Rust-proofing (Krown) question

2014 CX-5 here. After 4 winters this is how the underside looks. How bad does the rusting appear to be? Should i rush out and get a Krown application this year? From what I have read it should slow the spread of rust... Or is this just surface rust and no cause for concern? thanks

attachment.php


attachment.php
 
Well the answer is that most of what you see there is mostly surface rust but you will find that eventually it will get the better of small metal brackets and such like. You might also find that if you come to change a hand brake cable (as an example) that the little clamp bolts break off. Now if you look at this, all the metal parts including hose clips and bolt heads will stay like this for many years to come.......

IMG_3529.jpg
 
Well the answer is that most of what you see there is mostly surface rust but you will find that eventually it will get the better of small metal brackets and such like. You might also find that if you come to change a hand brake cable (as an example) that the little clamp bolts break off. Now if you look at this, all the metal parts including hose clips and bolt heads will stay like this for many years to come.......
Thanks Anchorman. Yours looks well protected. Maybe I'll take the plunge and get it protected, will probably take it to Krown. I am just nervous about some things I've read online regarding clogging drain holes and altering the balance of the car. Planning to keep it for another 6 years or so, so maybe it is a good idea.
 
Thanks Anchorman. Yours looks well protected. Maybe I'll take the plunge and get it protected, will probably take it to Krown. I am just nervous about some things I've read online regarding clogging drain holes and altering the balance of the car. Planning to keep it for another 6 years or so, so maybe it is a good idea.

What do you mean by - 'altering the balance of the car'?
 
What do you mean by - 'altering the balance of the car'?

Sorry meant weight of the car, not balance. From the OP

The CX-5 is a thoroughly modern car in it's design and manufacture. It has some of the best rust protection in the business including a dual layer galvanization process on panels (dual layer of zinc coating). No further rust proofing is necessary or desirable and drilling through body panels penetrates the zinc coatings which are applied to stop rust from starting. Plus it's an unnecessary expense that <b>adds weight</b> and risks plugging the drain holes which could stop the salty road spray from draining as designed. Just hose it off with plain water periodically if you are concerned you have been in extra corrosive conditions and save the coatings for poorly protected cars without zinc under coatings like most cheap cars from decades past.
 
All mazda cars delivered to Sweden are rust proof treated at the Belgian port, so they say. Looking at the underside of my new cx5, I do not see under body coating and that means they have only applied hole room wax.
 
I have a 2015 (bought in 2014 with three winters on it now), and live in southwestern Ontario and have had lots of crappiness in the winter!

No rust but I did get one of those dealer installed (read $$$$) electronic rust-proof devices. I plan to keep the vehicle for at least 10 years. I did use the spray places before but did find it to be a PITA to do each year and the dripping for 24-72 hours was a pain as well. I am certain the stuff gets into places that may not be desirable.

There are so many arguments for an against any type of rustproofing it gets a bit annoying to try and distill what is accurate. So I am doing real-world testing that will take 10 years to prove or disprove :)

One thing I have noticed is that I stopped fixing chips on the hood 1.5 years ago (it is just ridiculous the amount of chips) but none have rusted and are still silver. So that is something! The mismatch of Soul Red paint chip touch-ups bug me more than the chip left unfinished.
 
2014 CX-5 here. After 4 winters this is how the underside looks. How bad does the rusting appear to be? Should i rush out and get a Krown application this year? From what I have read it should slow the spread of rust... Or is this just surface rust and no cause for concern? thanks

attachment.php


attachment.php
Surface rust is still rust. Just a different adjective. All rusts starts from surface rust.
 
Anchorman, that looks awesome!
The stuff must work, because nearly every time that I have looked at a surprisingly good condition old/classic car that had spent 20+years in the rust belt of the country, the vehicle was treated with this type of spray on wax under the body and even the engine bay.

What does the spray wax/krown type average treatment cost? $$
 
Last edited:
After 4 Canadian winters I ended up taking my 2014 cx5 to Krown. They drilled several holes around each door frame, the suspect ones for me are on the lift gate. I don't like the fact the hole and plug are outside the rubber seal and the angle of the plugs across the seam, however there doesn't seem like there were many locations they could have drilled around this area. Where did krown drill the holes on your guys cx5's? Should i be concerned with the holes drilled below?

attachment.php

attachment.php


https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=217548&d=1507554657
https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=217547&d=1507554651
 
Last edited:
Looks like the person that drilled went a little to close to the edge.

yep. I'm wondering if there is any cause for concern with the plug hanging slightly over the edge. Hopefully the plugs will still create an air tight seal so that no water can penetrate the hole. Debating whether to return to Krown and make a complaint... doubtful they could do much anyways.
 
They do make a little sticker to cover holes, some car manufactures use them in place of plugs. Try google to see if you can find them.
 
I wouldn’t be too concerned about that. The plugs don’t make it pretty but that isn’t important. You could find some small black rubber plugs that wouldn’t look untoward. The main thing is that the cavity has been treated.
 
I wouldn’t be too concerned about that. The plugs don’t make it pretty but that isn’t important. You could find some small black rubber plugs that wouldn’t look untoward. The main thing is that the cavity has been treated.

Thanks for the feedback Anchorman. I am not concerned about the aesthetics so much as any issue that could surface from a poorly sealed hole. As you said the main thing is the cavity is now protected, which was necessary as it appears i am already getting some bubbling on the rear hatch below the lift bars. Only 40k on the car so far.

attachment.php
 
You need to take out those panels (under body and wheel wells) to spray the rust proofing and that is what costs money. Krown is just by passing that by making holes so that they can reach those areas. Quick and dirty method!
 
No, its a different thing. Taking the wheel arch liners off allows access to the wheel arches and upper suspension and steering etc. Spring inside the cavities preserves the structural box sections. I should have a picture of the shell construction somewhere.
 

New Threads and Articles

Back