A while back, I went to one of those corporate places for an oil change. They fucked up putting the metal thing back on the undercarriage, but a family member told me it would be okay without that. So I’ve been driving without the metal protective layer thing.
This fell off sometime on my drive home from work. We are currently experiencing tornadoes, so I can’t examine it too closely at the moment. It appears that it was just zip tied back on…
I am dead broke - my money this month has to go to car insurance, I can’t even afford registration at this point.
Can I just rip it off? I need an oil change soon, but I’m going to try to stretch it out a month or so.
Zipties, thread, scrap wire… I would try to put it back on, even badly if necessary.
No it is not necessary for your car to work. However…
It helps improve the fuel economy of your vehicle, which will save you money. It will reduce rust and wear on your vehicle, which will save you money. It costs a ridiculous amount of money to replace that piece of plastic. Typically, those pieces are layered on, and the the piece behind it may rely on the one in front to stay attached correctly.
If you plan to have the car for more than a year or two, I would recommend finding a way to remove it properly, or re-fasten it to the car.