engine hood heat shied

my 3 (07 3 i touring) does not have the engine hood underside heat shield, it came to my attention today when I was in a traffic jam right after 45 minutes freeway driving in rain. I saw the water vapor rising from the hood, suggesting the hood is hot. I've opened the hood many times before, but did not pay attention to the underside. Does your 3 have the heat shield? 

is the heat shield that tin foil looking thing at the back of the engine compartment? because if so then yea i have it.

I think he's talking about the insulation on the underside of the hood.  It should be there unless there was a change for 07, but I wouldn't be worried if it's not.  it won't hurt anything.

well its like a ribbed tin foil look and its all over the back of my engine firewall

quote:

ORIGINAL: jaimie08mazda3

well its like a ribbed tin foil look and its all over the back of my engine firewall

I believe it is a heat sheild for the firewall. The hood as said above has a inslulating liner on it at least on my MS3.

quote:

ORIGINAL: wineye

my 3 (07 3 i touring) does not have the engine hood underside heat shield, it came to my attention today when I was in a traffic jam right after 45 minutes freeway driving in rain. I saw the water vapor rising from the hood, suggesting the hood is hot. I've opened the hood many times before, but did not pay attention to the underside. Does your 3 have the heat shield? 

 
I also have an 07 3i touring, and I do not have a hood heat shield.  The plastic housing above the engine does prevent my hood from getting too hot.  I just came back from a 1/2 hour drive and touched my hood - it was cool everywhere except for a spot about a foot in diameter in the middle of the hood roughly between the windshield washer nozzles (above the exhaust manifold at the rear of the engine).  The spot was not hot, it was merely warm.  On a high humidity day, I could see a cool rain could causing steaming.

'07 GX.
i dont have a heat sheild under my hood.

Thanks for your confirmations......just to clarify, I meant the liner thing attached to the underside of the hood, not the allumnium foil on the firewall for the exhaust. don't understand why Mazda would skip that (cost cutting, maybe). Anyways, thanks again.

or maybe they decided it was not needed?
like, imo, its just keeping the heat inside the engine bay

2007 3i, Did not have insulation. I took that crap off my jetta the day I bought it in 2004 and no problem with heat

I have a 2008 and it does have the insulation for the hood...

i have it.... i think hahaa. yea im answering when i dont know fully but is it that insulation under the hood

yes, the insulation under the hood...ha ha

I don't think you do Jamie.  Damn it, 9:30pm and I had to go look.  What an obsession.  I should seek help, I mean really.
Anyway, the under hood insulation would be a large tinfoil insulation pad that totaly covers the underside of the hood.  It's design is to maintain the heat of the engine for fuel econmy I believe.
 
Don't really need it.  It also provides some sound deadener if you will and who wants that.
 
There is the rubber pad that sits on the front lip of the hood.  That keeps the dirt out.  It also caused me 2 hours of frustration when I could not get my damn hood deflector on right.  But....alas...that's another story I suppose.
 
The tinfoil you see on the firewall above the manifold is too prevent the cabin from getting hot in the summer.
 
 

just hold on im gonna check.... okkay back. wow 9:52 and went to go check my car... in 0 degree celsius cold. blah. just to find out I DONT HAVE ONE gahhhhhhhhhhh what a waste of time :D

Never a waste my friend...............it's an obsession!

lol i went on msn and a girl asked me what i was doing i was like i juts came back from looking under the hood of my car to check if i had something. she tells me im a nerd cuz i love my car soo much. im like nooo just obssessed :D. TRUEEEEEEE its never a waste when its a car. hmmm tomorrow cleaning it :D :D make it look sexy and sparkly for my date wednesday wahoo

The purpose of the hood insulation is mostly to prevent the hood from getting too hot.  What's the problem with heat?  The main reason is it is not good for the paint to be heated to a hot temp over and over (look at older cars that have a weathered paint spot in the middle of hood - that's degradation from it being heated to a very hot temp over and over). 
 
Those who say they do have the hood insulation ... I wonder if they have the 2.3 engine?  Stands to reason a bigger engine would put out more heat, necessitating the insulation to protect the hood.
 
The "tinfoil" on the firewall is a heat insulator, yes, but if you look at what is directly behind the it, you'll see a collection of hoses and lines.  The tinfoil is there mostly to protect the hoses and lines.

i have the hood insulation on my 2004 wagon (2.3 liter)

Yep.  Urban says it better. 
 
Might be the 2.3's get hot.
 
2.0's don't get that hot too worry about.  Aluminum mostly.  Almost cool to the touch.  Not like the cast iron blocks they used to use.

i dont see the point of the under hood insulation.
 
engines operate more efficently when they are colder.
something like 80% of an engine's efficiecncy is lost to heat loss.
 
if anytihng, more cars should have vents to get all that hot air out of the engine bay.

Thanks to all, esp to Jaimie to check for the insulation. Just to be sure, I called a mazda dealer nearby, their parts dept, thinking that if the 2.0L had it, it'd be offered by their parts dept. The parts guy searched and told me that they don't offer that for the 2.0L, they do, however, offer that for 2.3L and turbo (the speed3) engines, mainly for engine noise absorption, not for heat insulation (i was hoping it's used for heat insulation to protect the paint of the hood).

As for the engine heat, the engine cover is warm to the touch, but man the exposed engine mount (the one on the passager side, if you stand in front of the car, facing the wind shield, it's on your left), touch the engine mount bolts after driving, it's burning HOT!

Anyway, the parts guy told me that I could get one for the 2.3L since the hood is the same as on the 2.0L engine, he quoted me $130 plus fastners. If it's 13 bucks, I would get it, not for more than 130 bucks. no way. did somebody mention he likes to hear the engine roar?

no problems. its all because i love my car :D

quote:

ORIGINAL: wineye

Thanks to all, esp to Jaimie to check for the insulation. Just to be sure, I called a mazda dealer nearby, their parts dept, thinking that if the 2.0L had it, it'd be offered by their parts dept. The parts guy searched and told me that they don't offer that for the 2.0L, they do, however, offer that for 2.3L and turbo (the speed3) engines, mainly for engine noise absorption, not for heat insulation (i was hoping it's used for heat insulation to protect the paint of the hood).

As for the engine heat, the engine cover is warm to the touch, but man the exposed engine mount (the one on the passager side, if you stand in front of the car, facing the wind shield, it's on your left), touch the engine mount bolts after driving, it's burning HOT!

Anyway, the parts guy told me that I could get one for the 2.3L since the hood is the same as on the 2.0L engine, he quoted me $130 plus fastners. If it's 13 bucks, I would get it, not for more than 130 bucks. no way. did somebody mention he likes to hear the engine roar?

 
I'm not placing a lot of faith in what the parts guy said.  Why would the 2.3 be incredibly loud, and the 2.0 be quiet?  I could see the turbo might be uniquely loud, but the non-turbo 2.3 is the same as the 2.0 except for its size/displacement (ie. same aspiration and fuel delivery systems).
 
My old Toyota did not have hood insulation, and the middle of the hood got HOT (and the paint was shot in that spot).  My M3 gets merely warm.  I wonder what the fasteners cost ... I bet you could buy some hood insulation off a wreck at a junk yard, cut it and rig it into your hood if your concerned. 

i dont think it does all taht much really. if there isnt one in my car that must mean that it really didnt need it. sure if its a turbo charged endgine or something along those lines that uses alot of heat then yea. but for a 2.0 its not a big deal. and im pretty sure that i will never need one.