Mine fell off earlier this year. Since then I've been driving without it. Speed bumps or alleys are most likely the reasons why mine fell off. If I get a new one it will probably fall off again. Should I get another one or not.

 

if you think you wont get a splash... no....i took the one on the 1997 prelude off with no ill effects. 2015 nissan micra does not come with one

 

I left mine off after the first free oil change at the dealer. It takes a lot less time for me to change the oil/filter now. After 66K miles 2017 LX CVT, I average over 40+ mpg, mostly highway driving. No regret here.

 

-Reduction in fuel efficiency
-Additional dirt/dust in engine compartment (reduces life of alternator bearing(s) etc.)

Those are just a couple of downsides I can think of off the top of my head....

 

Our ‘15 was bought CPO in ‘16, came with original guard missing, didn’t realize it until after reading here after I joined... I feel no need, gas mileage is fine, engine compartment stays plenty clean as is. Am sure it’s only to eek out a tiny bit better mpg, but, as many times as I’ve had the engine air filter housing clips pop off, would sure be a PITA retrieving if the guard was in place. Mine is staying as is, it’s fine, cars have been around for a century without them, no big deal, in my view. Most of my driving is around town, so I doubt my gas mileage is suffering to any large degree, and am willing to pay for a bit more gas.

 

Then it's settled. The heck with the splash / engine guard. I'll drive mine without one.

 

with the synth oil , i'm going 5-6k between changes , but yea , between the ramps and splash shield , it's tad tedious .
that said, the engine compartment is way cleaner than in any other car i've owned , totally worth the effort . i'm keeping it , this
winter , hope it survives the snow , there's a big nor'easter raging today here in new york

 

My thinking is it takes a splash to clean the bottom of he engine (when there is rain). Therefore, if you keep that guard on, then the bottom of the engine will not get cleaned. In fact, the absorbent pad on the plastic guard collects and holds water adding additional force on those plastic fasteners.

 

Why is it so important to clean the bottom of the engine? When relatives and friends visit you do they want to check out the bottom of your engine?

I do agree that the splash shield can be left off with little noticeable impact. There might be a very slight drop in fuel economy (mostly for highway driving), maybe slightly more wind noise, etc. On the plus side, if you have an oil leak you'll see it on the floor pretty quick whereas otherwise the shield would block/absorb the oil and it might take a long time before it becomes noticeable on the ground.

 

The splash guard keeps salt and dirt off your engine. Removing it doesn't clean your car.

 

Say it right. It is not a splash guard. Honda calls it an "under cover" Those who think it is a glorified aerodynamic piece of plastic that saves gas, you can do much better by driving in the eco mode, bought the LX instead of the EX, the CVT instead of the 6 spd, making sure your tires are inflated to spec, stay with the skinny tires, make sure your car is waxed. For the extremes, take out the back seats and the spare tire. To me, that "splash guard" is not worth the extra effort that I need to remove when I change my oil and filter. That's why I left it off since the first oil change.

 

Those things are not mutually exclusive with the under cover. You can drive in eco mode, make sure your tires are properly inflated AND keep the cover. Also- waxing the car for better mileage? I imagine the cost of the wax would exceed any gas savings.

 

Honda would not have gone to the expense of designing and installing the splash guard without good reasons. It certainly keeps the winter salt away from aluminum engine/drivetrain parts. Whether it's aero, keeping the bottom of the drivetrain clean, or both, I am carefully removing and replacing the splash guard every time I change the oil and filter in my wife's 2016 Fit EX over the last 75K miles. That includes once wirebrushing and repainting the six Philips head screws, and occasionally replacing the two OEM plastic Honda retainers. It doesn't take that much longer to do the job right.

 

And I bet it’s a treat when you drop a small piece or small tool bit in the engine compartment and having to retrieve it....luckily, we live in area with VERY little snow, they may brine the roads once or twice a winter, here, salt is a non issue, compared to years back when we lived by Detroit ( which is seemingly built on saltmines, they use it like CRAZY, at least they used to).... used to walk up the sidewalk when the salt truck was waiting to turn onto Warren and still pumping salt out the back... I could scoop up a gallon or so and salt my sidewalk for free. The Knoxville area (other than in the mountains) has a ridiculously light winter. ... oops, probably just jinxed myself... heh

 

From my experience, I will always run the splash guards for now on. I purchased a 2013 GE8 new. Lowered it and eventually ripped off the guard. Made it 207,000 miles and noticed my shock tower welds were rusted and splitting. Could have been a mixture of Nebraska winter's (salt) , lowered for that long and pot holes. I currently own a GK5 and do not plan on lowering or removing covers.

Just a random experience I had, hopefully you'll be fine.

 

Newer HR-Vs don't even come with the under covers anymore.

 

Presumably those cars are designed with that fact in mind.

 

I popped mine on something, but my mechanic fixed it with a batch of fasteners for $27 bucks.

 

YOU could have fixed it for 5 dollars worth of zipties

 

the splash shield on my '19 is still intact . it's the full underbody cover's durability i worry about . i'm going to invest so time this spring to make
sure it's not accumulating sand and debris . i'm thinking , over time , it must be