# 2008 Acura TL - Do I need heat shield **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** acura\ **Created:** [March 13, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981 "2020-03-13T15:35:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charles56](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Charles56](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charles56)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/1 "2020-03-13T15:35:58Z")
The top heat shield on my muffler was loose and when I took it to a shop the mechanic just took it off and told me to come back when something serious was wrong with the car. Do I need it ?.. ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/2 "2020-03-13T17:52:58Z")
Yes. Find a better mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/3 "2020-03-13T17:56:36Z")
The replacement mufflers at Rock Auto don’t have heat shields, that is usually an OEM feature. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/4 "2020-03-13T21:16:54Z")
It should be reinstalled - although it seems the bottom half was already gone? Long worm-drive hose clamps can do it. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/5 "2020-03-13T21:22:00Z")
Above the muffler? I wouldn’t worry about it. The heat shields for the catalytic converter on my Honda rusted off years ago. No problem. > **[Car Talk: Don't exhaust yourself replacing heat shields](https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Car-Talk-Don-t-exhaust-yourself-replacing-heat-1182441.php)** > > (1) Why does Honda (or any manufacturer) install the dang things if all they do is rattle and fall off? (2) After the heat shield had been gone for nearly a year, my exhaust manifold cracked. The bottom shields are there so that if you park on tall,... Tester ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/6 "2020-03-13T21:22:13Z")
Aren’t Heat shields over the catalytic converters rather than muffler? ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/7 "2020-03-13T21:24:15Z")
Agree with @Tester – I’ve had lots of Hondas that have lost their above-cat heat shields. I just drive on. But if you’re the type who keeps driving around instead of pulling over when the check engine light is flashing, then you might want to re-think that. Engine problems can cause the cat to heat up beyond expectations at which point the heat shield can become important. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/8 "2020-03-13T21:29:27Z")
My bender guy spot welded it back on for $10, my philosophy if it was not needed they would not have gotten it past the bean counters to include it. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/9 "2020-03-13T22:09:41Z")
My brother in law had the carpets of his Ford burn up when the car went out of tune, and the Cat without a shield seriously overheated. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/10 "2020-03-13T22:19:27Z")
> [@Docnick](#): > > My brother in law had the carpets of his Ford burn up when the car went out of tune, And he couldn’t smell anything before that happened? Tester ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/11 "2020-03-13T23:45:47Z")
> [@Barkydog](#): > > my philosophy if it was not needed they would not have gotten it past the bean counters to include it. That’s my take as well. In general, cars don’t have unnecessary parts. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/12 "2020-03-14T12:35:55Z")
He was driving with the windows open and by the time he smelled it the scorching was well enough advanced. Of course he pulled over at a service station and doused the floor with water. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 12:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/13 "2020-03-14T12:48:30Z")
This has been discussed previously where I also described my experience with almost starting carpet on fire. By the time you realize what’s going on, the cat is red hot. But it’s being cooled by airflow. It gets even hotter when you stop and that’s when mine really started smoking. I wasn’t fortunate enough to be near any water source or other means of help at the time… ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/14 "2020-03-14T13:32:01Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > Aren’t Heat shields over the catalytic converters rather than muffler? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that some cars also need them over the muffler. My father’s '59 Plymouth Belvedere had a rubber mat floor covering, rather than carpeting, and the amount of heat radiating through the floor on the passenger side of the car was… disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-acura-tl-do-i-need-heat-shield/160981/15 "2020-03-14T21:12:55Z")
Yes, I had a Buick Electra, the tail pipe from the resonator broke off, before I got it replaced the heat partially melted my tail light lense.