around the engine. That means the difference in airflow is small, airflow is only restricted near the valve cover. Also, engine temperature is regulated by the cooling system, more airflow would be compensated for by the thermostat, keeping the engine internals at the same temperature with or without covers.– HobbesCommented Mar 10, 2017 at 15:14
The primary function of the Engine bay cover is to absorb Heat. It reduces the amount of heat that goes on to your bonnet.
The improvement of mpg, I'm not so sure.
The primary function of the Engine bay cover is neither to absorb noise nor to make the bay look slick. But to absorb heat. The material used is plastic, plane plastic does not absorb sound, rather, the 'foam' on the inner side of your bonnet is used to absorb sound.
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1Plastic is not a great heat shield. The parts that really need it (turbocharger, for example) have metal heat shields.– HobbesCommented Jan 18, 2017 at 18:37
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A little piece of plastic isn't going to even touch the volume level of an engine. It's literally just like the engines little plastic hat. As motors were produced in the beginning, they tried hard to keep them aesthetically pleasing. That took a bit of engineering to build the motor they wanted, and still make it look smooth and sexy. It also made it hard to work on, in that the cables and components had to be hidden out of sight, either to the side of, or below the engine. With the plastic cover they made it so that an unknowing customer could look under the hood, love how pretty it was, and buy the car. Of course it helps at car shows etc. too. If you work a lot under the hood of your car, you could leave it off,especially if it's past 200,000 miles, cause you'll be taking it off a lot! It'll also help to see leaks or issues easier. However, if you're proud of your car, you may want to leave it on, because when you pop the hood, it looks better. As far as airflow goes, your car is built with a cooling system that takes care of any heating issues. It still gets plenty of air and coolant flow. If there are spark plug cables or anything that runs along the top or is attached to it, you probably want to keep it on to keep those things in place out safe. As for your question, it's hard to know it's necessity without knowing the car and the piece that came off.
I had problem with my friends 2007 camry. All the ignition coil connector broke and disintegrate (cracked). I was suspecting the cause of the damage connectors due the plastic cover on top of the valve cover. With this plastic cover heat is much higher resulting to the brittleness of the connects. So i think its better to remove them to have good circulation of air on the upper part of the cylinder head.
