2017 Ford Escape problem

[55 50 Ron]

This car has the "Splash Guard" under the engine and transmission. Needs to come off for an engine oil change. How important is this Guard? It does have a litle "air channel" through it which MIGHT cool something ???

It recently came loose at the front edge a few days after the most recent oil change. This happened when passing over a RR crossing and it scraped along the street . A short ways down the street and into a gas station, I crawled under, saw the problem and kicked the rear of the Guard loose and with the Guard in the luggage area, continued on to destination. Oil change place put it back on for me with new fasteners.

Have had many oil changes since car was new and this is the first time for that Guard to come loose by itself.

 

[kenbob]

I had the same trouble. I was told by a ford wrench hat it does direct air to cool the transmission.

 

[Ericp351]

Not an air cooled auto trans. The slightly older Escapes with better and bigger v 6 engine and even tow package did not have or need that splash gaurd. Sounds the hastle for inspecting and servicing fwd U joint. They are seldom tight after about 100k miles.

 

[Gambles]

I had the same trouble. I was told by a ford wrench hat it does direct air to cool the transmission.

PROBABLY installed at the factory for aerodynamics instead of cooling the transmission. Your tranny has oil lines that are surrounded by engine coolant to keep it cool.
By 100K miles, a lot of those “splash guards” are missing more than one fastener and a lot have fallen off or have been removed.

 

[kenbob]

zip ties. ALthough the Ford dealer in our town was giving away the Ford fasteners if you asked the right parts guy.

 

[Russ from MN]

I recently changed oil in our 24 Ford Edge, and I was surprised to see the splash guard, and it does have sort of a duct to direct air up to something. 7 mm hex head screws, kind of oddballs!

 

[INCase]

Yeah those are for aerodynamics.

any holes/vents are to either let water out or to get a little extra air in there since they restrict under car "ram air" from entering.

you might???? see a drop in mileage if you take it off.

you can try to take it off but don't throw it away (yet) and see if anything changes

 

[trackrat]

gave up on the guard a long time ago takes two people to put it back on makes it too hard to change the oil, both tundra and sequoia Toyotas

 

[1948CaseVAI]

The engineers did not specify that part for grins. They do not waste the money it took to manufacture and install that on thousands of vehicles without a good reason. I had several Tundras and they had a steel plate under the engine that was too heavy for some techs to drop by hand so they used a transmission jack, until they wised up and sucked the oil out with a pump through the dipstick hole. But I was not about to let them leave it off.

 

[GChief]

The engineers did not specify that part for grins. They do not waste the money it took to manufacture and install that on thousands of vehicles without a good reason. I had several Tundras and they had a steel plate under the engine that was too heavy for some techs to drop by hand so they used a transmission jack, until they wised up and sucked the oil out with a pump through the dipstick hole. But I was not about to let them leave it off.

I am surprised that you didn't know a bunch of oldheads on an old tractor forum know more than the engineers