[joffficer]

Has anyone heard of do do this:

I was told by a guy in New England that he sprays a light coat of oil under his car. He does this in late October, and says it helps keep the rust down for the season. Of course avoiding the exhuast parts.

It might not be so hot for the environment, though!

Any ideas?

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by joffficer

Has anyone heard of do do this:

I was told by a guy in New England that he sprays a light coat of oil under his car. He does this in late October, and says it helps keep the rust down for the season. Of course avoiding the exhuast parts.

It might not be so hot for the environment, though!

Any ideas?

That sounds like a bad idea to me. Basic rust protection on new cars is much better than it used to be. I drove my last two cars in the Chicago area for a total of 18 years and didn't notice any rust on the undercarriage. Back in the '70s I had a car that completely rusted through in seven years. It's possible that a more corrosive salt is used in New England, but I doubt it. If you have an old vehicle that's already rusting underneath, spraying oil on the bottom might slow the rusting a little but won't stop it.

[j_jimerino]

I've heard there is a place in Middlebury that does this for $60.

[joe moving]

I usually try to get a car wash that does the underside every few weeks.

[jackmccullough]

It's pretty common up here. I don't know that it's necessary, and I'm sure it's not that environmentally responsible as the oil undercoat drips off onto the roads.

[jenny1951]

Oil undercoating is very common around here. Many people swear by it, but I have never personally done it...don't keep my cars long enough, I guess.

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by joe moving

I usually try to get a car wash that does the underside every few weeks.

Regularly washing out the underside and wheel wells during winter probably does a lot more than spraying on oil. Undercoating used to be a big business, but now it's practically died out, except as an unnecessary, high-profit option sold by some dealers.

[jenny1951]

Originally Posted by pauldorell

Regularly washing out the underside and wheel wells during winter probably does a lot more than spraying on oil. Undercoating used to be a big business, but now it's practically died out, except as an unnecessary, high-profit option sold by some dealers.

Yes, I remember those days when the dealer would always try to sell you undercoating. I go to one of those DIY car washes that have high-pressure hoses and rinse the wheel wells and underneath the car as often as possible during the winter. It only costs $3.00 and does a better job than the automated car wash that just squirts a little water under the car as you drive in.

[harpoonalt]

Vermont uses road salt. Take a look at older cars in Vermont vs. other states with no salt and you'll see what it does. Cars rust out here long before they wear out. I know lots of people that oil undercoat their cars and it does work. It should be done at least every year and it's a mess. Theirs a guy now who started using Fluid Film to undercoat cars and it works really well and hardly any dripping. It's basically lanolin and used by equipment manufacturers to prevent rust. If you do a search , you can read more on it. Much better. As a testament to oils worth. When Toyota bought back the trucks with rusty frames my friends 1998 didn't qualify. The mechanic said the oil undercoated trucks mostly looked really good.

[68vette]

There are a few things to know before doing this. First, you have to use new oil. If you use old oil, that is illegal disposal of used oil in Vermont and most other states. The other issue is starting and ending with a clean underside. If this isn't done, dirt, etc that is trapped by the oil will eventually collect moisture and cause rusting. Just use a pressure washer to spray off the dirt that will build up and stick to the oil.