Do I Need To Do The Rust Protection Every Year?

[aaron.q.wang]

I am going to do the rust protection for my 96 ES300. But from the guy who work in the garage of Walmart, I do not need to do it because the rust production was done.

The guy said: If the rust production had been done for continue 3 years, you do not need to do it any more. It is done.

I checked the website of KROWN and found they suggested to do the rust protection every year.

I am confused. Who is right? Winter is coming, do I need to do it before the winter??

[SW03ES]

Rust protection never needs to be done, let alone every year.

[SKperformance]

Every year is all dependent on the condition of the car and how much it is used in the winter.

Also on what type of corrosion protection it has.

If you spray the car well every month underneath in the winter at a power washer it should be ok.

[Toysrme]

Ugh

Not that we in Alabama see snow 1ce every 5 years, let alone deal with salt...

But the bottom of the car is covered in ungodly layers of thick paint. I doubt it needs any help.

[aaron.q.wang]

Thanks you guys above.

[tckcumming]

I am going to do the rust protection for my 96 ES300. But from the guy who work in the garage of Walmart, I do not need to do it because the rust production was done.

The guy said: If the rust production had been done for continue 3 years, you do not need to do it any more. It is done.

I checked the website of KROWN and found they suggested to do the rust protection every year.

I am confused. Who is right? Winter is coming, do I need to do it before the winter??

←

My 2 cents...

Ever wonder why Canada is called the "Great White North"? It perfectly describes the colour of our salt-caked roads here in Eastern Ontario from about November to March. Like driving on a surface of corrosive sludge for half the year. Road crews here use WAY too much salt on roads in the winter, IMHO.

The body panels and paint on my 93 ES300 have survived this abuse remarkably well. It's by far the best "rust-resistant" car I have ever owned.

BUT...

The body panels are not the only things subjected to this abuse. Brake lines, fuel lines, radiators, fuel tanks, electrical connections, brakes, etc. - all these things wear out much faster in our climate. I've had to replace my fuel tank and two brake lines, and my emergency brake doesn't work due to rust and crud siezing up the parts inside the brake drum. Rustproofing protects all these components, too.

Bottom line? If you live in the "sunny south" where snow and salt on roads are infrequent, don't worry about rustproofing. You don't need it. If you plan on keeping your car for 5 - 6 years or less, no problem either, no matter where you live.

If, like me, you plan on keeping your Lexus until it qualifies for "antique" status, AND you live in a snowy salty region like I do, rust protection of some kind will pay off in the long term.

I like the "Krown" type of rustproofing, a thin oily stuff that gets all over everything and creeps into cracks and seams.

tck....

[Lexusfreak]

I am going to do the rust protection for my 96 ES300. But from the guy who work in the garage of Walmart, I do not need to do it because the rust production was done.

The guy said: If the rust production had been done for continue 3 years, you do not need to do it any more. It is done.

I checked the website of KROWN and found they suggested to do the rust protection every year.

I am confused. Who is right? Winter is coming, do I need to do it before the winter??

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Aaron, it depends on what rust proof product your using. Krown is a yearly application so it's probably best to get it applied in late fall before the snow flies. I go to a professional rust proofer / detailer that uses a yellow paste product called 'sym-tech'. It's the best stuff on the market in Canada. I've had 2 applications applied I won't have to do it again for years. Krown's OK stuff, but every year is a pain in the butt because it's not permanent. B)

[Lexusfreak]

Rust protection never needs to be done, let alone every year.

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It depends on how you want your car to look long term sw. Rust protection up here is a VERY wise idea, no question about it so I have to completely disagree with you. :whistles:

I've rust proofed every car I have owned over the years & still see them on the road on occasion & the body is still in awesome condition after 14 Canadian winters......91 Olds 88 & 91 Buick Riviera.....and the Riv is white). Resale value goes up as well when a possible buyer sees the rust-proofing. ;)

Just NEVER purchase the rustproofing from the dealer.......they will bend you over the barrel bigtime.

[SW03ES]

All vehicle manufacturers however, to the best of my knowlegde, advise against having aftermarket rustproofing applied and it even voids some manufacturer corrosion warranties. The rationale behind that is that improperly applied rustproofing can trap moisture, thereby accelerating rust.

The mechanics of corrosion don't even come into play unless the temperature gets above freezing. I would think winters as cold as yours that rarely happens.

[Lexusfreak]

The mechanics of corrosion don't even come into play unless the temperature gets above freezing. I would think winters as cold as yours that rarely happens.

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That is correct to some degree, however lot's of people neglect their vehicles &/or fail to get salt off the body of the car when the temps warm up or a car wash may not be able to reach all the places to clean the salt off. This is where rust proofing adds that layer of protection. Most automakers offer a max of 5-6 years or corrosion 'perforation' coverage, where by there has to be a hole in the body before any warranty claim takes place (not surface rust as they won't cover a claim). By then, the damage has been done & rarely will a vehicle rust that badly in that time frame offered by the automakers anyways. ;)

If a high quality rust proofing (and there many low quality ones) is applied professionally, moisture can't penetrate the metal at all anyways, never mind get trapped by the actual product. :)

[SW03ES]

You guys would know better than me seeing that you're the ones that live up there, but as long as you flush the undercarriage well before it warms up it shouldn't be that much of an issue...

[SKperformance]

You are right it does have to be above freezing for corrosion to take place.

So every night when you park your car in a garage it starts again as most are insulated and the hot engine warms the air to well above freezing.

[bartkat]

You are right it does have to be above freezing for corrosion to take place.

So every night when you park your car in a garage it starts again as most are insulated and the hot engine warms the air to well above freezing.

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Yeah and all that stuff melts and drips on the garage floor. Yech. When we lived in Akron the slush would build up on the fender openings and freeze, sometimes to the point that it was rubbing on the tires. I'm glad I don't have to contend with that any more. If I go to Ohio for Christmas and if it just rains, the salt comes up out of the road and my car gets all white. I hit the car wash as soon as I get back home.

[Lexusfreak]

You are right it does have to be above freezing for corrosion to take place.

So every night when you park your car in a garage it starts again as most are insulated and the hot engine warms the air to well above freezing.

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Yup, it's not just the undercarriage one has to worry about. The seems of the hood (and underneith as mentioned since the engine warms up) , trunk, doors etc. I use the black 'undercoating' sym-tech for the underbody & the yellow paste sym-tech for all other body panels. ;)

Krown is a decent product, but it's not permanent & is quite messy, especially if you have a garage. The product will drip all over the place for 2 - 3 weeks. Use a permanent product like Sym-tech or Vital, much more durable & lasts 5 - 7 years. Only a 'touch up' is required to maintain the body. B)

[tckcumming]

You are right it does have to be above freezing for corrosion to take place.

So every night when you park your car in a garage it starts again as most are insulated and the hot engine warms the air to well above freezing.

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Yup, it's not just the undercarriage one has to worry about. The seems of the hood (and underneith as mentioned since the engine warms up) , trunk, doors etc. I use the black 'undercoating' sym-tech for the underbody & the yellow paste sym-tech for all other body panels. ;)

Krown is a decent product, but it's not permanent & is quite messy, especially if you have a garage. The product will drip all over the place for 2 - 3 weeks. Use a permanent product like Sym-tech or Vital, much more durable & lasts 5 - 7 years. Only a 'touch up' is required to maintain the body. B)

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A couple of problems I have noticed with most permanent - type rustproofing products:

** once you get a stone chip or other "scar" in the coating it leaves a small vulnerable area for the salt & moisture to attack;

** moisture can get under the coating (through small nicks and stone chips or at seams in the metal), this can lead to a perfect recipe for corrosion to start because the coating holds the moisture in contact with the metal for a long period of time. It's also out of sight so you can't see there's a problem until it's too late.

The thin oily type stuff doesn't get nicks or marks - if some of it is rubbed off, the rest of the stuff around the area just "creeps" back in to the bare spot. It loves seams and cracks and seeps right in to these areas. It gets into all the little nooks and crannies that you can't see and it stays there. Moisture can't get underneath it.

Is it perfect? Far from it. It doesn't last very long on exposed areas like the bottom of the car or the wheel wells. You really do have to re-do it, Krown and others recommend every year for it to work best. It (Krown) costs around $75 - $100 CDN each time, so it does get expensive after a few years. And - it IS messy! If oil spots on your driveway make you crazy, you might want to think about parking somewhere else for a few days. Many people lay down a layer of newspapers on their garage floor to catch the drips. My car has never dripped for more than a few days, not weeks. But it is still a bit of a pain.

I put up with the cost and the mess because it seems to work over the long run. Your experience may vary, as they say.

tck...

[Lexusfreak]

A couple of problems I have noticed with most permanent - type rustproofing products:

** once you get a stone chip or other "scar" in the coating it leaves a small vulnerable area for the salt & moisture to attack;

** moisture can get under the coating (through small nicks and stone chips or at seams in the metal), this can lead to a perfect recipe for corrosion to start because the coating holds the moisture in contact with the metal for a long period of time. It's also out of sight so you can't see there's a problem until it's too late.

The thin oily type stuff doesn't get nicks or marks - if some of it is rubbed off, the rest of the stuff around the area just "creeps" back in to the bare spot. It loves seams and cracks and seeps right in to these areas. It gets into all the little nooks and crannies that you can't see and it stays there. Moisture can't get underneath it.

Is it perfect? Far from it. It doesn't last very long on exposed areas like the bottom of the car or the wheel wells. You really do have to re-do it, Krown and others recommend every year for it to work best. It (Krown) costs around $75 - $100 CDN each time, so it does get expensive after a few years. And - it IS messy! If oil spots on your driveway make you crazy, you might want to think about parking somewhere else for a few days. Many people lay down a layer of newspapers on their garage floor to catch the drips. My car has never dripped for more than a few days, not weeks. But it is still a bit of a pain.

I put up with the cost and the mess because it seems to work over the long run. Your experience may vary, as they say.

tck...

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If your using a 'proper' permanent type of rust proofing, the black 'undercoating' stuff is thicker & much more durable than the regular yellow paste type of rust-proofing (that's why I request two different products be used for the situations you have mentioned). Many don't know the difference & think rust proofing is rust proofing which is a mistake & just use the one yellow paste for the whole car, including the undercarriage. ;)

But whatever works for you......but I've tried several different methods of rust proofing including the Krown (which prices 'all cars' at $109.95 for application)......I'll stick with the sym-tech which is a better & longer lasting product. If you have your car for 10 years & apply Krown every year, you'll spend just shy of $1,100 before tax (if the price stays at that rate). I've spend less than half that for 2 applications & I'll never have to apply it again & pay for it (touch up is free, even if the entire under body needs to be applied again). And one of the best things..........no dripping mess. ;)

[SW03ES]

You are right it does have to be above freezing for corrosion to take place.

So every night when you park your car in a garage it starts again as most are insulated and the hot engine warms the air to well above freezing.

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Good point, hadn't thought about the garage...

[aaron.q.wang]

It seems it is better to park outside than in the garage.

You are right it does have to be above freezing for corrosion to take place.

So every night when you park your car in a garage it starts again as most are insulated and the hot engine warms the air to well above freezing.

←

[Lexusfreak]

If the car is 'garage' kept, all the more reason to get it rustproofed. :whistles: ;)

[steviej]

It seems it is better to park outside than in the garage.

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unitl you have to shovel the snow off it or chip the ice off the windows.

They only down side of northern living.

steviej

[SKperformance]

I sort of agree stevie,

I love how Japan thinks they invented drifting.

We had ice racing from day one with model T's, now it is a daily thing on our highways and actually a large race body of ice racing which is hilarious to watch as they are all beater cars basically going sideways through the whole race in a controlled skid.

[tckcumming]

We had ice racing from day one with model T's, now it is a daily thing on our highways and actually a large race body of ice racing which is hilarious to watch as they are all beater cars basically going sideways through the whole race in a controlled skid.

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I agree, SK - ice racing is a hoot!

There are often ice races on the St. Lawrence River just near my home. What a riot. Skinny tires with big spikes sticking out, cars "drifting" sideways lap after lap around an oval course at a blistering 30 - 40 mph. When one of the cars goes off course and plows into the snow "guard rail", the spectators push him out so he can continue. The motorcycles are even better - they look positively lethal and seem to go very fast, throwing up rooster tails of snow and ice chips as they slide around.

It's amazing how some people will find a way to race whatever they have on any surface they can find - even if it's a frozen lake or river.

tck...

[Lexusfreak]

It seems it is better to park outside than in the garage.

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unitl you have to shovel the snow off it or chip the ice off the windows.

They only down side of northern living.

steviej

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very good point steviej! B)