Rear exhaust heat shield

How vital is the heatshield over the back box on the micra?

I'm guessing not that important, but it must have been put there for a reason.

I had a rattle from the back of the car, had a look and the heat shield over the backbox had come loose. I pushed it back up to see what fixings were needed and the whole thing fell down on the backbox. I saw the studs were the large coarse self tapper type, and as the heat shield seemed trapped above the exhaust, and I wasn't planning to use the car, I thought I'd just get some more fixings and refit it.

That was about a week ago, last night I had the fixings and the heat shield is gone. A bit surprising as it's about 2 foot long and wouldn't easily come out when I tried to move it. I'm guessing the storm winds blew it away last week, though I'd have thought it would have been lying around the road somewhere.

Anyway, is it needed?
 

andy

Ex. Club Member
when i had a k11, it had no rear heat shield, my corsa c doesn't have one either, my sons fiesta diesel doesn't have one either, ya know ya self, the exhaust dont get that hot at the back.
 
OP
OP
V
Maybe not when I'm lying on an icy road wondering where the heat shield has gone!!
(and also depends on the car, you cant touch the exhaust tip on my other car without getting burnt)

More for in the summer sitting in traffic, it can get up to 20°C in scotland in the summer :D
 
They're made out of zinc or something and so they don't rust.... however the screws that hold it on were made out of rust at the factory and only got rustier since

Don't park on any long dry grass
 
OP
OP
V
Decided to fit it back on, based on advice here ( :D ), and after a 45 minute drive work at 2°C, the backbox was pretty burny hot to touch. I was surprised how hot it got on a cold morning, not exactly racing to work either.
 
Decided to fit it back on, based on advice here ( :D ), and after a 45 minute drive work at 2°C, the backbox was pretty burny hot to touch. I was surprised how hot it got on a cold morning, not exactly racing to work either.
cars are quite wasteful really, they rely on the whole exhaust getting to above the boiling temperature of water to keep the inside dry
 
Top