edde333

I have an 07 tl and have been looking to buy a new hood-Insulator but haven't had any luck finding one for my 07. Would anyone know of a place or website I can buy one. Many thanks.

FamilyGuy

Just remove it. That was the first thing I did on mine, literally the second I got home from the dealer.

Otherwise go to acuraoemparts.com

polobunny

Why?

FamilyGuy

Why what?

polobunny

Why did you remove it?

NBP04TL4ME

Agreed, not sure why you would remove that. Doesn't it protect the hood and paint from high engine compartment heat?

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Contact one of our parts vendors:

AcuraZine Community - Vendor Directory

FamilyGuy

Several of us have removed it without any damage or impact to hood or paint. Should also help cooling through the hood, and save almost 2lbs of weight, which is insignicant but still.

thoiboi

I remember reading somewhere that it wasn't insulation so much as a blanket to put out engine fires (i.e. if your engine caught on fire, the pad would fall off and smother it..?)

http://www.mvfri.org/Contracts/Final...Insulation.pdf

FamilyGuy

Not 100% sure, but I think the main uses for these insulators are sound suppression or as a fire blanket. It may help protect the paint on the hood as well long term, but it can also raise under hood temps, which will deteriorate plastic and rubber materials faster over time.

My last car was a turbo, which ran much hotter, and I had the hood insulator off for 3-4 years, no damage to paint whatsoever.

The hood and quarter panels get hot no matter what, even when the cars sit on the dealer lot under the sun for months until sold. Think Texas / Arizona / Latin america. Insulator does nothing there.

I took mine off primarily for better engine cooling, using the hood as a heat sink. The weight removal was a bonus.

polobunny

I believe most of it is sound deadening rather than flame retardation. I simply asked why, to genuinely know why.


Also conclusion of paper posted above:

FamilyGuy

Yeah they don't put out a fire, they just slow it down. Good for time to escape and fire dept to arrive. The plastic clips melt, blanket falls down and smothers things a bit. Happened to a friend of mine back in high school, while she was skipping lunch

Acura did a lot of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) suppression on these cars, so I'd guess that is its main function.

Oh Sickest TL

iTrader: (3)

good way to get crows feet on your hood too (over time of course)

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

negative son.

crows feat is clear coat failure from not taking care of the paint; ie: NOT waxing it and keeping it protected from UV rays. IE: FROM THE SUN!

p.s. Ive had the fire suppressor/hood insulation off for 4 years now.

polobunny

Yeah I think there's lots of misinformation regarding the under hood insulator, probably because of no actual paper defining the use of it to be found anywhere.

Like I said, probably to keep the engine warmer longer (efficient to have less cold starts) and sound deadening. Good for the northerners, not so good for the southerners.

alexb92

This question gets asked all the time and like others have stated, there is a lot of misinformation about it. It's primary use is to deaden the sound of the engine. It is by all means not used as a fire suppressant; some low end cars don't come with this equipped. It may help retain heat in the winter. It is also not used to protect the paint!

0utl

Yeah i was just about to mention the fact that all 3 Hondas that i owned previously did not have 1 either. I have been debating on taking mine out for awhile since when i got the car it has a ripped up spot where some insulation will dangle and I just push it back in, but man is it not the first thing you notice when you open the hood lol i hate it.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^lol.

rip that sucker off!

FamilyGuy

I've owned cars that didn't come with one too. The hoods looked better than the rest of the car by the time I sold each one

truonghthe

just replace it with a new one from any vendor here.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

do ya'll remember tim the tool man taylor?

just like him; i like my machines manly. *cue tim's manly laugh*

I tore that sucker off in like the first month of ownership.
gives it a more of a machined look.

Bare metal, because it's fucking metal

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

why honda decided to add it we'll never really know. without some kind of documentation, all we are doing is speculating, even if it makes sense. It's like, trying to put words in someones mouth just because we think it fits. They could have put it there for all the little reasons combined, and not any single reason alone.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

Not so.

I shit canned mine as well. Never underestimate the cumulative effect of weight reduction. I also did it since it was filthy. Engine bay stays much cleaner now.

0utl

So for all that have removed it, can you hear the engine more in the cabin?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you dont want to hear that sweet v6 singing?

if it did let more noise in, its very minimal.
aftermarket exhausts are louder than what you could ever distinguish between hoodmat and no hoodmat.

0utl

Not the case at all! I ask because I love the sound and hearing it a little more would be a bonus along with never having to look at the insulator again

FamilyGuy

For me the extra engine sound was barely noticeable. This car is very quiet on the stock intake and exhaust. Go for it

EL BAN

Mine had a top corner kind of bend after the engine was hosed down when importing the car.. Was starting to drop a little more every time I looked at it so I just removed it..