[adc]

It was this lazy late Sunday morning before going for the bath, with nothing much to do, just thought let me check out the undercarraige - after all this 1 year of extensive drives and particularly after the punishing HP tour.

And did I do myself a favour - you bet I did.

I had this kind of idea:

xxxxxxxxxxxx
Q. My car has several layers of paint when it was applied in the factory; that should offer ample protection, shouldn’t it?

Your car would have good protection against corrosion. However, paint could not resist abrasion, and because of poor road conditions, unprotected paint would suffer from stone chips, scraping against humps or rocks, pitting from gravel, etc. Eventually, a lot of paint would peel or scrape off to expose bare metal to corrosion.

Tata Motors Customer Care :: Anti-rust Treatments
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

And now the pics.

It is not that bad as it looks, just the coating of the paint has peeled off and the rust is beginning to form at those places - but definitely something has to be done immediately. The main undercarraige is perfectly okay, plus found out that it will be okay for a long time as it also lined up with waterroofing material stuff i.e. those sheet materials that we use for roof waterproofing.

It is the other paraphernalia that is affected, particularly the sidesteps rods and the engine skid plate and also the points on which the Safari was jacked up for puncture. The paint had peeled off due to abrasion from the jack and rust has set in.









So my question is -->> Do I go for the antirust treatment which will cost around Rs 5000-6000 [http://customercare.tatamotors.com/s.../antiRust.asp] OR just buy some antirust paint and apply myself at those places. As said, the main undercarraige is fantastically protected with water-roofing grade material and will be rust proof for years - much worried about the side areas.

[dadu]

Use the 3M anti rust treatment serviec which they do at T.A.S.S

[adc]

Originally Posted by dadu

Use the 3M anti rust treatment serviec which they do at T.A.S.S

Yes most probably that is what has to done now, anyone out here having done the Safari anti rust treatment through TASS. Any feedback? Still would like to know about any options, e.g. """something like much cheaper local garage type process"""

[dkamath]

The dealer had provided the "Wuerth" undercarriage treatment as part of the freebies, while buying the car. Not sure what parts/links were applied with this coat of paint, though. Also recollect that the fuel tank is not covered (probably due to the reaction of the fuel with the chemical).

[Shakensoul]

If you want to try a DIY job which is going to be cheap and effective, you can try a black/transparent epoxy paint coating, for e.g.

<<<<<< MRF SPECIALITY COATINGS >>>>>>

Or you can buy a bucket of the epoxy paint and hire a local painter to get it done.

[adc]

Originally Posted by dkamath

The dealer had provided the "Wuerth" undercarriage treatment as part of the freebies, while buying the car. Not sure what parts/links were applied with this coat of paint, though. Also recollect that the fuel tank is not covered (probably due to the reaction of the fuel with the chemical).

This point should be of interest to you then

Q. My brand new car has been rust proofed already with another brand, when it came out of the dealership. How does it compare to Tata Approved Anti Rust treatment?

A lot of car dealers offer this package service to brand new cars. There are brand new cars which only have undercoating on areas visible to the eyes, such as the surface near the wheels.

There are undercoating that are dry on the outside, but soft inside (like wax). This type does not have good abrasion resistance, or good sound deadening properties.

Everyone once in a while should see how the undercarraige is holding up, may be every 4 months like.

Originally Posted by Shakensoul

If you want to try a DIY job which is going to be cheap and effective, you can try a black/transparent epoxy paint coating, for e.g.

<<<<<< MRF SPECIALITY COATINGS >>>>>>

Or you can buy a bucket of the epoxy paint and hire a local painter to get it done.

Thanks for the link and the tip.

Will take a decision in a week.


Anyone out here who has done the 3M rust treatment at TASS?

[dadu]

Just curious to know if the water is hard there or driven near the sea ???

[Hashim]

You can fix this on your own. First get it thoroughly washed from below then using cloth (and wearing surgical gloves) apply thick layers of undiluted rubber paint. Apply one layer then let it dry, then second layer. Of course can hire anyone to do this for you but such kind of work is best done by self

[adc]

Originally Posted by dadu

Just curious to know if the water is hard there or driven near the sea ???

Hard water should leave stains, does it accelerate rust conditions? Mostly washed in hard water condition.

Originally Posted by Hashim

You can fix this on your own. First get it thoroughly washed from below then using cloth (and wearing surgical gloves) apply thick layers of undiluted rubber paint. Apply one layer then let it dry, then second layer. Of course can hire anyone to do this for you but such kind of work is best done by self

Thanks much

[aka_iitd]

Originally Posted by Hashim

You can fix this on your own. First get it thoroughly washed from below then using cloth (and wearing surgical gloves) apply thick layers of undiluted rubber paint. Apply one layer then let it dry, then second layer. Of course can hire anyone to do this for you but such kind of work is best done by self

Any specific brand of rubber paint to be used. How much it cost

[Hashim]

Originally Posted by aka_iitd

Any specific brand of rubber paint to be used. How much it cost

I have used Jackson (JK is the company name) in my esteem and found it good, no chipping or flakes etc and really feels like a reall rubber after drying. It cost Rs.75 per litre.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by adc

Hard water should leave stains, does it accelerate rust conditions? Mostly washed in hard water condition.

Thanks much

So my suspicion was right, thats what accelerating the rust. I could make that out from the rusted rod in the first picture. The darker parts is where the water stayed and evaporated, rusting the metal.

For hard water, I would suggest as less washes as possible and even the body wash should be done by using a damp cloth and not freeflowing water.

The rubber treatment looks good, use a metal emery paper first to remove/ loosen the rusted particles and then use as directed by the manufacturer. Do post pictures

Ramp it up and use a spraygun for the spread below.(get it done from a body painter)

[Ravi Kashyap]

Hi adc.
I would strongly recommend to get the job done at the service center. The 3M coat is good though expensive. But they do give 4year warranty and available at the center all the time. Also get intermidiate checkups whenever you get the Safari serviced (This is part of the service provided by the 3M guys). I have always beleived in getting the underbody treatment done on a brand new vehicle as it inhibits the starting of the rust. That is very improtant because once the rusting starts it gets expensive to get a good job done. In your case the rust will first have to be scraped off completely otherwise the paint will not adhere to the actual metal and the paint will blister. Also I think this material is better if sprayed rather than applied as suggested by someone. DIY only of you have a good spraygun/compressor. Infact as this paint is very viscous the spray pressure has to be quite high. This helps not only in the paint sticking well to the surface but also forces it into small gaps and unreachable spaces.
Its worth paying the guy a bit more and requesting him not to compramise on the quantity of paint he uses especially, in your case where the rusting has already set in.

[adc]

Originally Posted by Ravi Kashyap

Hi adc.
I would strongly recommend to get the job done at the service center. The 3M coat is good though expensive

Given the Safari today afternoon at TASS for full body 3M anti-rust treatment at TASS. And the good news is that it is cheaper now for the since the last 2 days, from Rs 4500 to Rs 3560 now. With a 5-year warranty and at this price for a professional anti-rust treatment including the doors and the sills, it is definitely worth it - absolutely all should get this done.


Also the modified cam gear retrofit was for only few Safari 2.2s that came out at the very first lot and not for all.

[greenhorn]

make sure its 3M and not by some local agency. thats what happened to me!