hood insulation- do you need it?

[MackinE46]

My hood insulation, the black foam lining stuff under the hood, is starting to tear apart and theres a big patch thats missing and it looks like shit. Is this needed for heat absorption purposes or anything? Would i be okay if i just removed it altogether?

If anyone has removed this piece without any problems let me know, i think i might do it.

[solgoodband]

I took mine out when I had my car painted and never put it back in - no problems and it's been off for 6 months in hot and cold weather.

[strad]

I drove mine around for a couple years without the liner in place. There were no ill effects. I did end up putting it back in (actually I bought one, since my car didn't have one when I bought the car), partly because I heard somewhere that in the event of a fire the insulation might help smother it. Not that I'd care much at that point in time lol. Generally if a car this cheap catches fire it's gonna total.

[MParallel]

I always thought it was a sound absorber. Took mine off when a new hood was fitted and never put the old one back. Found out it doesn't do a thing for the sound at all, so my guess was it was more a fire blanket.

The outside of the hood does get warm but not enough to care. I'm actually planning on cutting mine so I only have the center part left and probably refit that piece.

I like it now as I have instant access to the heated jets and plumbing and I definitely don't want to loosen up the hoodpins as it was a pain to refit these in the exact good position so you can close the hood without any friction (lower it all the way down, then press it into the locks with a single finger).

[Volf]

Dont need it. From what i have read it functions as some sort of fire suppression device.

Sent from my DROID X2 using BF.com

[coolpizzadude]

I think it's mainly used to insulate the sound from the engine. You should be fine removing it.

[Hellmet]

I think its for fires. Im pretty sure it should melt in the heat, dribble down and put out the fire.

[flyfishvt]

I think its for fires. Im pretty sure it should melt in the heat, dribble down and put out the fire.

RealOEM has it listed as Sound Insulation. There isn't enough material there to put out any fires.

[orangehatter]

It is purely sound insulation, not a heat shield, and definitely not a fire blanket. You are kidding yourself if you think that rag-tag, moth-eaten foam material is going to put out any engine fire. I've run without mine for well over a year with zero effects to the paint on the hood...hell lots of older cars and even some newer did not have any insulation under the hood. It wasn't until cars got "quieter" for the average person's comfort that hood insulation really popped up in vehicles...a la 1990s.

[MParallel]

Yes it is listed as sound insulation but on my car it didn't make any difference at all. Or at least, not something that is audible for me.

[DJCarbine]

Trust me, it won't put out a fire in your engine bay. It just chars and gets toasty.

[flyfishvt]

Yes it is listed as sound insulation but on my car it didn't make any difference at all. Or at least, not something that is audible for me.

AHHHH but you forget that BMW is about the "total driving experience". That includes how quiet it is inside AND out.