Undercoat to prevent rust?

[Skulz]

I was wondering if anyone undercoated their H2 to prevent some of the rusting that has been present on some H2s. Do you think the dealer SHOULD come up with something? What kind of spray was used, how many coats, pricing?

I'm weary of seeing people post that their vehicles are showing signs of rust very early on in the life of their H2. Warranty and resale value concerns on my part. It was mentioned that some of the underside rusting is clearly visible even when not underneath the H2. I don't mind having a muddy or dirty vehicle, but I don't want to pay $60K for a rusty one.

Thanks in advance.

[TheGoodHummerMan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Skulz:
"I'm thinking about tinting the front two windows..."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
The H2 salesman suggested I get that done, and I've been toying with the idea since. I'm concerned that it'll be a red flag though. Even if you're not stopped just because of the tint, it is another charge the police could write you up for.

I travel through Georgia frequently, and it seems that some "local cops" just love to stop cars with Florida tags. Probably happens the opposite way too. The last ticket I got was for speeding 66mph in a 55mph zone, when I had the cruise set at 60. The deputy just smiled and offered to show me his radar display when I mentioned the cruise control.

I guess like most things in life, you just have to "takes your chances"? I do like the heavier tint, and now that I think about it more, I think I'm feeling lucky too!

Ed

[TheGoodHummerMan]

In the book by John Lamm & Matt DeLorenzo titled: "HUMMER H2" --- they show a very interesting picture on page 90 showing a nearly completed body of an H2 going through a "ro-dip" electrolysis tank to apply undercoating. According to the caption of the picture, "This unique system turns the vehicle while it's being coated eliminating air trapped beneath horizontal body panels, giving them a uniform layer of undercoating."

Evidently this is later connected to the frame?

Wonder why they don't "ro-dip" the frame too?

Where can I grt mine Zeebarted?

Ed

[Skulz]

Thanks for the heads up Phil. I don't want to void the warranty. I still want to get the rust treatment.

I see that they also do remote starters and window tinting. I'm thinking about tinting the front two windows and the remote starter would be a nice addition.

[JCJ]

Mine did not show any rust, but I did have the Ziebart treatment done. Too bad a dummy sprayed even the plastic wheel well covering AND the aluminum H2 engine shield. But no rust what'so ever.

[West Point H2]

Sorry I haven't responded sooner, I'm doing a major home makeover and running 2 companies simultaneously. The Ziebart thus far has held up flawlessly... no rust anywhere. Cosmetically, I agree with Phil, it's a THICK coating of gunk. Hey, if it does the job who cares. I also had the inner door panels done.
Also, so far so good on the DiamondCoat... still gleaming. Phil, what paint did you use on your rear tire carrier ? Mine has 4-5 chips and I'd like to touch them up before they turn orange. I look forward to your posts, you seem to be one of best informed contributors on this sight... you've helped me through more than a few issues.

[GA_GOLD]

I would love to know what the story is with rust on the H2 ..

With less than 5K miles, I'm already seeing the u-joints, drive axle and other under carriage components rust.. So far the only wet sources have been rainy days in GA this spring... Here's what the GM rep said .."This is normal with unpainted parts "..Well duh ..So why does my 17 year old 4Runner have less or my 1998 F-150 4x4 ??.... I'm curious why others aren't rusting and some are .... Since my 1 year loaner Denali has similar issues , it appears GM is cutting corners to save $$ .. Who wants an SUV or Any vehicle with a rusting undercarriage .??.. Oh yeah if you read your rust warranty these parts ARE NOT covered under your rust warranty !!….

I’ve seen Hummer_Girl’s website and this is nearly identical to the rust ( corrosion ) I am seeing .. You can’t make any rational person believe this is “normal” per the BS the GM service manager spouted in response to my leaving the H2 at the dealership. It is either defective manufacturing or really piss poor quality control .. I’m sorry in a nearly 60K automobile , this is not acceptable !!!

Talk about Aggravating !!!… Any one want to buy a rusting H2 ?
5/19/03

[buddy]

Where did all the rust proofing shops go in Jacksonville? I opened the phone book and there's one little line in the yellow pages, some small local body shop. No Ziebart or any other national chain, No Guarantee...You would think with all the salt water/air mix around these parts, a rust control shop would be a profitable business. Maybe they all got rusted out and closed. Who knows...

[GA_GOLD]

Woogy,

If you've followed my past postings, you know this has been a frustrating surprise for me ..

I noticed my rust at about 4 months ...

I finally did get to spend about 1-1/2 hours with the dealer's service manager today .... He is very much aware this is not an insignificant problem....

One of the things he offered to pursue with GM on my behalf is a seperate component warranty so that if there are any future failures related to the rusting not covered under the existing warranty , I would not be out for repairs etc.... A move in the right direction ....

Like you've read here , you may be able to do some shade tree mechanic fixes ....

I still maintain when your spending over 50 K for a vehicle , you shouldn't have these issues.. It is not within the customer's expectations ...

I'll post more later ( friday ? ) ..but I've got to go !!

[buddy]

Phil,

Well, you may say the job was complete. Good idea on taking the skid plate off.

Do you have any idea what was applied to kill and prevent further rusting? Something that could be bought at an auto paint supply?

Since having only one small shop that does rust treatments, I may end up just keep after the rust with rust converter myself. I know that's a never ending PITA though.

The salt air is so thick around here everything that can rust, will rust and fast. I've seen vehicles parked outside at the beach, get serious rust damage within one year. It helps to do a daily rinsing and frequent thorough washings.

It shouldn't take long to determine how effective the treatment is. You're exposure to the salt air is very much like mine. Just a downside of living near the beach. Time will tell. Money well spent.

[Skulz]

Just got off the phone with the local guy and he is running a special $299 for rust and underbody sound barrier; otherwise $199 for rust and $175 for the underbody sound barrier.

I'm not really into the polished look, so I think I'll give this a shot. I'm not sure I want/need the underbody sound barrier, but I definately want the rust coating.

[Joe]

Phil.

Did you sand or wire brush off your surface rust or just spray over it?

Sure looks better after the paint. Probably worth the extra couple of bucks.

[GA_GOLD]

Phil,

Thanks for the insights about GM cost savings ..But don't you think it odd you have to now deal with a 'frame rusting like a pig'..?

Personally, I know the most frustrating part to date is GM's dismissive attitude to not only the problem but to their suppossed customers as well.. As an SUV manufacturer you would think addtional undercoating is a no brainer from the factory or dealer ... If I can ever nail down the service manager at the dealership face to face, at least I will know which way to go ... Given the behemoth size of GM , I wonder how much of these issues ever reach someone who can one own up to them and two correct them ...

[Skulz]

Just scheduled appt for Thursday for rust & underbody coating. The guy said they'd cover anything that GM wouldn't cover under warranty if the Ziebart caused something to go wrong. $319 for both (3 hr job) and the option to bring it in yearly for an inspection and touch up for $34.99 or something.

I might seriously consider that diamond treatment as well that West Point H2 had done to his rig.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The diamond coat paint protectant is well worth the $ as well... no waxing for 5 years, or so they say. It is very easy to remove dirt though, everything, and I mean everything rinses off completely at the car wash. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Hopefully it is still holding up well for him.

I'm holding off on the remote start (not sure I'd use it too often...yet) and window tinting (as there is a legal issue with front windows being tinted in my state).

[Woogy]

Sorry if you have all answered this before, but when I searched through the postings there were way too many to cull through for the answer.

How soon did you notice the rust on the truck?

I'm two months in and no rust, but, I keep checking.

[Skulz]

I'm still looking into Ziebart treatment if I can find someone locally. More so from a cosmetics standpoint now rather than anything. If it does rust, I'll definately be writing an unsatisfactory response to both the dealer and manufacturer.

If I can't find anyone to do the Ziebart, I can always try the rubber undercoat and rustoleum that you (Phil) applied on your truck. Looks really good from the photos.

Actually, I just found a shop 16 miles from me, so I'll probably have them Ziebart.

www.ziebart.com
try the store locator

[TheGoodHummerMan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Skulz:
"try the store locator"<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
No Ziebart locations within 150 miles of here.

After reading about the undercoating being applied to the skid plate (just had mine polished like a mirror) I think that I'd be better off following PhilD's example. His job looks fantastic. Plus, I won't worry about getting my skid plate back with rubber undercoating applied to it...

Thanks a lot for the pics, Phil. Now, if I can just do about half as good a job as you did...

Ed

[Skulz]

Looks nice Phil.

I can say mine looks a little sloppy in some aspects, but I can deal with sloppy easier than rust. It did not drip at all on my driveway, so it can't be THAT sloppy.

West Point H2,
It is definately sticky as I already have grass and other stuff adhering to the coating. Still, better than seeing rust IMHO.

There is that strong smell to deal with for awhile...

Oh, they didn't get my skid plate (at least the visible part from the front of the vehicle), but they did hit my wheel wells.

I'm pretty satisfied with the job and would recommend it to anyone worried or dissatisfied with the rusting problems out there.

[Albie]

Phil, where do i get this Rustoleum Hardhat Flat Black spray?

[TheGoodHummerMan]

Just read the "Tint" thread posted a while back and the suggestion about rolling down the windows and turning on the interior lights if you're pulled over makes a lot of sense too!

I seem to recall hearing that law enforcement gets spooked (justifiably) when approaching a car they can't see into.

I think that now after reading this, I'll get mine tinted and just be ready to hit the window switches if I see blue & red lights in my mirror.

Glad I read this thread!

Thanks all, Ed