Engine Splash Shields

     For the past few months my leased Ford Escape has made a rattling sound when accelerating from a stop. I could not figure out what is was and because the car is leased and there is less than a year left and its performance has not been compromised I decided not to worry about it. 

     Today I discovered the cause. While waiting for the tech to change the oil I noticed that he was removing some kind of thin metal plate from underneath the engine. 

     Upon inquiry I found out it is an engine splash shield. These things cost less that $60 each and are held in place by 7mm screws that fasten into plastic holders. That explains why an oil change takes so long...about an hour and a half. 

     The tech explained that this particular shop does not have an air wrench with a 7mm bit, so he had to use a hand wrench. Sure enough...when I Googled engine splash shields I found out that it takes about one hour to remove and replace one. That extra hour explains why the price of oil changes has increased considerably.

     It's also a good thing that they don't have an air wrench with a 7mm bit! People have reported that techs often over tighten the screws and strip the plastic screw holders. The result is that often the shields then fall part way off and can drag on the road or fall off. 

Ford Escape splash shield

     The purpose of these splash guards is to minimize the projecting of water and rocks by your vehicle up into the engine compartment. Are they REALLY necessary? One site says, yes, an engine splash shield is necessary and can save you hundreds of dollars in repairs. When you drive without one, you're putting the most important parts of your vehicle at risk—road debris such as rocks, leaves, and twigs can get inside the engine compartment and cause damage. Others (in the majority it seems) say no, they aren't really necessary. After all, they didn't put them on cars until just recently. 

     The point is, it was a loose (probably from the previous oil change) splash shield that was causing the rattling noise. Now it appears to have been put back on correctly and the noisy rattling has stopped.