By Automotive Online on April 1, 2009 6:17 AM

  Heat shields, form a basic part of automobile exhaust system whose function is to discharge burned gases or steam off the vehicle so that they do not have affect on the person using the vehicle. But, its a common belief amongst the auto users that heat shields are not very important and one can do without it. In order to understand this, one needs to know the function of heat shields.


Function of Heat Shields

Heat Shields – Guards made of metal are used to shield the automobile exhaust system from excessive heat. These heat shields cover the different part of auto exhaust system and provide protection from excessive heat that is caused by the exhaust from the vehicle.



Types of Heat Shields

Most of the modern automobile comprises of two types of heat shields that are – top shields & bottom shields. The functions of both these shields are same that is to act as defense against destructive and enormous heat released through the exhaust system.

Top Shield – In a car, top shield helps to prevent extreme heat from moving up. If there is no top heat shield in a vehicle, the excess of heat from exhaust would move towards the floor of the car. In many cases, it might become the cause of drying out of shifters. Since the heat shields are below the passenger compartment in a car, this heat might also damage the bottom of automobile chassis.

Bottom Shields – None of the car parts are there without any specific and substantial reason. And this is also true with bottom shields. These auto parts as part of heat production products ensures that no combustible material below the car does not catch fire due to excessive heat.

Just to explain, if you park the car in an area with dry grass, it is quite possible that heat from x pipes, down pipes, y pipes or from other exhaust pipes heat up the area below. This heat might set the grass on fire which might be fatal. Therefore, bottom heat shields are important for any automobile.