As I’m about to turn 52, I’m thinking of buying a new vehicle and also recently got my wife a 2025 Nissan Altima. Every vehicle today and along with hers, have these underside covers that have to be removed for oil changes. I do all my own oil changes, these are a Pain in my ass! I realize these are mainly to improve fuel economy, (barely) thanks to Barry, but are these needed in any way? As much as I’d like to throw it away I’ll keep in case of warranty issue but I just don’t see any other logical reason to keep it on. Any thoughts are appreciated!

In Texas, or any southern state, especially the drier ones, you'll be fine w/o the shield on the underside of the engine. Due to the winter snow (and road salt!), in the northern states/climate, I'd imagine is best to keep it on there.

As an example, I know that Volvos have had such under car shield since at least 2001, but I've learned (on Swedespeed and Bring-a-Trailer) that they are typically not installed on the cars that were originally sold down south.

Other than the occasional tire alligator, jack rabbit, any other crawling critters, probably won't need it. If you hit a puddle hard enough, might get stuff wet that normally isn't.

Haha yep, I’ve changed it twice, 15 plastic clips that maybe you can reuse twice. I know it helps maybe with road noise, I had a 2015 Fusion that had glorified cardboard under the engine that turned into mush after driving through puddles and had to be removed.

I've got a Fumoto valve on my wife's Expedition.
Planning on modifying the undertray to have the drain hose mounted to it so I don't have to pull it every time.

1 small hole for the hose & an access for me to reach up & open/close the valve.

Mostly for aerodynamics but it does keep out a lot of dirt & debris and other nasty stuff.
I just bite the bullet and source a bag of the plastic clips and replace as needed with new ones.
They're a bit of a pain to remove and refit but working on nice clean parts is worth it to me.

My Mercedes had 2 undertrays and both had to be removed to ger to the drain plug

Luckily, it, and our Expedition, use screws instead of clips, to hold it in.

Just changed the oil in my wife's Subaru Outback and the under tray has an opening to remove the drain plug and drain oil.

I've dealt with this on my last few bmws. it's not too bad, it's rotating clips.
but my fricken alfa, it's like 30 bolts i have to unscrew just to drop the cover. since it's summer time and i plan on changing the oil before winter, i just left it off for now.

I've not been underneath our 2017 Pacifica, let alone removed any panels.

The oil filter is located under the hood, so I use a skinny hose to suck the oil out of the dipstick tube, and that's it.

I always get out the 5 quarts that it holds, and the oil always looks clean until the next change.

That's been making it easy for nine years.

In Texas I’d leave it off. Even here in S WI I normally remove a cover & leave it off with a road vehicle.

At least leave us access holes or panels for the drain plug and filter so the whole thing doesn't have to be taken off. But no, that would make too much sense. Some makers do provide them.

My Mercedes vehicles have them and with a small impact it takes about 30 seconds to remove the covers. One thing I like about having them is that its easy to inspect for leaks during oil changes. I clean them everytime so if there is a fluid on the undertray cover I know I've got an issue to address and the general area I need to look at to find it.

quote:

posted June 25, 2026 06:46 AM Hide Post
At least leave us access holes or panels for the drain plug and filter so the whole thing doesn't have to be taken off. But no, that would make too much sense. Some makers do provide them.

Haha I agree 100%

I do my own oil changes and so far all of my vehicles have had access panels to the filter or oil plug. I have taken off the panel for other work and maintenance and they are a pain in the butt. I currently have two where the oil filter is placed in such a way that I haven’t yet devised a way not to get it all over the suspension components. A 2021 Ram with 5.7l Hemi and a 2022 Mustang Mach 1 filters are the worst!

Think I'd just RNR the cover and keep it protected, do like P250's idea of a fuelmoto valve and a hose, you could drill a hole, and just put/pull the hose down for draining the oil.

Use the body clip tools to pop them out and keep a bag of replacement clips in the tool box, just chock it up to one of the steps of home oil changes.

Or, get a new EV and just stop changing oil all together, tire rotation at 7500 miles is about all you'll have to do, well, and the cabin air filter....


https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...0601935/m/7530019705

I took mine off my 2015 Hyundai Elantra and coming back from Flagstaff I shredded my passenger side front wheel well liner. Turns out the underside cover partially connects to the front wheel liners and plastic bumper. I was able to cut away the shredded portion, as cars were whizzing by at 80-90 mph (speed limit 75) with barely enough room to pull out of the slow lane, and continue on our way but had to order and install a new aftermarket liner.

You will have to remove it once, but, then match up where the drain plug and oil filter are located on the cover.

Cleanly cut out that/those section(s). Get a hinge and lock mechanism. Install them on the under cover and the part(s) thereof you cut out.

From now on you can drop that/those flaps and don't have to remove the entire cover.

If there is an access hole, install a Fumoto valve.

I use a small extraction pump to pull the oil out of the dipstick tube. It does a great job, and eliminates the need to get under the vehicle. The pump is powered by the vehicle battery using small clips to the battery terminals.

Many shops use such extraction pumps these days.

Wife ran over something and destroyed the plastic cover on her 2004 Infiniti years ago. Dealer wanted $400 to replace the plastic part, so I bought and installed an aluminum replacement for $200 that has an access panel for oil changes and it hasn’t been off since.