Since the F8x M3/M4 was designed to make impressive power in stock form (and loads more with upgrades) these cars feature some heavy duty cooling hardware. In order to keep oil temperatures down (something many late model M cars have struggled with) requires a large oil cooler. BMW engineers positioned the oil cooler quite low under the car, positioned horizontally - an aerodynamic design which creates a vacuum force while driving, drawing heat from the oil cooler. The issue some of the vehicle owners have experienced is road debris from small branches to chunks of ice have impacted the OE belly pan hard enough to crack the oil cooler - draining the car's oil rapidly. Being one of the lowest points of the car, even a close encounter with a parking block can mean the end of the road for the factory belly pan - and oil cooler. Damage to the belly pan means reduced cooling, which can result in dangerously high engine temperatures. Once the belly pan is damaged, there is no longer any protection for the oil cooler, meaning damage to the cooler and a catastrophic loss in oil pressure may be right around the corner.
The lightweight Turner skid plate comes in just 3 lbs heavier than stock with a total weight of just 5 lbs - additional poundage that is a valuable addition. Designed using 8 gauge 5052 aluminum, this skid plate offers plenty of strength to protect your oil cooler. We also made sure this would be an easy, reversible upgrade by maintaining OE mounting locations and hardware that requires NO cutting or modification to your vehicle for fitment. Our engineering team also felt it was important to maintain some of the cooling features the BMW engineers spec'd out such as having a trim seal to fit snugly against the cooler edges to create the same vacuum cooling effects as stock.
Features:
- In-house designed to maintain OE cooling and fitment
- Manufactured from 8 gauge 5052 aluminum
- Maintains factory hardware and mounting points
- No cutting, drilling, or modification required
- 5 lbs total weight, only 3 lbs more than the plastic OE
- Made in America!
If new factory hardware is required, use part number 07149126886. 11 required in total to secure this skid plate.
