Hey All,

I just got my new 06 HCH a few weeks ago. I'm now contemplating wether or not to get it rust proofed. I live in Ottawa, Canada and the weather is pretty severe during the winter months. Salt is heavily used to help reduce icy roads conditions. From the retailers in my area, there are two types of rust proofing: oil based and a solid wax based.

Thoughts?

 

My dealer tried to push me to seal the paint, scotch guard the interior, and rust proof the under carriage. I think it was a few grand..but I didnt do it. Couple of things to think about.

Newer cars are made from better materials that are less likely to rust Unlike the older cars on the road.

Do you keep it in the garage? Do u take care of your car by washing it?

Simple questions will answer your BIG question

 

You will probably void the warranty on rust if you choose to do so. All new cars come with rust proofing from the factory so it's a waste.

 

Well, I rust proofed mine.
-I installed an electronic rust protection module RS2000 with sacrificial cathodic protection and impressed current. Took me about 2 hours to install the anodes on all 4 corners of the vehicle and the control module on the engine bay.
-I purchased a wax based rustproofing spray from 3M and I sprayed all problem areas.
-I purchased 2 cans of undercoat and applied to the underside of the vehicle except on the plastic shields, IMA power conduits and the exhaust system.

Total cost in materials was roughly $300 CND ($250 USD).

Why did I do it? Because I used to have a 16 year old Honda Civic LX sedan (1990) and because I had done the same thing to it- it had no rust and looked like new. I traded it in for my hybrid for well above market value. Now, we are talking about Winnipeg (not Ottawa) we literally drive in salt and sand for over 5 months each year.

My recomendation is that you do perform the rust-proofing provided that it is not a rip-off operation. Because I know what I want, I do it myself and that to me is still cheaper and significantly better than what the dealership is willing to offer.


Cheers;

MSantos

 

Hi Msantos:

I am looking at getting the same unit RS2000 by RustStop. Would you be able to post some pictures of your install here? Did you go through the firewall to run the leads to the back, or run them under the car?

I see Canadian Tire also sells electronic rust protection, Counter Act. It uses capacitive coupling, rather than the sacrificial anodes.

Thanks,

Dave

 

Dave, I ran the single wire under the car because there was a fair amount of trim in the vehicle that had to be removed if I had gone through the firewall. Basically the wire runs along side the IMA power conduits (painted Orange) and emerges into the trunk through a fitted hole slighly above the rear bumper.

Later today, I will produce some pictures of the sacrificial anodes in the rear corners and pictures of the front corner's install along with the control unit. I will also include a shot of the WAX based rust-proofing and the undercoat products for your reference.

Now, I really recommend you get the shop manual if you decide to undertake this task yourself - especially if you do not wish to damage anything. I also had to purchase several A clips from Honda ($2.89 a piece) before I started the install because when we remove the front fender plastic trim (in the engine bay), the existing clips may break. So replacements are needed. I bought quite a few because in 4-7 years I may have to replace the anodes (they corrode instead of the car ).

The RS-2000 will not stop the rust but it will defintely slow it down to a point that a car can literally be 20 years old, swiming in salt and sand and showing no sign of rust on it. That is pretty good in my books. By the way sealing the paint every year with a good sealant is also a good, easy and quick thing to do.


Capacitive coupling works, but only if the conditions are always ideal. My dealership was offering a rust protection package of a similar tech product from "First Canadian Products". If you get a scratch, dent, or some other damage then the protection is mediocre until you repair it properly. Many times, even if the body damage is fixed, the body shops will not always use the same paint processes and products used by the manufacturer - which will directly affect the capacitive effectiveness in the affected area.

I personally prefer RS2000 because it is a millitary and civil engineering first choice.


Cheers;

MSantos

 

I've heard that parking in the garage during the winter months may be a bad thing to do as the salt is activated when it is soluble in water. By keeping the car outside, the salt stays in the crystalline form, hence, not active...

Crown rust proofing is an oil based product. It seems to work well from what I heard, but it is very messy as the oil leaks everywhere and for several months... I believe it cost $70-90/year....

Ziebart rust proofing is a solid wax based product. I'm not sure if this one is good, but it is not as messy. I believe the cost is $350 to get it done and $50 each year for check up...

 

Hi Tan:

The problem with keeping a car in the garage only arises if the garage is heated. As for Crown, I had Crown protection on my previous car. It’s **** messy but does works great, as long as you have it reapplied each year. If you opt for Crown, I’d suggest you wait till the weather cools off and have it done in October or November. They will tell you it will drip for a day or two. Mine dripped well over a week, having it done mid September each year.

I just got my HCH-II in April, so it has not seen any winter weather. I will definitely have my car protected before winter. As for my choice, it will be an electronic rust control module.

Some of the car dealers here in Ottawa have opted for the electronic method. You can inquire at Donnelly Ford on Bank St. or Mews Chev Olds in Orleans. However, their prices will be in the area of $799 and up. If you are a handyman you can buy the module for about $200 and install it yourself. Both these dealers use sacrificial anodes. Canadian Tire now sells a module for $199, which uses capacitive coupling, and will install it for $69. I purchased my car from Brockville Honda, they also can arrange for electronic rust protection.

Cheers.

 

UK dealers never offer rust proofing - I don't think they'd dare. When the Japanese manufacturers first started selling here they were heavily criticised for going rusty (paint bubbles usually appeared within a couple of years) and they eventually upped their game to become even more rust resistant. That caused all the other manufacturers to up their game. All new cars are sold with a 60k rust guarantee - usually beyond the basic 3 year warranty that most give out as standard.

What we do get offered is a paint protector and that might be worth it. Modern automobile paints are often water based and having a better lacquer can help retain the finish for longer.

 

All very true. If some of us lived in the UK, Ireland or even most of continental Europe - even I - would see rust-proofing as a blatant waste of money.

However, many of us live in colder climates where snow and ice dominate the topography for many thousands of kilometers. In my case, lasting more than 5 months each year. It is typical for city roads and freeways to be liberaly treated with a sand and salt mix. The sand does a good number on the exterior paint, underbody and weel wells eventually making its way beyond the primer coat and the salt simply seals its faith with a good dose of corrosion.
In these situations, rust-proofing a vehicle is the most cost effective way of extending the protection guarantee offered by the manufacturers - especially if we opt to keep the vehicles beyond the warranty period.

Cheers;

MSantos