any mechanics out there (car)

[chilly]

i want the oil and filters doing on my citroen C4. anybody who has owned one and contemplated doing it themselves will know what a faff it is. the air filter takes about an hour and the oil cant be dropped till the big shield under the front of the car has been removed. my problem is (sorry mechanics) i dont trust em to do a proper job so want to do it myself. would it be ok to leave the big plastic shield off and drive as normal? i only say that about mechanics because when i have taken cars for service before the oil has not been done. i know this cos it is black as coal and the old manky filter was still in place. cars of the past never had these things fitted,im sure its just to stop you doing stuff yourself

[BBROWN1664]

The undertray is there to help with heating/cooling the engine compartment as well as directing airflow under the car.

You probably wouldnt be suprised at the number of them that can be found in workshops where fitters have forgotten to put them back on. I doubt it would cause any problems.

[AdieR]

As far as I know, most of these plastics / trays are simply to muffle engine noise (ie, to make the car quieter). I can't see why removal would be a problem to be honest.

[chilly]

i had thought about locating the drain plug then using a hole saw to put a 2" hole in there just to drop the oil.

[Lawrence]

They're also there to catch any small tools, nuts, bolts etc that you might drop, making you spend 15 minutes finding it and fishing it out instead of just picking it up off the floor.

[papercutout]

The only difference I suspect you'll notice with it gone is 1-2mpg difference. It's mainly there for aerodynamics. Every car I have, has it ripped off because I do all the work myself!