Rust-proofing questions are finally answered!

One of the most dreaded things you’ll ever see in your car is rust – micro or small, then became visible to the naked eye, sure can cause an eyesore. It only takes one tiny patch of rust for your car to start deteriorating.

Rust spreads like wildfire, especially when you use your car often, exposing it to extreme weathers, sun and rain, and with you neglecting your supposed weekly car wash. Seeing a rust in your car can get you thinking of how you would even stop or remove that tiny, little patch.

1. Rust-Proofing Offers In Car Dealerships

One day, you errr, you wallet decided that you’re ready for a new car. So you walk into the showroom, confident that you’ll be able to take one home right after some good negotiations. You stopped by a car you like, it’s beautiful, practical and known to last a long time. You are about to purchase the vehicle as the smiling sales consultant approached you and said the magic word – rust.

Car sales consultant will talk about rust proofing while you're in the dealership

“Sir, would you like to rust-proof your car?” he asks. Rust, rust, rust – probably the word you are most allergic to especially when it comes to your car. Of course, you would do anything so as not to repeat what happened to your old car – when patches of rust started forming in some parts. You were told it will just cost a few thousand bucks, but then, your money is worth the peace of mind knowing that your car will be rust free for the rest of its lifespan.

Rustproofing is an add-on service offered by dealerships to customers who just purchased a car 

Rust-free, peace of mind – these are some key phrases that would literally make you jump right away to the offer just to ensure the safety of your car from rust. Seeing you terrified of the word itself, surely the car sales consultant sees that opportunity and will probably feed you with all the things you want to hear so you’d go for the rust-proofing.

Before you even say yes, just pause and think about it first. They would say all the things you want to hear so you would purchase the extra add-on, but do you really need it?

2. What is Rust-Proofing and What Does It Do?

Rust proofing is a process where a material or coat is applied to your car’s underbody to supposedly protect it from rust and corrosion.

The underbody of a car is the most prone to rust, and it is said that rustproofing will prevent rust from forming

The underbody is a part of the car that is always exposed to water, sand, soil and other chemicals that we pass by every day along the roads – so these make it the most vulnerable to rust. Having an undercoat that makes it rust-proof can totally keep the rust at bay and make the car prolong its lifespan – or is it?

3. The Truth About Rust Proofing

Since it is very tempting to go for the rust proofing before you leave the premises of the car dealership, it is important for us to know if our car really needs it that bad. It’s just a few thousand pesos, but that amount can certainly be used in some other things like car accessories. Or it can just go to your savings. So, should you or should you not get your car rust-proofing treatment?

Is paying extra for rustproofing your car worth every cent?

An honest answer: Not really. You don’t really need to spend an extra amount of a few thousand bucks just to rust proof your new vehicle.

The next question would most probably be… why?

The reason is that modern cars, starting from those manufactured in the early 2000s were already made with the finest materials that should avoid acquiring rust and corrosion. These materials include galvanized steel, which is coated with zinc, aluminum, and fiberglass. These materials are automatically rust proof and don’t need any more added rust proofing.

Rustproofing is not mandatory as modern cars are already made of rust resistant materials, one of them is carbon fiber

Another material that is commonly used today in car manufacturing is carbon fiber, which is not made of metal. Therefore, it is rust proof in itself. So even before they leave the plant your dream car is already born rust-proofed. With this in mind, it is not really mandatory for you to get that rust-proof offer before you take your new car home.

However, if you experience accidents, or if your car is lowered and hits the ground way too often then it is possible that the rustproof that was with your car may have already been compromised. The only way to find out is to have your car’s underbody checked during your regular preventive maintenance schedule to see if it has already accumulated rust underneath.

4. Importance of Rust Proofing In The Philippine Scenario

As you know the Philippines does not really have the best roads in the world. They aren’t the smoothest, and most of the time, especially in the cities where huge trucks traverse the roads daily, it is very common to see potholes, filled with water which we may drive right past through. Also, in faraway provinces where the roads are still being developed, there will be uneven, rock-filled rough roads can also affect our car’s underbody.

Road holes or uneven roads in the Philippines can cause our car to suddenly go too low and the underbody to hit the ground

Another issue in the Philippines that plays a huge part in our cars getting rusty is the flood. Due to a terrible drainage system, rainwater tends to accumulate rather than flow seamlessly through the city sewers. Since we use our cars almost every day, with all the road pollution and water touching our car’s underbody, rust forming seems to be unavoidable.

One of the things that makes it impossible for our car not to get rusty is the frequently flooded streets

So, if you are a super careful car owner, who thinks that extra rust proofing can go a long way, then go for it. Rust proofing is important for every Filipino car owner so as to ensure that no matter how much water and pollution we face every single day out there on the roads, your car’s underbody would be extra safe from any rust forming or corrosion.

At the end of the day, it will still be up to you – either you trust the built-in rust proofing of your vehicle, or add an extra rust proofing coat for added protection. Either way, your car would already be rust-ready.

>>> Click to get more helpful tips and advice for your car maintenance