gas tank heat shield fell off?!

[jeff69dini]

due to all the salt they use here in the winter it went bye bye, no way to reattach. what are the risks? I see the pipe to one side of the tank, hmmm, tank looks plastic, just don't know how much heat comes from that small pipe, especially to the side? looks like maybe 4 or 5 inches from pipe to tank in that area

[CTScott]

I am not sure how critical it is, or if it is there primarily in the event that the exhaust leaks. The list is about $80 for the two pieces, which seems a bit expensive.

[devinlamothe]

The gas tank heat shield is REQUIRED. Our gas tank is made of plastic and without the shield you run the risk of it melting.

I was told this the last time a piece of my shield fell off (which actually does make sense and didn't seem like dealer speak for $$).

[KCALB SIRAY]

...our manifold is plastic.....BUT, there is always a risk, right :wink:

The gas tank heat shield is REQUIRED. Our gas tank is made of plastic and without the shield you run the risk of it melting.

I was told this the last time a piece of my shield fell off (which actually does make sense and didn't seem like dealer speak for $$).

[thebarber]

if theyre the same for the sedan, i have yaris heat sheilds on the scrapper hatchback in my driveway

[WeeYari]

^ Oooo...

Gotta check mine. Last time I was under there, it looked like one of the mounting points was just about eaten through.

[bookyjoo]

My heat shield was dragging on the ground. It was hanging by one bolt, so I took it off and brought my car to the dealership.

They looked at it and the technician said that I didn't need it, but if I wanted to get it replaced, parts and labor would cost $189.

I chose not to replace it. If my car catches on fire and I survive, I'll come back and let everyone know.

[mario98c]

I removed the heat shield because it started to rattle on idle. The gas tank is never going to melt unless the exhaust pipe is literally touching the tank.

[invader166]

I would say the only danger you'll run into (other than risk of external damage) is potentially over pressurizing the fuel tank, especially since gasoline is such a volatile mixture. Even so, all gas tanks have pressure relieving devices designed specifically to avoid situations like these, so you should be fine.

On the plus side, you're warming up your fuel so you might get better fuel economy because of liquid expansion? :iono:

[fnkngrv]

I have not had my heat shields since 2009. They were ripped off by the other half not noticing a cinder block and backing over it. peeled out the shields like tearing paper. With what I do with the car and not blowing up yet or having any melting occur I would think that you are fine at least for a little while. I have also removed my fuel tank a half dozen times and every time that I do I inspect it.

[ern-diz]

...If my car catches on fire and I survive, I'll come back and let everyone know.

lol this is the proper way to zombie a thread.

[shepd]

Would you put your hand as close as your exhaust is to the gas tank? If it's 5 inches and guaranteed I won't slip, yes, I would. Heck, I'd put my hand within an inch of the exhaust even while it's running. It's too hot to touch, but not too hot to be nearby, otherwise your bumper would melt.

My hand feels pain well before plastic melts, so it's up to you, but I wouldn't (and don't... one already fell off) worry about it.

[UpLateAgain]

On my fuel tank heat shield, the rear mounting thingamajig disappeared, causing the back of the heat shield to fall down onto the rear axle and rattle at idle. It's very thin stuff. I just pushed it back up to the rib it had come detached-from, took a hammer and flattened it out a bit, and re-attached it to the rib with a couple of self-tapping screws. So far, so good.

[Kazimodo]

same here , 3 attaching points now have a big washer at each location to grab
the thin sheet and hold it ,
now I have a rattle that sounds exactly as the shield does , but it is not the shield
??? removed rear drums , lip on back plates is rusty and touching the drum ,
I pulled away the rusty parts , still have the mysterious rattle ,
mostly when first taking off , never does it at speeds ...

[400 dollar yaris]

mine fell off probably 30000 miles ago..... never replaced it... no issues so far at 190000.

:thumbsup: