...belly pan on the Q45?
I had my oil changed last week, and I recall watching the guys pull my plastic engine shield/pan off... Didn't think to make sure they replaced it when they were done (me and the tech were yapping), but noticed a few days later that it wasn't there.
Called the Mobil station, and the owner's being a butt about it. He says, "My guys say it didn't have one." He also thinks $140 is too much for the part... Obviously, I'm picking my battles here.
I don't really want to fight about it if it's not a big deal, but something tells me if the little Japanese guys designed it with one, then it better have one.
How critical is the....
Hitman you're about the last person on these boards who should be without one, based on the climate there. Even if it's "only" a 3% improvement in cooling, that's still 6 or 7 degrees closer to an overheat without it. Without having real data to make judgement, I'll have to assume you need that part in place.
Sure these cars stickered at 60K, but nissan didn't just throw stuff on the car cause it looked cool, everything that cost nissan money to include was there for a reason.
bottom line - it's OEM, it's there for a reason.
Get under the car and examine the bolt holes - are the areas around them clean? That should indicate it's been removed recently.
bottom line - it's OEM, it's there for a reason.
Get under the car and examine the bolt holes - are the areas around them clean? That should indicate it's been removed recently.
While my belly pan is still in place, it is a pain for driveway oil changes. I've been thinking of replacing it with several pieces of more flexible material. Then, just the area below the oil filter could be removed when needed. That flexible but tough plastic used for roll-up snow sliders looks good, it comes in bright colors, too. I suppose these might be hard to find in Florida & Arizona...
In addition to the airflow issue, that cover keeps the engine cleaner than cars without. Lots of dust and grime are sheilded out. My wife's Landcruiser has about the same miles as my Q, and we drive in similar areas. The engine bay on the Landcruiser is constantly dirtier than the Q. I believe that the moving components should last longer in a cleaner environment. Also, as for wind drag, I would assume that the lower pan assists in cutting the coefficient and reducing lift. A lot of effort is directed on high end cars to managing the under belly windflow. I would put one back on. Maybe a junker would be a good source for a less expensive one.