Under engine splash gaurd?

I have a 97' XJ and there is no plastic splash gaurd under the motor. Am I supposed to have one there? My friends 92' has one, and so has every car I've ever owned.

Did my 97 have one at one point?
Will one off a older XJ fit?

My 97 had one. It was rubber though, not plastic.

I had my engine replaced about 4 years ago and they didn't bother to replace it after taking it off. It had several tears in the mounting holes which is probably why they didn't bother. I'm not sure if an older model would fit but I imagine it would, I don't think they changed the actual unibody that much. So the holes it mounts in should be the same. The consensus here seems to be it doesen't really matter, just gets in the way when you try to work on stuff. Although if you drive through alot of sloppy areas it might be worth it. I know since mine's been gone I've occasionally managed to splash some stuff all the way up to the underside of the hood. Not sure how but it was there. I've heard if you have an old one to use as a template it's pretty easy to cut a new one, from a better material. I used to use the HELP! brand hood liner retainers to hold mine in. They were about 1 1/2 inches wide and did a better job of holding the liner up than the factory push retainers. Try a search and see what you come up with.

I'm sure they help with cooling also, by making sure that air flow is forced through the radiator, and not up under the hood from the bottom.