Rust proof/undercoating?

Okay, newb here. Always had jeeps and trucks. I just bought my 2011 Legacy yesterday and they tried to sell me some stuff, which I passed on for now but have to the end of the month to decide. First is the various protection packages. Acid rain protection, fabric coating, (both of which I'm pretty sure i don't want) but the one I'm not sure about is the rustproofing/undercoating. That is $299. I live in NE Ohio so we get snow and salted roads but I was always under the impression that additional rustprof/UC was unnecessary. Is this something you think I should do or pass on?

 

The other thing they offered is the extended bumper to bumper warranty (insurance) for 7/70. I got him talked down from $1300 to $990 on that but I have to the end of the month to decide. Opinions?

 

Thanks for being patient with the new guy here!

Okay...just spent a couple hours researching rustproofing/undercoating. Seems to be mixed reviews but I'm leaning towards not doing it. Unless someone has first hand experience to persuade me otherwise.

I never bought a brand new car. If I did I wouldn't buy that. Go to the store and buy some and spray it where you want it for free like I did. It's mostly plastic under the car anyways. Or you can spray wd40 like I do on some parts like control arms, etc every few months. I want it to look like normal parts under the car when I sell it and not have any rust or rustproofing everywhere! Also regular washing helps a lot! 3 years here in Minnesota no rust was added other than what was there when I bought it. If I could start over I'll just use wd40. All you ever need for rustproof!

Good idea. I think one of the keys to avoid a lot of rust is to keep the car out of heated garages. No problem for me since mine will sit outside anyway. Then get it washed in the winter including undercarriage about once a week or if the temp goes over 32*. I'm going to save the money.

Undercoating accomplishes 2 things, neither of which is beneficial to you or your car. First, it sucks money out of your wallet and puts in the hands of the company that just sold you a bill of goods. Second, the undercoating itself just gave salty water a few thousand more places/ways to stay in direct contact with the bottom of your car.

 

Most, if not all, drive-through (not U-spray) car washes up here in the snow belt put at least a little heat in their wash water, so a weekly trip through a basic rinse that includes the bottom side is all you need until proper car washing weather arrives.

 

And yes, an above-freezing garage is a direct route to accelerated salt damage here in the Snow Belt.

The best thing you can do is get the car oil treated, either yourself or one of those place like http://www.rustop.com. If you get it coated within a year of being new and every year after that, they guarantee the car from rusting for life. Pretty good for being in an area where salt is used.

 

I have done it myself for the last 7 years on my subaru and it has almost stopped the rust, I live in NY and the roads get pounded with salt for 5 months a year. It's probably not as good as a professional but it works. I have worked on cars just a few years old that are worse than mine and its a 96 with 315,000 miles on it.

 

It is best to have a tube siphon feed spray gun run from an air compressor. You have to spray oil everywhere.

Under the hood in all the holes

all over everything on and under the engine compartment

wheel wells

the entire underside in every opening

bottom of the inside of the doors (in the weap holes too)

pull rocker plugs and any other body plugs and spray in there

behind the fenders by opening front doors

up around the gas tank from below

Pull the trunk carpet and fuel pump access panels and spray the top of the tank and fuel lines.

under front and rear bumpers

all suspension components

all brake lines and other fluid lines

pull back trunk liner and get the inside of the rear 1/4 panels

the underside of the trunk

inside the gas door

and the underside of the strut mounts way up in.

 

-AVOID spraying oil on or near the brakes.

-Don't worry about getting it on your exhaust, it will smoke for a day or two and then be gone.

-It will drip for a few days so don't park on a surface that you don't want a million drops of oil on.

 

It does make a mess of the car but give it a bath after a week and its back to new. If you like your engine compartment shiny like the dealer cars in the show room I wouldn't do this. It will collect dust and be black within a few weeks but I would rather it be like that than have everything rust and corrode. Most cars up here look decent after 10 years but the whole underside is almost completely dissolved from salt. Mine is 15 years old and there is almost NO rust on the underside or anywhere I spray.

For an extended warranty, I would suggest the Subaru Added Security plans that are sold directly from SOA through the dealer. A 3rd party warranty is usually not a good one. I've had great luck with getting my car repaired using the Added Security plans.

 

-mike

Drive to a mall parking lot and look at 10 year old Subarus. Unless there was an accident (ok, there are fluke cars that some will post about), the cars do not rust.

 

15 - 20 year old Subarus, well, maybe then.

Looks like I'm going to pass on all of it. No money left now after a couple of unexpected expenses. Besides, the world is coming to an end in December 2012 anyway. My warranty is good until then.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments though! Still lovin' my Subie!