Still should be installed! Introduction to knowledge/selection of engine guard plate
[Car maintenance] Friends who have a car must know that it is a natural thing to buy a new car for decoration. In addition to traditional decorations such as film mats, it is an accessory that many people choose. Even if the owner does not install it in the end, it must be entangled.
In fact, there are always two voices about whether or not to install the fender. One is that it can play a protective role, and the other is that it will affect the sinking of the engine when the vehicle has an accident. In addition, there are many kinds of fender in the market, and how to choose it is also a puzzle that many car owners encounter. So today we will talk about the engine fender.
● Why do you need to install a guard?
From the point of view of protecting the engine, due to the silt rolled up by the wheels in daily driving and the snow water brought up in rainy and snowy weather, the exposed parts in the chassis will be corroded, which will affect the service life.
In addition, the road conditions in China are really "rapidly changing". Maybe the road was fine yesterday, but today a big hole is pulled out to start repairing it, and all kinds of bricks, tiles and construction equipment are everywhere. If you don’t pay attention, the chassis of the car may be in close contact with the big stones. If you are lucky, the chassis will be fine, and if it is serious, the engine or gear will be broken and damaged. The cost of replacing these parts is not small.
● Can the original factory bring its own guard board?
Judging from the models currently on sale, it seems that there are not many models with fenders on the original car. The so-called self-contained fender of individual models is only an extension of the lower edge of the front bumper. If the engine can be mostly covered, it can be used normally. If the engine cannot be completely covered and the material is very thin, it is difficult to play a protective role. Therefore, many car owners have to choose to install or reinstall engine guards, and businesses have also found business opportunities from the vast demand.
● Will there be any disadvantages in installing guard plates?
As many people worry, at the beginning of the car design, for safety reasons, the engine will sink in the event of a major collision to avoid personal injury caused by the engine moving back to the cabin. However, if the fender is installed, many people are worried that the sinking of the engine will be affected at the critical moment, thus increasing the hidden danger of personal injury, which has become the biggest reason for many people to give up installing the fender. In principle, everyone’s concern is not unreasonable.
Voice-over: What is engine sinking technology?
Some models are designed with "the design of engine sinking during collision". If the engine fender is installed, the engine sinking will be blocked by the fender in the event of a traffic accident, and the sinking position may not be enough, which will affect safety. Of course, the engine guard protects the engine. And who is the engine sinking design to protect?
Some friends say it is to protect pedestrians, but this understanding is incorrect. When a car hits a pedestrian, the force generated is usually not enough to cause the displacement of the engine. The design of engine sinking is to let the engine sink when the force generated by the collision is enough to cause the longitudinal displacement of the engine, that is, to squeeze the cab occupant, so as to avoid or reduce the damage of the engine to the cab occupant. Generally speaking, the condition of engine sinking is a frontal collision plus a certain speed (about 40km/h). If it is a side collision, the engine will not sink.
In addition, when the vehicle is running, the engine will generate high temperature. If the fender is installed, the air permeability and heat dissipation will be affected to some extent, which is one of the disadvantages after installing the fender.
● Should the guard be installed or not?
As the name implies, the engine guard plate protects the engine. When a car runs on some roads with large road undulations, the height difference of the road undulations exceeds that of the engine bottom shell, which may cause damage to the engine oil pan and then damage the engine.
In fact, the engine guard is not something you often rely on or use. You can’t be sure when you will use it, but it will definitely save you a lot of money when it works. Cars can’t just drive on straight roads forever, and even experienced "old drivers" can’t guarantee that they won’t scratch the bottom of the car through bad roads. Installing the engine guard can minimize this damage to the maximum extent.
Moreover, some models are designed with reserved openings for installing engine guards, so it can be understood that they have solved the contradiction of "collision and sinking", so from my personal point of view, it is still necessary to install guards.
In addition, we also visited some experts in the industry. They said that in the daily driving process, the erosion of sediment and snow water will really affect the vehicles, and the rubbing of the chassis and the slightly serious bottoming are also common. If you don’t pay attention, it will affect or hurt the vehicles. In order to better protect the vehicles, it is necessary to install engine guards.
However, the situation that everyone is worried about does exist, so it is necessary to choose the fender products suitable for their own models from the material, and try to give consideration to safety and vehicle protection.
Speaking of this, our conclusion is that it is still necessary to install the engine guard, but the choice of the material of the guard is very particular, which is also a key point we want to express below!
● Types of guard plates
At present, there are many kinds of fender products on sale in the market, which can be divided into four categories in terms of materials: steel, reinforced resin and hard plastic. What are their advantages and disadvantages and what kind of models are suitable for use? We will introduce them one by one. In addition, we also show the prices of several mainstream family car engine guards in Taobao, Auto Parts City and 4s shop for reference.
1: Steel plate
At present, the steel plate material is the most selected by car owners. First of all, it is cheap. Relatively speaking, the price of the steel plate material is around 200 yuan, and the price is easily accepted by the majority of car owners. Another obvious advantage is that it is hard. The sand and stones rolled up by the tires in daily driving pose no threat to him at all, and even the occasional bottoming will never cause damage to him. Even the serious bottoming is only a slight variation, which is irrelevant for normal use, so many people will choose it.
However, the disadvantage of this product is also obvious. The biggest drawback lies in the weight. The weight of twenty or thirty kilograms will inevitably have some impact on the fuel consumption. In addition, the steel plate will only be deformed and not easy to break in a serious accident, which will not only affect the safe sinking of the engine in the event of an accident, but also have the hidden danger of damaging the engine first because of the deformation of the steel plate in the collision, so it is indeed beneficial and harmful.
Purchase suggestion:The price of steel plate guard is moderate, and the strength of steel plate is high. Although the weight of twenty or thirty kilograms is really not light, it will not have a great impact on fuel consumption. For those people who travel in cities, it is quite worth recommending. However, if your car often needs to run at high speed, it is recommended not to choose such products. After all, accidents at high speed are generally more serious than those in urban areas, and the disadvantages that affect engine sinking may be taken into account.