Is it worth getting your P5 rust proofed? Mine is brand new and I've read mixed suggestions regarding whether or not it is a good idea. Some say it is a waste of money, others say it will make the car last. One thing I did notice is that nowhere in the manual or any of the brochures does Mazda Canada say it's a good idea, which is why I am reluctant to go ahead with it.

 

If they use salt on the roads then rust proofing is definitely worth it. I got my car (Pro-99) done last spring.

 

It is definitely worth it. Especially in Southern Ontario. From my visits down there they use pretty much pure salt. Up here it is a mixture of 15-20% salt and 80-85% gravel. My dad had his Crown Vic undercoated every year. It is and '84 with less rust than most cars half its age. If you don't get it undercoated at least wipe some oil with a rag up under your whell wells and get the bottom of you doors. There is also an electronic device that puts a neg. charge on your vehicle to prevent the bonding of rust. You can check it out at www.counteractrust.com and it is transferable to your next vehicle. I have mine undercoated and wouldn't go without it, especially if you plan on keeping your car a while.

 

I wonder why Mazda doesn't endorse it then? I have heard that the car comes with a rust proof coating from the plant.

 

I have a 91 DX that has not been rustproofed and has no rust whatsoever. I live in NJ/PA where roads are heavily salted.
In many cases. rustproofing can do harm by blocking drainage vents for water.

If you like rustproofing you will love buying the extended warranty at the electronics store.

 

Car manufacturers normally do not talk about aftermarket rustproofing, as whether it is needed depends on where the car will be driven, and 3rd party and dealer rustproofing varies all over the map in quality and effectiveness. Keep in mind that their liability in the warranty is limited to 'perforation' , for only 5 years. So trusting the 'factory undercoating' to keep your car looking new for a long time is risky. Making a recommendation in the owners manual to get aftermarket rustproofing would be a very negative thing from a marketing perspective if no other manufacturers do the same. In southern Ontario, I believe extra rustproofing should be done if you plan to keep a car more than about 5 years. I have used Krown on several cars for over 10 years. It does not clog drain holes as it is not a thick goop like some of the 'one-time application' rustproofing materials. They spray the stuff into doors and rocker panels where moisture can collect, and of course under body and under hood. Needs to be done annually and runs $110 ($10 discount with CAA membeship).

 

Not that this pertains to Proteges, but my parents CR-V manual explicitly states to not apply aftermarket rustproofing.

 

As far as I can tell the undercoating on the P5 is for noise reduction. It does create a physical barrier to moisture but if it is scraped off or cracks your done for rust protection.

Your car will start to rust in 3 years if you live in a part of the country that gets snow. The rust will penetrate in approx 6 years. The galvanize (zinc coating) is good for that long. If you are keeping your car longer than that rust proofing is a must. If you don't protect from the condensation moisture that forms on the inside of the body panels you're screwed.

Do a search this has been covered in much more detail before.
Stocker.

 

CRV My moms 02Civic was just done at Honda and recommended by them!

 

The dealer is always trying to squeeze out some $$ from your mom

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by stocker
Your car will start to rust in 3 years if you live in a part of the country that gets snow. The rust will penetrate in approx 6 years. QUOTE]

If that is the case then why does my 91 DX have not a spot of rust on it? I have owned it since new in NY/NJ/PA. It has not started to rust in 13 years. Yes, it does snow in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the roads are very heavily salted.

I would not put rust proofing on any car I own. The last time I had a car rustproofed it started to rust in two years and died from rust cancer 10 years later. The body shop that repaired the rust damage told me that the rustproofing had blocked drainage holes and was causing the car to rust. The rustproofing company that had provided a lifetime waranty offered to re-treat the car and did so twice. That was the extent of the warranty. Admittedly, the car was a VW Rabbit convertible, which are prone to rust problems.

Unless the quality of the galvanization of Protege panels has sunk tremendously in the past thirteen years, I would not get a Protege rustproofed. Also, I would question any dealer who was insisting that cars should be rustproofed, particularly when it should be done at his shop for an extra $500.

Did anyone else see the movie "Fargo"?

 

You are just very lucky. Even Mazdas DO get rusty, trust me

 

Just for curiosity, how is your 91 doing? have you owned it since new? Does it have any rust?
Has it had body damage?

I haven't seen a rusty 91 around here unless it had been an accident victim.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Finprof

Quote:

Originally posted by stocker
Your car will start to rust in 3 years if you live in a part of the country that gets snow. The rust will penetrate in approx 6 years. QUOTE]

If that is the case then why does my 91 DX have not a spot of rust on it? I have owned it since new in NY/NJ/PA. It has not started to rust in 13 years. Yes, it does snow in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the roads are very heavily salted.

I will tell you exactly why your car isn't rusting. Japanese automotive firms didn't start using galv extensively until 88. When it started, coating control and cost measures were not in place. Hence the reason why your car isn't rusting is probably because They were laying the coating on thicker, and you might have got some panels that were on the heavy end of the curve. I will tell you right now, your sample size of 1 is pitifully small to be for the types of comments you are making. Any one that wants to listen to you deserves what they get. For the other, here is a small test for you. Go take a look at some 2nd Gen preludes out there. They have the type of coating our cars have. check out the quarter panels, if the car isnt rust proofed, I bet you find rust coming through above the wheels. These cars were made around 95-96. I will do the math for you, 6-7 years ago. You can belive this dude if you like, but as a metallurgist that works at a steel plant that makes primarily hot dipped galvanized automotive exposed sheet steel, it's my opinion he isn't right.
Stocker.

 

Well said. And Finprof's math is a little suspect anyways when he says his '91 has not rusted in 13 years. But seriously, differing models/years do have varying predisposition to rust. I am not about to do nothing and hope the P5 is totally immune, based on one 'testimontial' of someone's experience with a 12 year old car, driven for unknown distances , driven and stored in unknown conditions/temperatures, and cared for in an unknown manner.