FRONT BUMPER

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Can anyone tell me what the trim attached to the bottom of the front bumper is called? i.e the piece of pointless plastic that separates the bumper from the road or kerb. 
Washing my three month old Captiva yesterday, and noticed that the left hand piece has cracked and come away from the right hand piece. Can't remember scraping it, nor can my wife, but what I don't get is what a pointless piece of plastic it is. My last car, a Zafira, had a decent flexible rubber type strip that when it did come into contact with a kerb stone on rare occasions would flex, maybe mark, but never crack. 

This is supposed to be a rough off roading 4x4, so why put a cheap piece of plastic like that in a position that is likely to come into contact with the odd kerbstone from time to time, and break at the first opportunity.

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jonnybgood Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Dec 2011 Status: Offline Points: 28	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonnybgood Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: FRONT BUMPER Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 10:20am
	Can anyone tell me what the trim attached to the bottom of the front bumper is called? i.e the piece of pointless plastic that separates the bumper from the road or kerb. Washing my three month old Captiva yesterday, and noticed that the left hand piece has cracked and come away from the right hand piece. Can't remember scraping it, nor can my wife, but what I don't get is what a pointless piece of plastic it is. My last car, a Zafira, had a decent flexible rubber type strip that when it did come into contact with a kerb stone on rare occasions would flex, maybe mark, but never crack. This is supposed to be a rough off roading 4x4, so why put a cheap piece of plastic like that in a position that is likely to come into contact with the odd kerbstone from time to time, and break at the first opportunity.

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bigiainw Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Aug 2010 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 650	Post Options Post Reply Quote bigiainw Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 1:37pm
	Hi Jonny, If it's silver, it's called a skid plate. If it's not, I have no idea- perhaps you could post a pic? If you need a skid plate, there are suppliers other than dealers that I can point you to- just PM me. And they might be 4x4, but they're definitely not off-roaders! Iain Edited by bigiainw - 19 Feb 2012 at 1:38pm
	Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the back. Horsepower is how fast you hit and torque is how far you send the wall.

jonnybgood Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Dec 2011 Status: Offline Points: 28	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonnybgood Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 2:00pm
	Hi Iain It isn't the skid plate, its the plastic strip that is attached to the bottom of the bumper. It is about 2 inches wide and runs the entire length of the front bumper in two pieces. The bit that you always catch on the kerb if you park your car in a supermarket space and hang the end of the bonnet too far over the end of the space. I'll try and post a picture of the damaged strip later on today. Cheers Jon

bigiainw Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Aug 2010 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 650	Post Options Post Reply Quote bigiainw Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 3:16pm
	My '08 doesn't have anything there. Is this a new model feature? Also, it would need to be a bloody high kerb to catch anything under a captiva bumper. Edited by bigiainw - 19 Feb 2012 at 3:16pm
	Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the back. Horsepower is how fast you hit and torque is how far you send the wall.

jonnybgood Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Dec 2011 Status: Offline Points: 28	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonnybgood Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 4:37pm
	Just googled an image of an 08 Captiva, and you are right it doesn't have the strip that mine does underneath the front bumper. Googling the new Captiva front view, the strip is quite clear on a number of shots. It reduces the ground clearance by a couple of inches beneath the bumper, and will cause a problem on a higher than average kerb, especially when parking over it. My wife is at work at the moment, with the car, so I can't measure the exact clearance right now, nor can i get a picture to put on here of the damage.

K.L.Richards Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05 May 2010 Location: South Wales Status: Offline Points: 409	Post Options Post Reply Quote K.L.Richards Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 5:14pm
	Can easily see it on the picture of the new one here... http://www.chevroletownersclub.co.uk/ not sure what they call it, but I know I'm always putting it right on my wifes corsa... But the corsa is a little lower when it comes to driving over a kerb stone ...

bigiainw Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Aug 2010 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 650	Post Options Post Reply Quote bigiainw Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 6:33pm
	Usually called a splitter on sports cars, but on a captiva? I dunno, Annoying piece of plastic??
	Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the back. Horsepower is how fast you hit and torque is how far you send the wall.

jonnybgood Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Dec 2011 Status: Offline Points: 28	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonnybgood Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 7:34pm
	I measured the ground clearance when my wife got home an hour ago, about six inches. Not sure of it's purpose, perhaps there to protect the bumper, but it should be made of a more flexible material, like on previous cars i have owned, else don't have it there at all. Will take it in to the dealer some time, to see what they suggest. Hopefully a cheap fix, but it will only happen again in the future no doubt. I'm not really fussed to be honest, it's only a cracked piece of plastic in a position that doesn't show, but my wife wants me to have a rant at the dealership about why such a feeble piece of plastic is in such a position on a 4x4!!

Moboy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 41	Post Options Post Reply Quote Moboy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 12:55pm
	Have to agree. It should be made of a rubberised flexible strip. Good luck with the dealer.

Keith L Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 31 Oct 2011 Location: S.Wales Status: Offline Points: 15	Post Options Post Reply Quote Keith L Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 1:35pm
	I have been concerned about this strip for a while and will be looking at option of removing it altogether now that you have confirmed one of my fears over the poor quality of the strip.

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