Car Mechanical help required.

[Buff]

A part fell of my car today. Well, it didn't fall completely off. It dragged on the road until I got it home. Something had been rattling for a couple of weeks now, but I just didn't have the time to get it looked into. Then on my way home from work I heard the rattling stop and suddenly something was dragging on the road.

I pulled over and looked and it wasn't anything that appeared to be mechanical and I wasn't far from home so I continued on my merry way. When I got home I laid on the ground reached under the car and pulled the part off. It was welded on to the underside of the car and it appears to be a guard of some sort. I have no idea what exactly it guards though and how vital it is for my car. I suspect it is for the exhaust but I'm not a mechanic. It was welded in four points, basically the four corners. The welding broke on three of the corners and was ready to come off on the last corner. This guard is rectangular, probably a foot and a half long, half a foot wide and curved. It covered some piping or hosing that lead out to the muffler... as far as I could tell, I couldn't get a good look since I didn't hoist it up on a jack.

It is a 1994 Ford Tempo and even though it is a Ford it is an ok car.

Can anybody tell me what came off of my car and how vital it is for my car?

[Bobblehead]

Pure guess, but it sounds like a shield the prevents stuff from touching a catalytic converter (those get super hot). If that is the case then it isn't crucial. Know anybody with an arc welder? It's probably pretty easy to re-tack in place.

[Ironhorse]

I'm with Bobblehead, sounds like a heatshield / skidplate.

[Shawnski]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

I'm with Bobblehead, sounds like a heatshield / skidplate.

Make that three.

You can run without it, but do not park in high grass, or anything that could catch fire easily.

[arsenal]

At least your entire muffler didn't fall off. That happened to me in creston my way to christina lake.. that was a crappy day..

[CrusaderPi]

Originally Posted by arsenal

At least your entire muffler didn't fall off. That happened to me in creston my way to christina lake.. that was a crappy day..

I lost a muffler once. When I put a new one on my car stopped working all together. In retrospect I blame buying a $500 20 year old Chrysler for my vehicle problems that summer.

[4X4]

Whatever it was, it shouldn't have been welded. Are there any holes? I mean, holes where bolts should or could have been? If not, there should be some visual evidence that the part was either extraneous or else attached to something greater. Either way, it should be visually obvious.
There are no random heat or skid plates welded to Tempos, Sunfires or stock 4x4s (where they'd actually serve a purpose). Everything on a car is removable.

[Buff]

Well, my dad looked at it and he thinks it may be some sort of heat/skid gaurd too. I can't quite get underneath to see it but I believe it was welded onto something that is removable.

Too bad my sister-in-law got divorced and her ex turned out to be a complete jerk. I could've taken it to his garage and he would've looked after it for free labour... I was only a block away from his garage when it happened too. I'm going to blame her for not waiting another year to get divorced.