plastic engine cover question

i dont believe so, i believe its for looks in america, but i dont think i'd be any different in australia. but im not 100% sure

Just looks bro. Nothing else. It's just so it doesn't look all... metal.

It does serve a purpose though: cover :chuckles:

no real purpose.. i like it better without them, because i like looking at my engine. but if you want better looks i say keep them or keep them and paint them

i see, i see.
thanks for your responses fellas.
i always had a hint that it was just for cosmetic looks.

It's not only cosmetic.
The engine covers also help keep out dirt etc from the areas covered.

My point exactly. Talking about the 2ZZ here: Originally there was a foam padding under the cover too. This combo is to help keep the area around the injectors clean, as it's an area that is prone to accumulate dirt with time. The foam also served to help isolate the area a little from the hot air coming from the fans.

Granted, most people that don't have the cover keep their engine clean anyway and it won't hurt the engine not having the cover. Only thing else I can say is at least we see most of our engine, unlike those huge covers that most luxury brands use these days to make the bay look stylish. That's why I like to look at pictures of Ferrari engine bays, the engine is a piece of art itself, managing to make all the different components look stylish without a cover to spice things up.

The spark plugs and connectors are under the cover.

If they are dirty and not cleaned properly before changing them (will a cheap mechanic care?), this dirt can fall inside of the engine. With the cover they are pretty clean.