Underbody tray

[Dom Knight]

The plastic panel under the engine has come loose and is split and broken towards the back of the engine.
Also the plastic surround around the engine that the flat panel screws to is loose hence the whole thing is a couple inchs lower to the road, which when the car hits an obstruction the whole thing is damaged even more.

Can I remove it or does it have to be there to protect the engine ?

 

[mark_S3]

The plastic panel under the engine has come loose and is split and broken towards the back of the engine.
Also the plastic surround around the engine that the flat panel screws to is loose hence the whole thing is a couple inchs lower to the road, which when the car hits an obstruction the whole thing is damaged even more.

Can I remove it or does it have to be there to protect the engine ?

I removed mine as all the holding clips/screws where badly corroded/damaged and the plastic areas around them was badly deformed. Tbh it's one less thing to remove when I'm servicing or conducting works.
My side plastic panels where also loose but I went around and drilled a few self taping screws to some metalwork and now all feels secure.

Its perfectly fine to remove it. I presume it's just a trap to protect the engine and components from everyday road elements and dirt.
I just mine a good pressure wash every few weeks. Just point my lance under bumper and side and give it a good blast.

 

[Dom Knight]

I jacked the car up today and removed the large flat plastic panel and found that the drivers side smaller plastic panel that the larger panel screws to is the broken one.
So I will buy a replacement and reattach the whole unit for the protection it offers the engine compartment.

 

[Westy]

It does a good job of keeping out all the road salt an the British weather that does a fair bit of damage to electrical connectors. I'm looking to make a custom cover out of thin ali to cover mine up again a the OEM cover won't fit properly now.