Underbody Coating

UNDER BODY COATING AND ITS PURPOSE

• Underbody coating is a thick resilient coating applied to the underbody or chassis of an automobile to protect against impact damage from small stones, which would rapidly chip ordinary paint, allowing rusting to begin.
• Underbody coating also provides long term protection from corrosion to car’s underbody. It also protects parts like internal body panels, frame rails and other inner cavities that are not physically accessible but are prone to corrosion.
• Specially in Indian roads in rainy season the muddy water and the potholes are very much harmful for the automotive underbody area ,as it can easily get the rust and hence can get damaged over a period of time.hence to protect the underbody from such conditions ,underbody coating is done.

TYPES OF UNDERBODY COATING

1.RUBBERISED UNDERBODY COATING

This is widely considered to be the best underbody coating for any automobile. It protects the underbody from scratches and keeps it properly. It’s also not difficult to apply this to the undercarriage. This can be done at the authorized service center or by the local repair shop at a reasonable price. Rubberized coating is ideal if you want to keep the road noise to a minimum and rust and corrosion away.

2.WAX BASED UNDERBODY COATING

This more or less ephemeral undercoating will wear away in a few months time. On the upside, wax-based undercoating puts up a big fight against moisture. It is also the most affordable option out there.

3.ASPHALT BASED UNDERBODY COATING

Suitable for lorries, trucks, and other heavy vehicles. In comparison to rubber-based coatings, this gives a higher level of protection. Asphalt-based coatings, on the other hand, incorporate a small quantity of rubber for sound insulation. The application of this coating, however, takes some time.

4.POLYURETHENE UNDERBODY COATING

This covering seals breaks and fractures in the vehicle’s underbody. It provides strong corrosion resistance and also binds to the metal. Unlike an asphalt-based coating, the polyurethane coating may be painted over.

ADVANTAGES

1.It extends the lifespan of your car

The protection against rusting gives you the biggest advantage, which is the long-life of the vehicle. If undercoating is done the right way, then it will provide protection for up to 10 years. In some cases, the time span is more than ten years, which extends the lifespan of your vehicle.

2.No more loud road noise

The undercoating serves as an extra layer of insulation, reducing the noise from penetrating inside components. Thus padding acts as a barrier between you and the source of the noise. If the road noise bothers you while driving your car, truck, or SUV, then applying to undercoat can help you.

3.Prevent from stone chip

There are thousands of pieces of stones on the road, and they are constantly hitting your car on the under body, wheel arches, sills and the trunk lower part while driving on the road. In some cases, the under body might be scratched by uneven road.

As such the thin corrosion protection coating on the metal sheet will be destroyed and leave the bare metal exposed to the air, which will soon come to corrosion when contact with the moisture in the air. If not promptly getting anti-rust treatment, then the rust will soon spread to large areas. Under body coating or the anti-stone chip coating is a thick elastic layer which could not be easily damaged by stone chipping or scratch, therefore could basically protect the metal sheet of the under body.

4.Prevents Paint Chipping

Running on the highway or while pacing through a city road, you will often encounter sharp gravel or any other unattended object hitting the belly of your car with high momentum. This scrapes and chips off the metal from down below. A thick layer of Underbody Coating definitely comes to aid and minimises the effects of such contacts on the body.

5.Protects Against Rust & Corrosion

The primary objective of getting underbody coating done is preventing metal components that are exposed on the bottom side of the car to damage from corrosion. You can shut out the Adverse effects of corrosion on your car by simply applying a rubberised anti-rust coating all over the belly of your car.

6.External influence

External environment, such as the baking from the hot road in summer, the road’s anti-frozen gent in winter, raining water and the salty water in the atmosphere, will attach the under body of a car. Particular in coast areas, the wind from the sea will bring more salt to the air, which will accelerate the corrosion and reduce the service life of a car. While the under body is covered by the thick and tight layers, it would act as a strong barrier to prevent these external substances attaching the metal sheet.

7.Protects Vital Components

Underneath a car is somewhere a lot of indispensable parts of a car are left exposed like the Engine, silencer, etc. One simply can’t afford to let these parts go bad due to rusting and hence in order to save yourself from a hefty repair bill, a considerably less expensive Anti-Rust Coating is a must.

7.Keep the value

A car could keep a high value while it is well maintained. It means that if a car is well treated on under body protection, it could keep the car in a good condition and extend the car’s service life, or you could charge a higher price in a used-car trading.

8.Reduces NVH (Noise Vibrations Harshness) Levels

Our country is filled with roads having uneven patches and potholes and while we manoeuvre our cars through such sections, the unpaved crumbs, and pebbles hit the car from underneath or get stuck in the wheel wells. The underbody coating’s consistency is so thick that the layer it creates absorbs all the unpleasant noises and vibrations and marginally improves the driving experience.

DISADVANTAGES

1.It is less helpful if corrosion is already present.

For an undercoating to be the most effective, it should be in place before the underbelly of your car begins to rust. If you apply it over corrosion, you will still isolate the metal from further moisture and airflow, which is good, but the existing oxidizing/rusting process will still continue to occur. After rust is already present, applying an undercoating will slow the continuation of the corrosion process and will make your vehicle look better… until the rust breaks its way through the layer of undercoating you’ve applied. If you have rust present, it is better to remove the rust and then apply the undercoating.

2.It works best on new cars.

If you’ve purchased a used vehicle, then the cost of preparing the underbelly for an undercoating might be more than the value of the car. You must remove all the residue from the bottom before it can be applied. Failing to do so will seal in the debris that is present already, which can lead to more problems. The best time to have an undercoating applied is when a vehicle is purchased new because it offers a superior level of protection then.

3.Most vehicles make it five years before corrosion begins to show.

For vehicle owners who purchase something new every 3 to 5 years, then rustproofing may not be a good use of your cash. Although an undercoating does add value to a used car, that only applies when the rustproofing product used provides a transferrable lifetime warranty. Most vehicles that are on the road today are able to make it five years before any corrosion begins to show. It may be 7 to 10 years before the functionality of the vehicle is negatively impacted by the lack of an undercoating.

If you wash your vehicle regularly, especially during the winter months, then you might be able to save the time and money required for this service.

4.A third-party undercoating service might void your vehicle’s warranty.

Some new cars no longer need the undercoating service provided because the structure of the vehicle has it built-in already. If you hire a third-party provider to apply an undercoating, you could void the corrosion-perforation warranty that is factory-provided. Most vehicles today that leave the factory floor are all provided with included rust-proofing.

If you are purchasing a used vehicle, an undercoating to a clean underbelly could extend the life of the vehicle and give it more value. For new vehicle purchases, you should ask the dealer what rustproofing options are included before paying for a separate undercoating option. Ask for documentation of what is provided instead of taking the word of the salesperson or the service personnel.

Many dealers have language in their terms and conditions that only written agreements are binding.

5.It adds weight to the vehicle

Although the amount of weight added to a vehicle with an undercoating is minimal (between 10 to 20 pounds for most vehicles), there is a small element of fuel economy to consider. When your vehicle weighs more, the distance you can travel on a single tank of fuel is reduced. The undercoating might reduce your efficiency by up to one mile per gallon, which creates a small additional fuel cost over time. Still, the effect on mileage of this additional weight is negligible compared to the effect a driver can have by the way they drive.

6.An undercoating is not impervious to damage.

An undercoating can provide a hardened layer of protection against dirt and debris that may cause corrosion. Depending on where you drive, however, the lifespan of this product may be minimal. If you drive your vehicle on gravel roads or dirty areas frequently, you reduce the integrity of the protective layer.

You might find that your undercoating begins to chip off in as little as 25,000 miles because of this issue. Driving in a salty environment is not the only threat to the integrity of this product.

7.It must be reapplied every 3 to 5 years for the best results

The only way for an undercoating to provide ongoing protection for your vehicle is to have the service repeated frequently. Most owners can have a new layer applied in about 5 years without worrying about their underbelly being compromised. In salty or destructive environments, however, you may need to have a new undercoating applied every 3 years for the best results.

The pros and cons of a vehicle undercoating offer a complex opportunity to protect some new and used cars, but not all new vehicles require it. You must perform your own due diligence on a vehicle you’re wanting to purchase to decide if this service is right for you. And, if the cost is an issue, it is possible to apply your own undercoating, though such an action might void an active warranty.