The cover under my engine fell off. Dealer said warranty won’t cover it and wants 250 to replace. Truck is only a year old. Cover looked pretty flimsy. Do I really need it!

 

Are you referring to the fiberboard "diaper"? If so, that's a common problem... mine lasted a few oil changes and that was it. Having something isn't a bad idea, as not having one exposes you more to debris strikes. But, for not much more money, you could consider real skid plates from someone like RCI. Do it once and you won't have to worry about it again.

 

When mine broke with only about 10,000 miles on the truck, the dealership told me it wasn't a warranty item. He said they will usually remove them on trade-ins and not replace them. I've been driving it without for about 6 months with no issues. It makes it easier to do oil changes without having to remove it.

 

Driving with the cover missing will void your warranty.

 

I would push back on your dealer. I know some of us on here got theirs covered by warranty

Also
Super easy to replace yourself!
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts...over-jl3z7222c

You may even be able to find it locally.

 

Do the have a skid plate that specifically replaces the diaper and maybe even has an opening for an oil drain? I looked at their website and it’s not clear. The protection would be nice but not having to fumble with it for an oil change would make it irresistible.

 

The engine skid plate has a port you can remove; however, from what I've read, it's still a messy proposal. They also sell one of the oil drains (Ronin maybe?) so their intention is likely for you to use that plus a hose to drain the oil. It would be the filter that would be the challenge.

That said, simply removing the pan shouldn't be too hard.

 

Yeah, pretty common. Dealer wouldn't warranty mine either. Don't bother putting another one on, get a real skid plate instead. I went with an RCI and it took me under an hour to install it. https://rcimetalworks.com/https:/rci...on-skid-plate/

 

Ouch.. $275. I can almost replace the cloth diaper 3 times for that price

 

Time is money. I'd rather replace it once and be done.