Does my car exhaust system really need a heat-shield?

Factual Questions
1

Hi everyone,

I recently had half of my '95 Honda Civic’s ehaust system replaced because it was completely rusted through. Now the other half is giving me problems. Specifically, my heat shield started dragging on the pavement, so I ripped the thing off. I’m not really keen on the idea of shelling out several hundred dollars more (I’m a graduate student), and a friend of mine swears that the only purpose the heat shield serves is to prevent me from setting things beneath the car on fire (i.e. if I drove through a dry grassy field I might leave a brush fire in my wake :P). Anyone have the straight dope on this?

Thanks,
-ollie-

2

You should never leave a car idleing in high grass. It has nothing to do with the muffler but the catalytic converter may well catch the grass on fire.

As for the heat shield my guess is it stops the heat from radiating uo through the floor boards.

3

The heat shield lies beneath the converter. On some cars, there is a shield under the front exhaust pipe, as well.

The purpose of these shields is to prevent anything underneath the car from directly contacting these very hot exhaust components.

Unfortunately, the shield, in itself, is not replaceable, without replacing these exhaust parts. So, some people simply remove it.

4

Scenario: papasmurf parks his civic on the side of the street. Just bare pavement underneath. Some leaves get blown under the car by passing vehicles. (Parked cars make excellent leaf catchers.) Leaves catch fire, car catches fire, fire dept. wastes time and money putting out papasmurf’s former car. My taxes go up. I am not happy with papasmurf.

Car fires like these happen a lot. Removing the heat shield is penny wise and pound foolish.