Are Engine Covers Necessary And Can You Take Them Off?
Looking under the hood of a car isn't always as revealing as it can be, especially if there's an engine cover. In that case you're only seeing the next level of allowed clearance, as engine covers tend to hide away a series of cables and components with a big, sleek-looking piece of plastic or metal. While some might enjoy seeing the inner bits, manufacturers tend to use engine covers to give the engine a better aesthetic look; a seemingly odd touch, considering that we're often only looking under there because something's wrong.
But cool as they look and as much chaotic wiring as they hide out of sight, engine covers can serve a bit more of a purpose than just looking nice. It's not always just wiring under there, it can be rotating drive belts, pulleys, and other moving parts which are best covered up in case you get your hand or face too close to them by accident. The car manufacturers aren't permanently sealing them away obviously, they're just adding an extra safety step, so people are prepared before accessing those components.
A level of protection both inside and out
We cover wires at homes because they're unsightly, but underneath the hood of a car is a delicate ecosystem of interacting parts, and having a giant divider atop the engine helps everything else function as well. Engine covers help prevent loose detritus like dirt, water, oil, and grease from penetrating core engine parts and damaging one of the most expensive things in the vehicle. If you're parking somewhere for a while, that cover may stop something else from getting in and doing damage to the engine, like small rodents that enjoy chewing wires.
Beyond anything, engine covers are a stabilizing system that make for a smoother ride under the hood and inside the car. Would you notice the difference without one attached? Absolutely. Because suddenly it would be a little harder to hear those GPS directions. The linings on the covers help muffle excess noise, vibration and sometimes even temperature, reducing their impact in passenger compartments, not to mention under the hood. Things under there heat up and vibrate plenty as is, and while the disparate parts would be fine in the short-term without an engine cover, the increased vibration and heat could wear down surrounding components much faster. So, while engine covers can sometimes feel like opening a package and finding another box to open inside, they're quietly one of the vehicle's unsung heroes, making any problems underneath the hood a little better than they could be.