Preemptive Rust proofing and prevention

Katarn444

Member
:
Cx5
Hi all,
Long time lurker, I'm not if I ever posted.
I live in the Northeast and am always concerned about rust. In the Spring I hosed off the bottom of my 2016 cx5 hoping to do what I can to hold off the rust as I hope to keep this vehicle long term.
I noticed that leaves and salt/sand built up behind the front wheels under the plastic trim. I pulled out a couple of plastic pop fasteners and cleaned out that area as well as possible.
On to the question, beyond cleaning the best you can is there anything you guys do for rust prevention? Do you know of any other areas which can be prone to sand build up? I have thought of crown rust prevention but I'm not sold. It seems expensive and needs to be applied regularly as it gets washed off. When I change the oil I rub down and rusty spots (not many) with an oily rag. Does anyone spray rubber items with anything to keep them from drying out? Bushings, CV boots etc?
Many thanks for your ideas.
 
look up fluid film..prevents rust, farmers swear by this stuff for their machinery. I tries it a few years ago on an older box truck and liked the results. Road dirt sticks to the coating.
 
For a start, don't wait till Spring to hose the salt off of the bottom of your car. Do it whenever the temps get above freezing.

Also when you're driving home on salty slushy roads, get your brakes heated up before you park the car. That way the salt slush gets evaporated and your brake components don't get marinated in salt brine overnight.
 
I moved to Florida to avoid this stuff. But now parts of the street I live on floods with seawater when high tide coincides with a storm surge. It's the only way out of my subdivision. (pissed)
 
I used Krown on my previous Mazda 6 (after my 2004 mazda 6 rusted all to hell) and I sold the 2009 Mazda 6 with only one little tiny (like, pencil eraser sized) rust spot on the door where a rock hit it years ago.

It looked brand new. Definitely worth it.

I"m getting mine done before the fall.
 
I 2nd the Fluid Film

there used to be huge debates on whether to wash/flush out the salt & debris or leave it alone - never really resolved but the idea is that flushing it out just left deep crevices in the car wet - this was in the 1980s & concerned german sports cars

3rd issue - I would not (NOT) buy any land in So. FL - tidal flooding will get worse. The well off are already buying up places on high ground that poor people used to rent, but that is a time limited strategy...
 
Thanks all for the responses so far. I had not heard of Fluid film, I will give this a shot. Yes Conrad, earlier would be better but I live in a city and hosing off the underside of my car is challenging. If I had a nice driveway it would definitely be done more often.
Mac, how often did you have it done and how much did it cost? Did you left them go all out and drill holes in certain places to spray inside?
Thanks again.
 
I used Krown on my previous Mazda 6 (after my 2004 mazda 6 rusted all to hell) and I sold the 2009 Mazda 6 with only one little tiny (like, pencil eraser sized) rust spot on the door where a rock hit it years ago.

It looked brand new. Definitely worth it.

I"m getting mine done before the fall.

I just looked at their website. They recommend an annual application. Did you really do it that often?

FYI, you may not want to wait to get it done: "This warranty applies to new vehicles purchased less than 6 months prior to application of KROWN, within 12 months of manufacturer's production date, except as may be extended by applicable provincial laws."
 
Most publications don't think aftermarket rust proofing does any good and some think it actually does harm. I think the best you can do is frequent washing, working as you are doing to try and hit the undercarriage and wheel wheels. With a modern car and frequent washings, I'd be surprised if you couldn't get 15+ year life out of vehicle in even a harsh climate. Then you buy a new car.

- Mark
 
I slide a hose under my vehicle from back to front and then connect a sprinkler. I then turn on the water and go to back of truck and slowly pull the hose the length of the vehicle. Also, most car washes have an under car wash option.
 
I slide a hose under my vehicle from back to front and then connect a sprinkler. I then turn on the water and go to back of truck and slowly pull the hose the length of the vehicle. Also, most car washes have an under car wash option.

That's a GREAT idea!
 
Thanks all for the responses so far. I had not heard of Fluid film, I will give this a shot. Yes Conrad, earlier would be better but I live in a city and hosing off the underside of my car is challenging. If I had a nice driveway it would definitely be done more often.
Mac, how often did you have it done and how much did it cost? Did you left them go all out and drill holes in certain places to spray inside?
Thanks again.

Sorry for the confusion. I didn't mean to suggest that you use your own garden hose to wash the salt off. While that would be a good idea my garden hoses are frozen solid during the winter months. I meant to say to use a local car wash (I have one a few blocks away from home) to manually rinse the salt off. I don't use the soap option at the car wash just plain water to do the job. Yes, it's a bit of an inconvenience but it needs to be done.
 
I just looked at their website. They recommend an annual application. Did you really do it that often?

FYI, you may not want to wait to get it done: "This warranty applies to new vehicles purchased less than 6 months prior to application of KROWN, within 12 months of manufacturer's production date, except as may be extended by applicable provincial laws."

I DID get it done every year, however I've found online that most people say every 2 years is fine.

Yeah, I'm not as much concerned about the warranty of the Krown application itself (its proven itself on multiple vehicles in my family), but moreso just getting it done. I'm going to get it done probably in the next month or so.

The ONLY downside to Krown is that everything under the hood gets 'gunky'. Your pristine engine compartment becomes gunky. And, you get black 'drippage' at the lowest point of the doors.. BUT, the upside is that the vehicle it very well protected!
 
Most publications don't think aftermarket rust proofing does any good and some think it actually does harm. I think the best you can do is frequent washing, working as you are doing to try and hit the undercarriage and wheel wheels. With a modern car and frequent washings, I'd be surprised if you couldn't get 15+ year life out of vehicle in even a harsh climate. Then you buy a new car.

- Mark

I can tell you with 100% certainty that it DOES in fact work, at least, Krown does.

My father and I bought identical 2009 Mazda 6's about 1 month apart from the same dealer. MY car got yearly Krown applications, while my father's didn't.

My car was practically brand-new looking the day I sold it to the dealer. In fact, the dealer even commented on how well the vehicle had been taken care of.

My father's 2009, which had about 90,000km LESS driving on it (and hence, less 'exposure' to road salt, rocks, etc) was a MESS compared to my car.

I haven't known anyone yet who hasn't used Krown who hasn't sung it's praises.
 
Yes, it does work. There were some snags with underseals years ago which were like a thick stonechip paint as they could trap water under them.
 
If you live in area with ice covered roads that get salt treated every year, you need the rust protection. My car within one week of purchase went straight to a rust proofing shop that used linseed oil (environmental friendly and time tested), here in Sweden. I will have to get it re done every two years.
 
If you live in area with ice covered roads that get salt treated every year, you need the rust protection. My car within one week of purchase went straight to a rust proofing shop that used linseed oil (environmental friendly and time tested), here in Sweden. I will have to get it re done every two years.

Agree, I had mine rust proofed as part of the purchase, so when I picked it up at the dealer it was all done.
Like in Sweden, here in Denmark aftermarket rust proofing is used a lot.
 
Awesome info everyone. News to me that rust proofing was popular in Europe. How much does everyone pay? I have watched the krown (or maybe a competitor's) videos and they drill holes in rust prone areas like rocker panels. Do you do this? Do you let them go to town?

Thanks all
 
Awesome info everyone. News to me that rust proofing was popular in Europe. How much does everyone pay? I have watched the krown (or maybe a competitor's) videos and they drill holes in rust prone areas like rocker panels. Do you do this? Do you let them go to town?

Thanks all

It's very popular here in Scandinavia as we usually use a lot of salt in winter.
What we pay would probably not make much sense compared to prices in the US.
They usually have the car for two days. It includes removing wheels, wheelarches and so on. They also clean the car prior to proofing and afterwards. Drilling is done sometimes, to be able to reach all areas.
 
I had my 2018 CX5 done with Krown shortly after purchasing the vehicle. At the local Krown dealer they gave me the option of drilling holes, noting that if they didn't they wouldn't be able to successfully treat all areas of the vehicle. In total four holes where drilled - two around the lift gate and two at the front quarter panels. The prices (139.99 for a medium SUV) here in Ontario is posted on the Krown website and is the same for all dealers. Often they may have a coupon on the website for $10-$20 off.

Wade
 
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