I’ve had the rad out on my 06 1.8 NC (manual box & no A/C) as part of a full service & cooling system overhaul. As I removed the engine undertray a large, boomerang-shaped spongy foam strip fell out from the front RH area . It’s about 40cm long and 4cm x 4cm in cross section (so not small!) and looks to be moulded or cut into the boomerang shape, which sort of matches the curvature of the front bumper lower edge as it runs around to meet the front wheel arch. It has no holes, clips or evidence of an adhesive surface to retain it.
There was only one of these blocks and for the life of me I can’t see where it fits. I have looked at the Haynes manual and Mellens site but can find no sign or mention of it.
The car is bog standard and has been well looked after by its previous owners.
My question is, does anyone recognise this foam part and have any guidance as to where it should fit? Should there be a matching pair?
I haven’t ruled out the possibility that it’s a foreign object, but it just seems unlikely in such a hard to get at area.
Hiya Drew, I had my front bumper off many times on my 2007 1.8 NC which included the removal of the under tray. Never came across such a thing as you describe? The only thing I’ve noticed is this on page 16
I think they use foam like this to make sure the airflow through the radiator is funnelled through correctly, ( ie it doesn’t just go around the rad but goes through it to cool it ) so it will be there for a reason and will have a correct location however I have not taken mine apart so cannot be sure exactly where .
Thanks everyone for this amazingly quick multiple response! I’ll try and put a picture up, if I can work out how… It’s all going back in next weekend, so I’ll be taking a close look for any gaps that this foam might fit in then & if there is a specific home I can find I’ll report back. Otherwise I’ll leave it off and take the weight saving!
Just finished a mammoth cold, wet & filthy jetwash exercise on the underside, so with that grim job out of the way I’m about to tackle a full Dinitrol treatment, once it’s dried out. Looking forward to the enjoyable bit!
I seem to remember seeing this when I removed the under engine plastic covers. If someone has them off at present maybe they could take a look. Visible from beneath
It’s not unusual to find rigid foam used in deformation structures usually in the a and bc pillars to help maintain shape in the event of an accident. The front end is a primary deformation part and could well contain such a part. They would not normally be shown in parts lists as if they required replacement chances are the car would be a total write off anyway. Unless you have access to a factory assembly manual then the chances are that they are not recorded anywhere else. I presume your car has not suffered any front end damage?
There is a piece of foam with the same dimensions you describe which is glued to the rear of the undertray - but it’s straight and not curved.
If you don;t have a long piece of foam glued to your undertray then maybe it came loose and developed a curved shape from being wedged in there?
I tried finding a pic of the item but the best I could come up with is the other side of the undertray, but I’ve highlighted where the foam goes on the other side and there’s a rectangular slit in the middle and you can see the foam through it if you look carefully.
I think you’ve sussed it there Bainbridge - the foam strip shown on your 2nd pic looks to have the same proportions as my mystery piece! There was no strip on my undertray that matches that shown, so it looks likely that’s where it should go. I’ll have a look for signs of adhesive residue now I’ve cleaned everything up.
Thanks for the reply and for your trouble in posting these helpful pics.
By means of a late update, once I’d cleaned up the undertray and taken a careful look it was clear where it fits - exactly as per the Bainbridge pic. The moulding even has feint guide lines moulded into it to show exactly where the foam is positioned, thanks to the typically impressive Japanese attention to detail.
So, once again thanks to all of you who contributed to a successful outcome - cheers!
I’ll try and upload a pic with this post to illustrate
