I'm located in Canada and just purchased a 2009 Rav4 V6 Sport. I am wondering if I should have got the underbody protection? If so, can I still request it get done before I get the car? I am totally clueless :roll: to this kinda stuff so any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

There a several variables in this decision.How long will you keep it.
Less than five years - maybe not needed.
Is there a lot of salt used on your roads? Probably a good idea.

If you get it I recommend Krown undercoating http://www.krown.com/#default It is recommended by CAA and other consumer groups in Canada.

 

Okay this may be a stupid question (See I told you I know nothing about this stuff! My ex used to take care of these kind of things for me...) but should I do it through the dealership or can I go somewhere else to do it? Would that be cheaper?

 

It will be cheaper if you go else where. As far as if you need it or not, new cars now a days are pretty rust proof, any under coating will be just be added protection.

 

Okay this may be a stupid question (See I told you I know nothing about this stuff! My ex used to take care of these kind of things for me...) but should I do it through the dealership or can I go somewhere else to do it? Would that be cheaper?

Having the dealership do it before you pick up your RAV saves the inconvenience of another trip, but make sure they get the treatment you want and at the same price as going directly. for example Krown is about $129. all good suppliers will give you a phone quote.

 

Are u going to care if u're vehicle develops a rust spot after 5 years of owning?

I've bought 5 cars new from the dealership. 3 of them, I've owned for more then 5years. Never rust proofed and never had any issue with rust. However, I do a lot of driving, I think its the vehicle that don't get driven that rust.

 

As long as its only surface rust, its no big deal. In the old days, I use to do the under coating, but metal alloy have came a lot way since those days.

 

I'm located in Canada and just purchased a 2009 Rav4 V6 Sport. I am wondering if I should have got the underbody protection? If so, can I still request it get done before I get the car?

If a car is regularly protected by wax, or almost any other paint coating, and stone chips are repaired promptly, you will probably never see rust "starting" on a painted surface.

Rust gets a foothold inside fenders, doors, etc. It usually starts were metal is folded over onto itself to form seams. The folded metal allows water and salt to sit for long periods and begin to corrode.

It probably takes 5 years or longer before this interior rust is bad enough to eat a hole through to the painted sides of the body panels. Therefore if you won't be keeping you car for more than 5 years , you can forget about rustproofing, and you will never experience rust.

Personally I get every new car oil sprayed when I purchase it. I wrote about my reasons in another thread http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14397&highlight=spraying.

As far as your question about getting the work done at a dealers, I would not recommend that since they use tar and/or wax sprays which I discuss in the previous thread.

Oil spraying seems to be a Canadian thing. Our neighbors to the south do not install winter tires to the extent we do in Canada (it's a law now in Quebec), and they do not get rustproofing done like we do either.

I work in a building with 50 technical type people. Approximately 35 of these techs get their cars oil sprayed on an annual basis (That's 70% people). In fact each year about 20 of them get together and negotiate a group discount for the spray.

Rick

 

my last two cars started rusting in the door bottoms very early on (2002 sentra and 2003 sentra spec-v), I would do the undercoating at the dealership, so that the bottom of the car is protected, and there is no crap stuck between the bottom and the undercoating. (as long as the price is reasonable)

rust proofing is another thing, you can go where ever you want, because it's not the same thing, oil will go everywhere and move humidity, undercoating is more like a thick rubber paint.

 

anybody know where to do this in US? I want to undercoat my 2002 rav,
it will look nice with silver chassis.

 

When I bought my Rav new in 06,I had them install the "AutoArmor" undercoat and paint protection.The first two winters we were in Florida,but this year there is already tons of salt on the roads.The dealer did a great job installing the stuff all around the inside edges of all the doors as well as the complete underside of the Rav.I'm glad I had it done.Although.it did not add anything to the trade in value as they said it would.

 

I've worked for a Toyota manufacturing plant before. New cars have
rustproofing and undercoating before coming out of the plant. That's the
reason why you have the 5-year rust warranty from Toyota. The metal
body panels are coated with chemicals to prevent rust before coating it
with the paint. Most of the new cars nowadays have better rustproofing
than cars that came out 10 to 20 yrs ago.
In my opinion, these Toyota dealers are trying to get more profit on
aftermarket services like rustproofing. I remember before getting my
08 RAV from them, they tried to sell rustproofing and said that these
Toyota's coming out from the plant don't have rustproofing. What a baloney,
a liar and a scam !
To prevent rust, it is more effective to wash your car inc. underwash once a week
during winter after running on salted roads.

 

That would be a very big "YES"

 

Thanks all for your feedback! I will definitely be back to ask more questions---I'm sure I'll have plenty!

 

I said yes, for the sound deadening effect it provides. :wink:

 

Undercoating waste

Just bought my 09 rav4 v6 sport and had the undercoating and rustprotection done. I think the undercoating was a waste of money. I bought it brand spankin new with 20km which I mostly put on during the test drive. I looked under the car before and after. There is hardley any place to actually apply the stuff. From what I could tell they covered less than 20 percent of the under side. So what's the point? They didn't even cover the edges where the body moldings meet just below the door edges.
And it stinks for a long time.

 

I got mine as part of the deal. I like it. I drove the car before and after the coating and it does make a small diff in the noise level.

 

I got my Rav with diamond kote package (paint, sound, rust, leather interior shield)

I will only buy leather/fabric protection for next vehicle.

Sound/rust shield which are undercoating and checmical spray doesn't worth the

money better go with electric rust protection system such as "COUNTER ACT" You

can buy at Canadian Tire when it is on sale. One time installation last more than

the life of a vehicle.

For paint protection I would go for Zaino or Klasse Sealant. Better shine less

money.

 

im in toronto and just got mine done; not with the oil but the tar which is better

 

I ususally get my cars Krown rust proofed, but I decided to only have the underbody oiled this time with Oil Gard Formula II no drip. It's a thicker formulation (almost like a jelly) that coats nicely and doesn't drip on your driveway. I'm still deciding whether or not to have the entire vehicle Krowned in the spring and if so, have it done without drilling holes in the top side of the rocker panels. The RAV seems to have quite a few access holes that I'm hoping they can use.

 

I always get my cars sprayed with oil as I keep them 10+ years. Last car 1997 grand am = no rust - beautiful shape when i traded it

 

I've seen many many newer cars and trucks up here in the rust belt rusted out. Our 05 Town&Country was rusting and 3 others I looked at to replace it were to.
Fords are poorly rust proofed too, Chevy's not to bad.

I will definitely be getting our 09 Rav4 rust proofed and under coated just like I have done with my 97 GMC truck which has little to no rust anywhere. I do follow behind the rust proofing myself and protect everything I can. My last Ford truck had no floor left. Never buy a used car from the Cleveland area, I think they just make the roads out of salt. The underside of used ones from there that make it here have been eaten alive.

 

People say, recent vehicle does not need after market undercoating...
My 7.5 years old Rav4 is here.
Pictures are from rear suspension area
(some part are blur because my camera lens had dust)
Now I regret I did not coat at the first year.

I sprayed some rust check last year.
and brushed bearing grease last month.
but it look getting worse every month.

My the other SUV of Hyundai has some rust too.
but I found Rav4's frame steel, bolt and nuts are thinner and weaker.

My plan is to order Fluid Film gallon and spray.

 

My plan is to order Fluid Film gallon and spray.

I have made many posts in these forums expressing how much I believe in oil sprays. I think your decision to spray your RAV is a good one, but here are a few thoughts.

My experience with Fluid Film is that it is an excellent product, almost a miracle product in the way that it starts bubbling and removing existing rust when applied.

The areas in your photographs are not the areas that you really need to worry about. The important areas are inside door panels and along folded seams. In other words the areas that you can't see.

You can't get at these areas without drilling holes along the door and fender edges, and then using compressed air and a long spray wand to apply the atomized oil inside the panels. If you don't have the equipment to do this, you would be better off taking your RAV to Krown or Rust Check and paying them to do the work. They could probably do the entire job at no additional cost to doing it yourself with Fluid Film which is rather expensive.

 

Petro Canada and Esso stations offer an underbody jet spray wash and anti-rust coating done through their touch-less car washes. You can choose to pay only for this feature, or pay more and get the traditional car wash and wax. Bottom line.... do these "under body washes" through out the winter to keep salt off your RAV.

 

Thanks for inputs.

Petro Canada, wash include Underbody rust inhibitor, is for $12,
SuperWash Car Wash - Petro-Canada
I don't want to rely on the inhibitor thing.

Krown will cost $120 + tax = $135 each = $270 for both SUVs.
And it need to spray again anyway.

Fluid Film plan is to get Kit #1 that comes with 1 gallon, 1 spray can, air sprayer,
360 degree wand nozzle for spray can and hole plugs. for $120 delivered.
With it I can spray my 2 SUVs.

but I don't have air compressor, I need 2 HP 5 scfm compressor for $150~250... :shrug:
Instead of buying a compressor, I will try to use just regular spray plastic bottle.
which is needed to be warmed up in hot water pan. Then I can spray the underbody if my research works.

For the door, fender, panels, I will put the wand nozzle into the door's drain holes,
cargo door drain hole, rear stop lamps inner and fender corner gaps.

But I don't know how to access the rocker panel without drilling holes.
I hope I can access easily like this one;

 

Fluid Film plan is to get Kit #1 that comes with 1 gallon, 1 spray can, air sprayer, 360 degree wand nozzle for spray can and hole plugs. for $120 delivered.
With it I can spray my 2 SUVs.

but I don't have air compressor, I need 2 HP 5 scfm compressor for $150~250... :shrug:

You have done some good research. That is a great price for the Fluid Film considering it costs $15 at Canadian Tire for a small aerosol can. I'm not sure that the little extension nozzle will provide enough reach into hidden body panels. This would be especially true if you are trying to feed it into the drain holes on the bottom of the doors.

I have seen people connect a length of steel brake line to the spray bottle. The other end is closed except for some small holes which atomize the oil as it escapes. A 4' wand will reach from one edge of a door to the other, or into the farthest corners of a fender. The oil doesn't have to spray directly on every piece of metal, because the entire cavity is filled with an oily fog which settles on everything in the panel. Of course that requires drilling small holes into the door and fender edges. Just be careful that you don't drill into the latching mechanism.

You should also consider the purchase of an air compressor. You will find many uses for it around the house. Everything from doing the seasonal tire changes, to blowing out dusty computers, and getting the water out of the lawn irrigation system before each winter. I consider mine one of my more useful tool purchases. This model at CTC was on sale for about $125 a week ago. It is just a re-branded version of the one I bought at Costco, and it has very good specs for the price. You can always add a larger tank later if you need more air capacity

 

I have used Metropolitan (Antirouille in Quebec) for 2 years on the RAV i.e. since I bought it used.

There is still rust around the suspension areas.

I had my doors drilled where they spray the dripless anti-rust oil. When I removed my cargo door panel, it was bone dry!!! I know it is supposed be be biodegradable but the interior was dry to the touch after 8 months

Then when my RAV was rear ended , I was able to have a look at the rear bumper; it looked like the bumper of a 30-year old car; Metropolitan completely missed the rear bumper area. With the new bumper, I sprayed the dripless oil from a can I had purchased from Metropolitan a year before.

Last week, when I replace a front fender, I remove the front bumper cover; same story; The black shroud was obviously never removed and the front bumper area was never sprayed. All the welds on the front bumper are rusting. Toyota totally missed the boat on bolts and welds. it's a pity.

As for the fender that I took out, only the top was coated with the thick dripless oil. I guess it was thick from the 2 coats it received in the past 2 years but there was no oil on the sides on the fender. Apparently it was all washed off or worse, never applied!!! I frankly think it was never applied in that area.

I am now thinking that Metropolitan uses different dripless oil in the doors and fender compared to the one used under under the car. When the oil used under the RAV hits the mudflaps and nerf bar, it sticks to them and will to come out even after 2 years unless you take a degreaser to it. Compare this to the doors which are bone dry.

I am now planning to ask them to just use the old anti-rust oil (that drips for 3 days) under the RAV and on the fenders but keep the dripless for the doors. I just hate those dust-magnet oil stains (although that's a sign the oil is creeping and doing it's job) at the bottom of the doors.

I am also considering buying 4 or 5 cans of antirust and spray them myself.

 

I have used Metropolitan (Antirouille in Quebec) for 2 years
There is still rust around the suspension areas.

I had my doors drilled where they spray the dripless anti-rust oil. When I removed my cargo door panel, it was bone dry!!! I know it is supposed be be biodegradable but the interior was dry to the touch after 8 months

I am now planning to ask them to just use the old anti-rust oil (that drips for 3 days) under the RAV and on the fenders but keep the dripless for the doors. I just hate those dust-magnet oil stains (although that's a sign the oil is creeping and doing it's job) at the bottom of the doors.

I'm not familiar with Metropolitan or their products. It looks like Ottawa is their only location outside of Quebec. Your experiences are nothing like my own.

It is not unusual to get rust on the underbody suspension areas, because these areas are constantly exposed to the eroding effects of tire spray. These areas are also a very thick metal so a little rust isn't as critical.

I have only used Oil Tech and Krown to treat my cars. After treatment my cars do drip for 3-4 days. Fortunately there is no permanent damage to the asphalt driveway, and the rain washes the stains wash away in about 2-3 months.

The secret to a good treatment is in the application method. You can't just poor a quart of oil into each door cavity. The oil needs to be atomized so that a "fog" of oil fills the entire cavity. When done properly you can see the fog leaking from every small opening at the opposite end from where the application wand has been inserted.

As you mentioned, you will also see circular oil stains developing at the bottoms of the doors for almost a year after application. These stains are caused by oil dripping from the drain holes and "creeping" upwards on the outer door skin. That gives you a good idea of what's happening on the inner door skins. I know the whole process sounds messy, but if you wash your vehicle every 2-3 weeks you will never notice the oil seepage. I never wash my vehicles over the winter months, and I never spray the underbody at any time of year, because I don't want to wash away any oil residue.