# The panel under the Cruze engine?



## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I found this in a Cincinnati paper today: 
GM Designs splash shield to protect Cruze Engine
General Motors has come up with an interesting way to make sure the popular compact Chevrolet Cruze can handle splashes into pools of water during rainstorms: an innovative splash shield.
Splash test engineer Dave Schooner helped develop the shield that protects the engine compartment from water and potentially harmful contaminants. It also helps reduce under body corrosion and promotes better aerodynamics. 
“With the Cruze you have a very comprehensive splash protector on an entry sedan that you would not expect to see except in high end luxury vehicles” said Schooner. 
He recommended adding the under body shield after observing repeated splash tests. GM says engineers drove the Cruze through a submerged roadway filled with up to a foot of standing water at speeds 5 to 35 MPH.
Schooner and his team used the lab experience to find solutions to keep water, grit salt and other contaminants away from the Cruze’s engine and transmission. The shield acts as a big raincoat underneath the car.

And I thought it was there to catch the sockets and tools you drop. LOL Makes you wonder why they don't do this to other cars(Malibu Impala etc.) or maybe they do.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

i took mine off when i did my ttr mount


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...it's major contribution is to lessen aero drag by making the underside "smoother" so as to promote less turbulent air flow under the engine compartment.


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## maven (Feb 27, 2011)

It also is integral to proper cooling of the engine. Id put it back on Jakkaroo

Nothing else has it right now. Believe the '13 malibu gets it.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

..the Volt (sister to Cruze) has a complete underbody panel arrangement.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

don't know if this has anything to do with but I have to say the engine compartment in this car has to be the best I have owned at staying clean. 
I am amazed at how clean the engine still looks when I wash the car and look under the hood to clean it up. I don't have to do much to clean it up.
our mazda 3 get filthy and I thought that was pretty good.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

jsusanka said:


> don't know if this has anything to do with but I have to say the engine compartment in this car has to be the best I have owned at staying clean.
> I am amazed at how clean the engine still looks when I wash the car and look under the hood to clean it up. I don't have to do much to clean it up.
> our mazda 3 get filthy and I thought that was pretty good.


My thoughts exactly. Engine compartment stil looks super clean and we too have a mazda 3 and thought that was pretty good but the cruze takes it one step further IMO.


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## Mattburgess (May 29, 2012)

To bad the recall is gonna hack up most of this panel.


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## silverfox (Jan 5, 2012)

The dealer just did the recall on mine and it looks crappy. I cannot believe that the FIX to an issue is to CUT A CHUNK OF THE PANEL and not design a new one to replace it with. 

I am not happy as this panel helped keep engine clean and helpped with fuel economy


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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

jsusanka said:


> My thoughts exactly. Engine compartment stil looks super clean and we too have a mazda 3 and thought that was pretty good but the cruze takes it one step further IMO.


Lol! Anyone else catch this?? That's funny. You realize you replied to your own post right.. ? lol thought I was going crazy at first.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

silverfox said:


> The dealer just did the recall on mine and it looks crappy. I cannot believe that the FIX to an issue is to CUT A CHUNK OF THE PANEL and not design a new one to replace it with.
> 
> I am not happy as this panel helped keep engine clean and helpped with fuel economy


Whenever a new president is elected, brings in a batch of 10,000 new idiots to run the country that helped him get elected. So what can you expect from angencies that doesn't even know how to find the source of a problem and comes up with the most ridiculous so-called cure in the world. Worse yet, they have the power.


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## Arcticat (Feb 16, 2012)

I agree with some of the previous post's as far as protecting the motor from various items one might encounter on the road. The panel is on there for a reason and hacking it up won't help anything. I got underneath the car and just made sure there was no oil spilled on the pan. I have a ECO which sits pretty low, so you need all the protection you can get, not to mentioned the areodynamics of the design.--Mike


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## OLS (Jul 24, 2012)

I thought this was one of the first threads ever, turns out it is recent....there is no way 
I am giving up any part of my shield. The way I drive I NEED it. If I have to sign a waiver 
saying that I will not sue for a fire, I guess I would do that. It would have to be a pretty 
specific waiver. I am not a big fan when I am trying to change the oil, but I get it done.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

OLS said:


> I thought this was one of the first threads ever, turns out it is recent....there is no way
> I am giving up any part of my shield. The way I drive I NEED it. If I have to sign a waiver
> saying that I will not sue for a fire, I guess I would do that. It would have to be a pretty
> specific waiver. I am not a big fan when I am trying to change the oil, but I get it done.


Already have documentation that this a voluntary recall, although the recall notice does not state this. Suggest you get your own. Since I do have a manual transmission, will take the shield to protect the power steering cable. Not that I am concern about hot hydraulic fluid from a really slipping clutch burning it. Just kind of hanging down there and can use all the protection it can get.

View this recall like someone putting a uncapped filled two gallon gas can in the backseat floorboard that tips over causing a fire. Cure is to have all Cruze's have their floorboard have big holes cut in them.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

I don't see why they just don't drill holes in the area they think oil would puddle if its spilled. I'm not having this done and I'm not signing anything. Sounds to me like they can't even prove this is the issue. The issue is laziness and not cleaning up spilled oil. You can't fix laziness if the person does not want to do it correctly.


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## matt45 (Jul 27, 2012)

wonder if they will have a recall on this so called whistling noise I have in my car ask my dealer about it and they said they have no clue where the noise is coming from?


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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

As for my 2012 that was built last week in June the shield came from the factory with 12 large holes already predrilled around the engine area for liquid to flow out if needed.


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Bohdan said:


> As for my 2012 that was built last week in June the shield came from the factory with 12 large holes already predrilled around the engine area for liquid to flow out if needed.


Take a picture so I can replicate this!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

XtremeAaron said:


> Take a picture so I can replicate this!


This! Then tell the dealer you bought the new part and don't need the recall done. See what their reaction is, lol.

Sent from my Bulletproof_Doubleshot using AutoGuide.Com Free App


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Exactly!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> This! Then tell the dealer you bought the new part and don't need the recall done. See what their reaction is, lol.


^ Well put!


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## epcotbob (Dec 27, 2012)

OnlyTaurus said:


> Lol! Anyone else catch this?? That's funny. You realize you replied to your own post right.. ? lol thought I was going crazy at first.


Haha! That is hilarious! I'm surprised no one else noticed it.....


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

OnlyTaurus said:


> Lol! Anyone else catch this?? That's funny. You realize you replied to your own post right.. ? lol thought I was going crazy at first.


I caught it also and thought I was seeing double also but was not going to say anything about it.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

^ I caught it originally but I wasn't the first so I didn't mention anything. Pretty funny!

What would REALLY ice the cake is if jsusanka chimed in laughing _with us _at the guy


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## The_Madcat (Oct 6, 2012)

Patman said:


> I caught it also and thought I was seeing double also but was not going to say anything about it.



Me too! I didn't want to upset one of them....


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## Mr95Kenny (Jan 13, 2019)

Check out my video about this!

https://youtu.be/7TZ0PS6WnPA


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