As a car owner, you want your car’s best performance. That means investing in some high quality parts and a few added materials. It’s absolutely crucial to have your car equipped with everything you will demand from it.
A car heat shield is one such component that, as the name implies, protects your car from excessive damage due to heat. Keep reading the blog to know how important is a car heat shield and why you should have it.
What is a Heat Shield
A car heat shield is a kind of thermal barrier for the sole purpose of protecting all the sensitive components of a car. It also protects the flammable items coming in contact with your car’s underside and is at the risk of burning due to engine generated extreme heat.
Automotive heat shields usually protect important car components like the exhaust system and engine bay. The shield for exhaust heat protects parts like the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, exhaust pipe, and muffler. These car components get extremely heated on a running engine.
High temperature heat shields on a car prevent extreme levels of heat and keep them from flaming the items under the vehicle, like plants or tall grass. The heat shield is also in the car’s engine compartment to protect the radiator, header manifolds, and turbochargers.
Is a Heat Shield Really Necessary
Asking about the purpose and necessity of a heat shield is just like you ask if you need gloves to remove a tray from your oven.
A car’s engine is always hot, and not just any hot, but super hot. Take a catalytic converter. It can individually cause a fire inside your car, and exhaust systems have temperatures around 900°F, at which you can melt lead, cadmium, or aluminium.
New cars have sheet metal right under the exhaust system and on its top to protect car components from damage due to high heat.
The car heat shield on the top protects your feet and shoes from melting, and the shield underside protects you from setting your lawn on fire. A heat shield is usually an aluminium reinforced fabric that is flexible but has a strong adhesive.
The main guard sheets are important, but a header shield wrap is also important for your car. These sheets can make you and the car passengers more comfortable.
How Do I Know It’s Time To Do The Heat Shield Replacement
In theory, heat shields last as long as your car engine. But they are not TITANIC (that sank too). So, it’s crucial to know about removing the heat shield and replacing it with a new one.
Burning Smell
A car giving a burning smell implies a bigger problem. When heat shields wear off, they give a burning and smoking smell, so you should remove and replace them quickly.
High Exhaust Temperature
High temperatures under the car hood can cause damage. The underhood parts are important for your car’s correct functioning, and car heat shields keep these parts cool. If you’ve installed the shields, but the hood is still getting hot, it’s time to check the shields for damage.
Rattling Sound
Heat shields are susceptible to vibrations caused during car driving. Sometimes bolts and clamps that keep the shields in their place can loosen, and the shield starts to flap. That results in quite irritating and noticeable rattling noise while your drive the car. Loose heat shields tend to wear.
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The Cost of Replacing A Heat Shield
The replacement cost for a heat shield depends on your car’s model and the material used. Generally, it starts from $50 and costs an average of $150. But the price also depends on the parts for which you use the shield and the used material. So, it can go as high as $300.
You can also use heat shield wrap as a cheaper alternative by wrapping important parts and protecting them from high heat. But as for the wrap durability, the heat shield is a better option.
So, that’s all you must know about how important is a car heat shield.
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