Hi all,

I bought a coupe not too long ago, and reading the forums here have been very helpful. Unfortunately, today I scraped the underside of my front bumper in a parking lot. I was checking out this girl for a split second out of my driver's side window, and when I looked forward I was just in time to see a low curb go under my car. I heard a small crunch as I hit the brakes. I immediately backed up and drove around the building to inspect the damage (to avoid looking like a fool in front of the chick).

Well, my clear bra was scraped off in one tiny spot on the front, but I think (pray) the paint underneath is fine. I'll check tomorrow during the day. However, there is a gray plastic piece that juts down under the front bumper that has partially broken off on the left side. I don't know what it's called, but the unbroken side is bendable, and every feet or so the plastic is cut vertically.

What is this piece and do I need to replace it? It's not noticeable until I lower my head under the front bumper, so I doubt it's for cosmetic reasons. Please advise.

 

I have no idea, but I know another guy new to the forum is an Infiniti technician with a post in the newbie subforum, perhaps post in his thread and see if he can answer? There's also subforums for various mechanical issues. I'm a n00b both forumwise and car wise (Only had my g37x for bit less then a month now) so wish I could help more, hope this helps some.

 

thanks arvig for the guidance. i also have an x coupe thats a little over 2 months old. loving it so far.

 

Everyone lowered has probably broken or chipped the piece you are talking about it. You can't see it unless you are lying on the ground. Don't worry about it.

 

thanks, but do you know what that piece is called? from my goggle research, all i could come up with is splash guard and air dam, both of which serve a purpose. my concern is, if infiniti added it to our cars, it must have some functionality, right?

apparently, air dams channel air to the radiator, which theoretically helps the engine stay cool, and air dams also aid in fuel efficiency through aerodynamics. splash guards protect the underside of the car. both sound fairly important.

 

i've done that before too. don't sweat it. that hardened rubber piece is there as a pliable buffer between the ground/curb and your car.