ON THE MOVE Protecting your car

MANY readers wrote to ask for more

information about the sump guard I

mentioned in a previous column. I

checked with Honda and Toyota dealers, and found out that the

Honda CRV and the Toyota RAV4 are both equipped with these

covers that serve to protect the front underside of vehicles.

Honda people call it an engine splash shield, while Toyota

people call it an engine cover. The function is the same--to

protect the engine, fan belts, radiators and other sensitive

engine parts from stones and other loose objects that might

damage the car.

The new Corollas have engine covers as standard equipment.

These are smaller than those installed on Toyota's 4-wheel

drives. Civics, on the other hand, do not have splash shields

because the Honda people argue they are meant for city driving.

Well, the Civic chief engineer probably did not know that city

driving in Metro Manila can mean driving in off-road

conditions.

Both Honda and Toyota on Quezon Avenue said they could

fabricate splash guards for their cars which are not yet equipped

with them. Two materials can be used--automotive steel or hard

plastic like polypropylene. Metal is cheaper at about

P2,000-P3,000, but it corrodes easily. Plastic is better for the long

term, but will cost about P5000-P7000 plastic.

There are many accessories that protect and give a sporty look

to cars nowadays. Hard recyclable plastic bumpers, side

moldings, wheel arch protectors, and body cladding are

standard features for many SUVs and AUVs. They protect the

car from the smallest scratches to the most powerful collisions.

Usually, these are not painted, to make them recyclable. In the

Philippines, car owners choose to have them painted for

esthetic reasons.

Being environmentally unfriendly is not too bad in this case.

Some protectors, however, can do more damage than good, and

owners ironically believe they afford protection. A case in point

is the use of bull bars. Based on 1998 US safety requirements,

the use of bull bars is not advisable for two reasons: 1) they

reduce the effectivity of SRS (supplemental restraint system)

airbags sensors; and, 2) they cause extensive injuries to people

accidentally hit by vehicles with such accessories.

In other words, protecting your car can endanger you, as well as

some unwitting, hapless pedestrians out there. Unfortunately, in

car accessory-crazy Manila, car owners do not care to know

which is real protection. And even if they knew, they still

probably would not care, so long as the esthetics are right.

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Questions? Comments? Please e-mail seromero@hotmail.com.