bogwelsh Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 I recently had cause to stick my head underneath the front of my 2013 Ducato 2.3 and found that two pieces of the three part plastic engine under-tray were missing. I initially assumed they had been removed by the garage when it was serviced and they had failed to put them back on. However, the garage told me that Ducatos for the UK only have the tray fitted on the offside to protect the alternator / belts and Fiat doesn't think the middle and nearside sections are needed. I verified this independently with another dealer, who also took the time to confirm it with Fiat technical. They also asked if Fiat could provide part numbers in case I wanted to "upgrade" and Fiat declined, effectively saying it wasn't a UK option. I'm left assuming they only fit them on vans destined for places with more snow and rougher roads and save a few Euros where they can (?). Anyway -to cut to the chase... has anyone here come across the same situation and taken the time to source the missing pieces? There are a number of suppliers on Ebay selling them as pattern parts -any experience / comments on pattern part quality and fit would be appreciated. I'm really just trying to satisfy curiosity. Cheers, Spencer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 They're a new thing, cars never used to have them. I got sick of faffing about with the one on my new MINI and binned it. I wouldn't bother, they just add weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tall_Mike Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Went through all this with my MG-ZTT. The engine under-tray is there for a purpose, - these days I don't think manufacturer's fit many things that are surplus to requirements for cost reasons, firstly they stop spray getting into places it shouldn't, - possibly it's to do with engine temperature regulation, but also for noise reduction purposes and a degree of sump protection - So the vehicles can get through the relevant sound tests, - also for airflow purposes. My car engine tray was rather prone to falling off so I cable tied it back on - didn't trouble me again and was easy to remove when needed, I would be reluctant to remove the tray's that I have - although they can be a pain, especially when they drop down .. or even get run over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 The middle and nearside sections are not fitted on most UK vehicles. The only exception that i have seen was on 3.0 comfort-matics and i think this was only to make the engine even quieter and improve the perception of refinement but they were a pain in the backside to remove for servicing. Apart from extreme environments they would serve little purpose. In a wet climate like ours there is plenty of water getting into the compartment from above and through the front grill already. The free flow of air under the engine will help everything to dry out better when the weather changes and is a good thing. Don't bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 My 2013 build Peugeot Boxer only has the driver's side under-shield fitted, so it's not just a Fiat feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 bogwelsh - 2016-03-30 9:19 AM ...However, the garage told me that Ducatos for the UK only have the tray fitted on the offside to protect the alternator / belts and Fiat doesn't think the middle and nearside sections are needed... It may be the case that the majority of UK-marketed Ducatos do not have the full 3-piece undertray, but it’s not unique to this country. My French-built 2015 LHD Rapido motorhome based on a Ducato X290 only has the section of undertray on the UK-offside protecting the alternator/drive belts. These discussions refer: http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/fiat-ducato-undertray.81205/ http://www.fiatforum.com/ducato/305069-under-tray.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagrid Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Coincidentally, though I've had it three years and 30K miles, it was only this weekend that I noticed the center and left hand undertrays appeared to be missing, I also noticed surface corrosion on the front of the sump pan so, I have added a priority job to my to do list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 hagrid - 2016-03-30 4:09 PM Coincidentally, though I've had it three years and 30K miles, it was only this weekend that I noticed the center and left hand undertrays appeared to be missing, I also noticed surface corrosion on the front of the sump pan so, I have added a priority job to my to do list! VERY good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 euroserv - 2016-03-30 5:49 PM hagrid - 2016-03-30 4:09 PM Coincidentally, though I've had it three years and 30K miles, it was only this weekend that I noticed the center and left hand undertrays appeared to be missing, I also noticed surface corrosion on the front of the sump pan so, I have added a priority job to my to do list! VERY good idea. That's the problem with oil tight engines, had to replace the sump on the older Suzi last year, back in the day you could rely on the engine and surrounds to get a film of oil to keep corrosion at bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogwelsh Posted March 31, 2016 Author Share Posted March 31, 2016 Thanks for the responses. It's reassuring to know it's a "standard" feature and seems unlikely it will create any significant problems. I will probably let the sleeping dog lie :-) Cheers, Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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