Underbody panels-How to tighten

kosmo · 17th June 2008, 02:28

While changing the oil I noticed that many of the screws holding the underbody panels were loose. After several attempts I gave up as the the screws wouldnt tighten, either because the screw is stripped or the nut backing the screw was missing. Any suggestions?

rneedham1979 · 17th June 2008, 04:07

Their isnt a nut. Its a small clip that requires you to really push the screw to get it to grab. The problem is people (including dealers) half *** this part of the job. If it wasnt reinstalled correctly the clip maybe missing or you just may have to dick with it for a while to get it right. I had the same issue when i got my car. It is a pita.

Good luck

Ryan

jclyman · 17th June 2008, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by rneedham1979

Their isnt a nut. Its a small clip that requires you to really push the screw to get it to grab. The problem is people (including dealers) half *** this part of the job. If it wasnt reinstalled correctly the clip maybe missing or you just may have to dick with it for a while to get it right. I had the same issue when i got my car. It is a pita.

Good luck

Ryan

They came from the factory with 4 10mm bolts and 4 of those screw thingys you mention (8 fasteners all together). Most dealers just don't replace them at all or replace them with all screw thingys. You're right they are difficult to tighten. There are also two lenghts of screw thingys ... long and short (black - long, and silver - short). And, trying to get a dealer to fix them isn't easy!

I got mine fixed properly once, and again it is not correct. This time I will fix it myself.

Need4Spd · 17th June 2008, 10:31

I believe they're called Dzus fasteners. They're supposed to be quick release fasteners; twist 1/4 to half turn to fasten/unfasten. But as others noted, they're a bit tricky, and one can easily not seat them correctly, in which case they can fall out. If enough of them fall out, you can lose the underbody panel. This doesn't seem as trivial as one might expect. The loons working on the cars often don't care, but the underbody panels are important for control of airflow under the car. Loss of panels can result in excessive noise or more importantly, lift or some other undesireable effect at high speeds. In fact, I have found things missing underneath after dealer visits such as the "door" leading to the oil pan drain plug.