Should a New Car Be Equipped with an Engine Guard Plate?
3 Answers
Whether a new car should be equipped with an engine guard plate depends on the owner's driving habits. If you enjoy road trips, off-roading, or frequently drive on poor road conditions, installing an engine guard plate is necessary to prevent damage to the undercarriage components. However, if the car is mainly used for daily commuting and mostly driven on well-maintained urban roads, there is no need to install an engine guard plate. The engine guard plate can protect the engine, oil pan, transmission, and other components from damage caused by scraping or impacts, providing excellent protection. Nowadays, many new cars come with an engine guard plate installed from the factory. Although these are generally basic, they still offer some level of protection.
I just got a new car and have been driving it in the city for a while. The road conditions have been pretty good, so I didn't consider installing an engine guard. That thing is quite picky about road conditions. If you're driving on city paved roads every day, there's really no need to spend money on it. It can affect engine cooling, especially during summer traffic jams when overheating becomes a risk. The original factory design is already quite reasonable, and adding extra parts just increases weight and fuel consumption. Occasionally going over speed bumps is no problem since the engine's ground clearance was designed with normal road conditions in mind. Of course, if you frequently drive on gravel roads or rural dirt roads, a guard can indeed protect against undercarriage scrapes. But for a daily commuter like me, it feels completely unnecessary.
Driving frequently on mountainous construction sites makes installing an engine skid plate absolutely essential. On rough roads, flying stones are everywhere – once, without a skid plate, I nearly damaged the oil pan. The skid plate acts like armor for the engine, shielding it from rocks and preventing undercarriage scrapes. Especially after rain on muddy roads, when the chassis gets caked in sludge, having a skid plate reduces corrosion on pipelines. Opt for a thick alloy one; though heavier, it's far more durable. Don't cheap out with resin plates – they crack easily over potholes. During installation, ensure maintenance access points are preserved to avoid obstructing oil changes. For someone like me who often drives in rural areas, skimping on a skid plate is never an option.
