rust protection

Hello all,
I'm an owner of a new 2004 Jetta TDI. When I bought the car I asked the salesman about rust proofing. He told me it isn't needed since the body is made from galvinized steel. I live in Canada and winter is only a few months away, and that means roads covered in salt. Now that has me thinking I should get the car rust proofed before winter. I am curious as to what the opinion is out there on this. Is the car really as rust resistant as the dealer suggested?

Regards.
-Paolo

Don't do it. They usually end up plugging the proper drain holes in the process. These cars have a LOT of rust protection from the factory. All the underside is coated then painted as well as many other areas of the car. The best thing if the car is in a lot of salt is occasional cleaning, and keeping it OUTSIDE. Heated garages cause condensation and speed up the reaction of the salt.

Welcome to the club! Remember your fuel additive and get a coolant heater!

Your TDI was given a good corrosion protection package at the factory. The product that they use is called <font color="red"> WAXOYL</font>
This is the stuff that you might see ozzzing from the lower drip holes in the door on a hot summer day.
The wheel wells and bottom floor pan is also coated with this stuff.
The product is not sold retail.

The wheel wells....floor pan..and other areas with time might need to be touched up with a re-application to ensure continued surface protection.
You can make a very good "clone" waxoyl yourself:
Home-made Waxoyl

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll take the advice and pass on the rust protection. Just make sure to wash the salt off once and a while.
-Paolo

Last weekend, I installed one of DieselGeek's skidplates. In the process of installing the Riv-Nut attachment points, I found some of this waxy stuff dripping out of my car's frame. This stuff seems too soft, for any sort long-term corrosion protection.
If I lived anywhere besides southern california, I would look for something a bit more substantial.

Good Luck

My high mileage 99.5 Jetta has a few small nicks from stones that I want to touch up to avoid them turning into rust spots. Where do you folks get touch up paint for your VWs? Do you get it from the dealer, or just from an auto parts place, or what?

More substantial? I wonder how much 'experience' you have with vehicles that rust into flintstone-mobiles within 6 years?

Over the past 25 years, I have seen so-called rust-preventive products come and go. A lot of companies (Ziebart...etc) have gone out of buisness because of all the claims when the roadsalt made the treated vehicles desinegrate. (the preventitive treatmenet actually HELD THE SALT AGAINST THE METAL) WAXOYL is one of the last rust-treatments available for a reason...IT WORKS.

The viscosity of the WAXOYL is just about perfect. You want somthing that continues to 'flow' into the nooks-n-crannies without gravity pulling it all out.

I have only seen the WAXOYL drip from the vehicle in hot weather (above 90F) It never drips out below 30F and that is the kind of weather when the roadsalt is used.

The VW-Audi corrosion warantee is the best in the buisness. There is NO other comparible vehicle that comes close to a 12-year/unlimited-milage warantee.

Just compare a 12-year-old VW to any Honda, Subaru or Toyata of the same vintage... If you can find the Aisian vehicles, they will be full of rust holes from the roadsalt.

Herm is the man. Listen!

Waxoyl is sold in the UK.

Here's a link.
MGOC.

Herm is the man. Listen!

Click to expand...

hehehe...reminds me so much of:

Matthew 17:5
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

Herm is the TDI expert, and with him we are well pleased. Listen to him!

My high mileage 99.5 Jetta has a few small nicks from stones that I want to touch up to avoid them turning into rust spots. Where do you folks get touch up paint for your VWs? Do you get it from the dealer, or just from an auto parts place, or what?

Click to expand...

I got my touchup paint from paintscratch.com.