Can You Drive a Car Without a Heat Shield

Sometimes I look at my car and try to comprehend what its designer had in mind when putting some of its parts in place. For the longest time, I struggle to understand how some tiny pieces of the car easily affect how well my car performs.

When I had answered this question, I first had to find out what an exhaust car shield is. It might seem like common knowledge, but not many people want to learn about a car's parts. All that mattered to me when I got my car was that I could drive it without any hitches.

So, for anyone who has a hard time understanding what an exhaust shield is and its function. I am going to break down to tell you what I found out. My research was online, and I also used resourceful people to explain it.

Of course, I did not examine only one part of my car; I also looked at other aspects. It helps to know the elements that make up the car you are driving. It comes in handy on a day when you find your car broken down in the middle of nowhere.

An exhaust shield is an outer covering the exhaust manifold. It is generally metal layers put together to form a shield. The explanation of what an exhaust shield is straight forward. It is an insulation coating.

The exhaust pipe in my car has it; even the inner top of my hood has it. I was amazed at first that such an unnoticeable feature existed on my car and hadn't paid much attention to it. Some images of the coating helped me understand it better.

 After my learning experience, I think it is essential for people to learn about the parts that make up a vehicle. As I mentioned earlier, it might come in handy when you find yourself in a fix or have your car serviced since you can clearly explain the part you mostly want servicing.

That said, I did further digging, and I would like to share more of my findings on the exhaust shield.

Do Cars Need Exhaust Shields?

A car can function without an exhaust heat shield though not for long. If you want a vehicle that will serve you for the longest time, then an exhaust shield is necessary. I read somewhere asking if a car needs an exhaust shield is like asking if you require oven mitts to pick a hot tray from an oven.

Another fair comparison of how useful and necessary an exhaust shield is to protect the layer above the earth's atmosphere preventing heat and harmful sun rays from reaching the ground.  Exhaust shield not only stops smoke from landing on delicate parts of your car but also minimizes the amount of heat that gets those components.

After reading this, I immediately understood that cars need exhaust shields to function. Besides the general facet that cars require an exhaust shield to work as expected, let's look at how exhaust shields are helpful.

It helps save on fuel

 When your car has an exhaust shield, it reduces the amount of heat reaching a car's fundamental parts. When the heat comes near the fuel tank, it can raise its volatility so that the car uses more fuel than it should.  This concept only applies simple physics of what happens to matter when heated.

People will go for the topmost expensive car with the most revolutionary features forgetting that whether a vehicle is a liability or an asset depends on many factors, including how much you spend on fuel.

The next time you buy an expensive car, check on the exhaust shield to ensure that they are in one piece and functional. You can alternatively combine the power of a quality exhaust shield with more manageable fuels under intense heat than petroleum products.

Provides safety

Some parts of a car produce enough heat to melt off other parts of a vehicle. There is a reason why there is advice against leaving pets and babies in a car.

Apart from possible carbon monoxide poisoning, even in a cool vehicle, being locked in a car with the little amount of heat that slips through the exhaust shield can get to underhood parts, thus transmitting to the car's position user. IT would be dangerous to have a driver seated in a vehicle that suddenly is too hot for ten to drive.

It keeps your car running longer

When the essential parts of a car have protection from too much heat, they wear out slower. Too much heat to the systems in a car could cause some features to deform as well. So, if a vehicle has a function exhaust shield, you can expect to use it for a long time.

I discovered that even though my car comes installed with an exhaust shield, I can check to see if it is sufficient or if I want to alter the design. I discovered that I could install thermal insulation for other parts of the car that I  feel are too exposed. Although not necessary, they enhance the comfort of being in a car, especially on a hot day.

Exhaust Shield Replacement

It is important to note that the exhaust shield of a car does not last forever. Like any other more visible part of your vehicle, it may break down and require you to take action.

The exhaust shield should last as long as an engine, but because of some unavoidable affective components like weather, it wears out, and that's when a car owner should start thinking about replacing the exhaust shield.

Increased underhood temperatures

So, what are the signs of wearing out should a car owner look out for? Sometimes it takes losing some things to understand their value. In the same manner, a  day without an exhaust shield in your car should have you rushing your vehicle to the nearest dealership.

If the coat fades, underhood temperatures are likely to increase. If you check on your car and find that that's the case, you should know that it requires replacement. Don't ignore any signs that your car's underhood temperatures are high. It could end up saving you from having to spend a  lot of money on repairs.

Burning smell

One thing that I am ever so vigilant about is that no fires are starting in my car. Besides myself, many drivers smelling burning substances is a sure bet that something has gone wrong somewhere.

When heat concentrates on worn parts of the exhaust shield, it begins to burn and produce smoke. This occurrence is a hazard since most cars run on highly flammable fuels.

So, if you notice an aborning smell in your car, take action immediately and especially look out for a worn-out or damaged exhaust shield. Once you replace the exhaust shield, it may burn off to produce an awful smell at first, but the smoke produced is nontoxic. The binders and starches are mainly the ones that burn off in this process.

The points above are not the only things you should look out for in your car to ensure that it is still in one piece. Sometimes, when you ignite your vehicle and reach a certain RPM, you may notice a rattle. The rattle is because the welded part of the shield loosened due to rust. A driver can try to ignore the sound, but it is bound to drive them off the edge with irritation.

It would help if you did not ignore any of the signs that the exhaust shield needs fixing. When any parts of a car come loose, show them immediate attention for safety purposes. One thing that anyone should avoid is driving a vehicle that has some loose parts.

I went ahead and read further on how I could go about fixing the exhaust shield myself if I ever find myself in such a situation. I have summarized the process below.

How to go about replacing exhaust shield

Once you notice that the exhaust shield has loosened, there are two ways that you can go about replacing it. I decided that if ever I find myself up against such a situation,  I will take my car to a mechanic.

You can choose to do it yourself, for which you will require special tools that ensure your safety and make your work easier. If you want to learn how to do it, perhaps you can involve a professional. I would do that if I felt that I would like to learn how to fix my car.

Since the car was already running at high temperatures, you should wait for it to cool. The shield is held in place by screws which you require to undo—the best way to go about it in gloves.

Besides requiring gloves, you need pliers to cut through any parts that have locked and fastening tape as well. Operate with the utmost care to not interfere with the car's functional components and in a safe way.

Can You Drive a Car Without a Heat Shield

Source: https://www.wheelsgeek.com/do-cars-need-exhaust-heat-shield/

Share this post