I was installing splash guards yesterday and noticed that the rear wheel wells are covered by what is essentially...cardboard paper? Whereas the front is covered with plastic.

The paper feels kind of cheap. I have never had or noticed this on my previous car. Will it deteriorate quickly? (Ex. One wet and snowy winter)

Sprays wont work because it's a permeable fabric so coatings won't form well.

 

no.

it's main purpose is to muffle noise.

 

Thanks! That makes total sense. Can I powerwash it without breaking it?

 

well, go out and try.


ifyou think about how much abuse an undercarriage gets..... especially the wheel wells where debris gets kicked up by the tires...

 

I powerwash these all the time. That is the best way to get all the crap out that gathers in there. I just keep keep going until the water running out is clear. It's actually more like all-weather carpet than paper (like that thin stuff you see on outdoor porches sometimes)

 

that's the best way to describe it on my 2006 TL...it looks like carpet.
and exactly what i do, use the garden hose with a jet nozzle to clean it

 

Like a bidet?

 

even my Mercedes uses the same or similar material in the rear wheel wells. A lot of newer cars use it on all four wheel wells now.