Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online!
Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! 
-
Latest | 0 Rplys

Stop Feeding Overpriced Junk to Your Dogs!

GET HEALTHY AFFORDABLE DOG FOOD
DEVELOPED BY THE AUTOMOTIVEFORUMS.COM FOUNDER & THE TOP AMERICAN BULLDOG BREEDER IN THE WORLD THROUGH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE. WE KNOW DOGS.
CONSUMED BY HUNDREDS OF GRAND FUTURE AMERICAN BULLDOGS FOR YEARS.
NOW AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME
PROPER NUTRITION FOR ALL BREEDS & AGES
TRY GRAND FUTURE AIR DRIED BEEF DOG FOOD
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Pontiac > Bonneville
Register FAQ Community Arcade Calendar
Reply Show Printable Version Show Printable Version | Email this Page Email this Page | Subscription Subscribe to this Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 12-26-2011, 09:35 AM   #1
egrofal
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Waukegan, Illinois
Posts: 18
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Skid Plate?

97 Bonneville.

My plastic skid plate under the front end and front half of the engine became undone and is scraping on the ground. This happened at 40 MPH and sounded like I blew a radiator hose, but the car was cold and there was no smoke. The bolts rusted away. Is it okay just to amputate the skid plate the rest of the way? What's the purpose? I am guessing at the name "skid plate". What purpose does it serve other than scraping on parking blocks?
Anyone there?
__________________
egrofal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-26-2011, 10:03 AM   #2
Tech II
AF Fanatic
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
Posts: 5,017
Thanks: 70
Thanked 618 Times in 610 Posts
Re: Skid Plate?

Are you talking about the air dam?

That is there to force air up and through the condenser/radiator.....helps to remove the heat from the radiator/condenser...
Tech II is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-26-2011, 12:47 PM   #3
egrofal
AF Newbie
Thread starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Waukegan, Illinois
Posts: 18
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: Skid Plate?

Okay, it's an air dam alright.

I took it off. I hope the car doesn't overheat. I keep an eye on the temperature.
__________________
egrofal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-26-2011, 08:39 PM   #4
maxwedge
A990 racer
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 17,051
Thanks: 26
Thanked 383 Times in 374 Posts
Re: Skid Plate?

No issue in Ill. this time of year, but next summer maybe.
__________________
maxwedge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-26-2011, 11:33 PM   #5
MagicRat
Nothing scares me anymore
 
MagicRat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: City of Light
Posts: 10,702
Thanks: 12
Thanked 82 Times in 77 Posts
Re: Skid Plate?

You are very unlikely to overheat the car, so long as the radiator fans are operational. You might find the fans kick-on a bit more often during summertime stop-and-go driving. Otherwise you should not have a problem.
MagicRat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-27-2011, 11:35 AM   #6
egrofal
AF Newbie
Thread starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Waukegan, Illinois
Posts: 18
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: Skid Plate?

I took it off the rest of the way. Metric hex screws. Also I found that part of the air dam was melted by the belt wheel. so that's were I was getting a burning plastic smell the past 3 years! My bonne still has life and good tires and gets me back and forth to The J-O-B. I found some old oil in my garage. was still clean, said 10W40 on it but was pretty thick when I poured it down at 50 degrees. Is it possible it dried up like an oil painting? It was at leat 8 years old. It was like a thick honey. About a half quart in plastic can so it had to be no older that 1980. I hope my filter don't choke on it.
__________________
egrofal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-27-2011, 05:59 PM   #7
Tech II
AF Fanatic
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
Posts: 5,017
Thanks: 70
Thanked 618 Times in 610 Posts
Re: Skid Plate?

Only vehicle I ever saw have an overheating problem, because the lower air dam was removed, was a Firebird.....

In the winter, because the firebird was so low, it became a plow with no traction....
Tech II is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
AC skid plate rrdstarr Pathfinder | Terrano | QX4 | Xterra | Patrol | Safari | X-Trail 3 11-22-2001 12:33 PM
Skid Row Front Skid Plate Mod rhombus Pathfinder | Terrano | QX4 | Xterra | Patrol | Safari | X-Trail 18 11-10-2001 07:24 PM
Calmini fuel tank skid plate Toy Man Pathfinder | Terrano | QX4 | Xterra | Patrol | Safari | X-Trail 20 10-11-2001 10:58 AM
Pics of KMA front bumper and skid plate rednec Pathfinder | Terrano | QX4 | Xterra | Patrol | Safari | X-Trail 22 09-10-2001 11:41 PM
Droppping Diff and Skid Plates Schludwiller Pathfinder | Terrano | QX4 | Xterra | Patrol | Safari | X-Trail 4 07-23-2001 11:47 PM

Reply

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD

Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Pontiac > Bonneville


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:54 PM.

Community Participation Guidelines | How to use your User Control Panel

Powered by: vBulletin | Copyright Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
 
 
no new posts