New or Used Rust Protection & Undercoating

Service information on Rust Protection & Undercoating including Car Care Tips for after service care, maintenance information, warranty, and FAQ's.

Service Description

• Ziebart is the original provider of rust protection, giving new and used vehicles like yours a reliable and effective defense against the harmful elements of the road. Salty winter roads or the salty sea air can have devastating effects on your vehicle. Even the advanced steel used in today’s cars is susceptible. Although automobiles have evolved over the years, the fact is – they still corrode and rust!
• Every year, Ziebart compiles specifications for each new vehicle. Our technicians use these specs to assure that all rust-prone areas of any vehicle can be accessed for rustproofing coatings.
• Ziebart Rust Protection includes our Undercoating service protecting your vehicle inside and out from corrosion and rust.
  • Rust Protection: Penetrates all upper body seams, joints, and areas most vulnerable to corrosion. Full rust protection includes undercoating.
  • Undercoating: Abrasion resistant sealant dampens road noise while sealing and protecting critical underbody seams and welds.
• Rust Eliminator
  • This treatment was specifically designed for older vehicles. We first chemically clean the undercarriage. Then we apply our proprietary Rust Eliminator which converts existing rust to an inert state. Once this conversion takes place, we apply the proper sealant to protect the metal from future corrosion.

Car Care Tips

Rust Protection:

• We have washed your vehicle for you, avoid automatic car washes until the undercoating material is completely dry. This could take up to 7 days.
• The smell you are experiencing from the Rust Protection products will go away in the next few days.
• It is recommended to always keep the under carriage of your vehicle clean.
• Keep an eye on your mail each year around your anniversary date for your reminder card which will invite you in for an annual re-spray. Whether you have a warranty or not, it is best for your vehicle to come back for an annual re-spray.
• If you received a warranty, you must have the inspection performed on your vehicle every year, +/- 60 days of your anniversary date, to maintain your warranty.

Undercoating:

• Your vehicle’s undercoating will “skin over” in just a few hours and become dry to the touch in about 24 hours. You should avoid putting your vehicle in a garage – especially if your garage is attached to your home – for the first 1 to 2 nights as the solvents evaporate from the drying coating; this can create an unpleasant odor.
• The smell you are experiencing from the Undercoating products will go away in the next few days.
• We have washed your vehicle for you so try to avoid automatic car washes until the undercoating material is completely dry. This could take up to 7 days.
• Keep an eye on your mail each year around your anniversary date for your reminder card which will invite you in for an annual renewal.

Maintenance

• During your maintenance or annual inspection, we will power wash the underside of your vehicle to remove the dirt and allow for a visual inspection. If areas of the undercoating are found to be abraded, new material will be applied.
• Rust protection inspection includes a Ziebart Certified Technician to inspect each panel. From there, new Z-Guard® is sprayed on the interior and exterior of the seams if needed.

Warranty

Any vehicle that is less than 3 years old or 36,000 miles will receive the Rust Protection warranty. To keep your warranty, you must have your vehicle inspected within 60 days (+/-) of the anniversary of the original application.

FAQ’s

• Does Rust Protection void my Factory Warranty?
  • Ziebart’s limited warranty is much more comprehensive and longer than a typical manufacturers corrosion warranty. For example, many OEM warranties exclude corrosion that is the result of contact with road salt or other chemicals. Ziebart’s warranty has no such exclusions.
  • Our coatings will not typically void your new car (factory) warranty, rather, our warranty will cover corrosion your OEM warranty does not.
• Rust Protection vs Undercoating
  • Rust Protection is designed to penetrate all upper body seams, joints and areas most vulnerable to corrosion such as doors, hood, and trunk.
  • Undercoating is a sealant that is applied to the underbody of your vehicle to protect against corrosion and road debris while dampening road noise.
• What are precleaning fees?
  • You may purchase any service at any Ziebart service center and have inspections performed at any authorized Ziebart service center. However, each Ziebart facility is owned and operated by an independent businessperson who is licensed to use our trademark. The Owner is responsible for the workmanship from that location, warranties issued, fees charged, and for the maintenance of customer records. Although there is no charge for reprocessing, the owners labor rate will be charged for preparation and cleaning. Rust protection is such a service which requires annual maintenance inspections. The Ziebart location may offer you a guaranteed yearly pre-cleaning fee on any one, or all, warranted services, however the guaranteed fee is for that location only. Other Ziebart locations are not obligated to honor those guaranteed prices.
• Why do you drill holes in my doors for Rust Protection?
  • The Ziebart process does require the opening of access holes in some body panels. Each year, Ziebart compiles specifications on every new vehicle to show our technicians the ideal spots for this access on each specific vehicle. This access is necessary in order to assure proper coating of critical welds and hidden areas.