Undercoating question

I have a question for all of you experienced LEAFers. We just purchased our LEAF, a new leftover 2013 SV. I was surprised when the dealership said that they couldn't sell me an undercoating package or paint protection because the paint is "special".

I plan on doing the undercoating myself as we live on a gravel road plus the car has to survive months of sand and salt every winter.

I've searched this forum and the net, but couldn't find any reason why I can't protect the wheel wells and rocker panels on the LEAF. Has anyone else heard of this?

Thanks,
Bill

Someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in with exact details, but access to the traction battery unit, what makes the car go, is from underneath. There is a cool article about a battery swap that shows quite a bit of the underside workings. http://insideevs.com/nissan-leaf-battery-swap-under-warranty-video/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. I would guess it's probably not a good idea to spray anything down there as it may hinder service to the battery and trap heat.

BillR said:

I have a question for all of you experienced LEAFers. We just purchased our LEAF, a new leftover 2013 SV. I was surprised when the dealership said that they couldn't sell me an undercoating package or paint protection because the paint is "special".

I plan on doing the undercoating myself as we live on a gravel road plus the car has to survive months of sand and salt every winter.

I've searched this forum and the net, but couldn't find any reason why I can't protect the wheel wells and rocker panels on the LEAF. Has anyone else heard of this?

Thanks,
Bill

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are there dealers still selling the undercoating scam?

The paint is "special" all right, in that they seem to only apply about two coats of it. I'd focus on hard clearcoat for the outside.

LeftieBiker said:

The paint is "special" all right, in that they seem to only apply about two coats of it. I'd focus on hard clearcoat for the outside.

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Leftie, aren't you being generous with the 2 coats of paint?

To OP...we wish we were joking. The exterior paint is SUPER thin.

Having said that, the only paint problem I've had in 2 years was when a co-worker door dinged it. All the gravel camping and winter wear in 2 years hasn't affected the paint but the door ding that left no dent, peeled the paint to the metal.

apvbguy said:

are there dealers still selling the undercoating scam?

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Its a rustbelt thing... another unknown of this car, will the body outlast the battery in the salty North???

The one area that could use undercoating is the front and top portion of the rear wheel wells. My car was so loud when driving in rain that rear seat passengers said it was like someone was spraying a hose under their outside elbows.

Several coats of a high quality bed-liner material took care of the problem. The rust prevention promise of undercoating is not always what it seems. Sometimes it can make a car rust faster when drains are clogged or moisture pockets form.

I have used products like LPS-3, ACF50 and CorrosionX with great results but these offer no mechanical "protection" from rocks.

Thanks people.

I had wondered if Nissan was using the metal that the battery pack is bolted to for additional heat dissipation.

From the forum I'd read that the paint chipped easily. I ordered a nose mask for the car today to protect the front from flying grit and stones as I do 50KM on the highway daily.

Watching the video helped me understand what I'll be dealing with under there. I'll be careful to not hinder battery access. I'm not too worried about heat dissipation as we don't have very much really hot weather, in fact I was wondering about adding additional insulation in the winter to help maintain the temperature in the battery pack.

Based on all the noise I hear every time I drive on loose gravel (daily) the car needs some physical protection.

Thanks again.

if anyone is concerned about the paint there are products like expel or opticoat that can offer some protection.

The bottom plastic cover makes undercoating unnecessary. The bottom is largely the battery, which will probably be replaced just in time for the bottom of the car to start rusting anyway, if you live in a cold state.

The most likely place to rust through will be the front corners of the rear wheel wells. This is where I've noticed road salt and debris pile up on my LEAF. It's almost been intentionally designed to rust there. If I were keeping the car for the long term, I would apply some sort of additional protection there.

I would also apply some 3M film to the front of the car (to protect from stone throw damage), and to the top of the rear bumper (to protect from loading/unloading scratches).

For the 200 or so dollars it cost me to undercoat, (Ziebart,) the car..doors and all, I see it as an overall good investment. I have always had my cars rust proofed and I have never had any rust over the 10 years or so that I have had them. Going on 21 years now for one of the cars I bought new in June of 1994!! (Infinity J30.)


I also do the clear coating as the Leaf is Black and it will show the smallest scratch or blemish.

rogersleaf said:

apvbguy said:

are there dealers still selling the undercoating scam?

Click to expand...

Its a rustbelt thing... another unknown of this car, will the body outlast the battery in the salty North???

Click to expand...

The only car I've had any sort of rust issue in the last 30 years was a 1990 Honda Accord, and it wasn't the salty North that did it in.

My in-laws bought it new and had it for the first 10 years of it's life in upstate NY, encountering lots of salt during the snowy winters. They sold it to my brother-in-law, who took the rust-free car down to Maryland, where it spend 8 nearly snow-free winters and picked up lots of rust in the warmer, moister climate. We got it then and had it for 4 years; we had to bondo the wheel wells to cover up the rust enough for it to pass MA inspection.

Of course, it was still "rusty enough" to qualify for being an extra in The Fighter... our 1/4 second of fame.

Do they have any sort of guarantee on the coasting against rust?

How much is the clear coat extra? Is that done by the dealer? I wonder if I can get it on my 2012. Thanks

greengate said:

For the 200 or so dollars it cost me to undercoat, (Ziebart,) the car..doors and all, I see it as an overall good investment. I have always had my cars rust proofed and I have never had any rust over the 10 years or so that I have had them. Going on 21 years now for one of the cars I bought new in June of 1994!! (Infinity J30.)


I also do the clear coating as the Leaf is Black and it will show the smallest scratch or blemish.

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You can apply paint sealant yourself, but clearcoat would have to be applied by a paint shop.

I am aware. That is why I was asking for cost.

LeftieBiker said:

You can apply paint sealant yourself, but clearcoat would have to be applied by a paint shop.

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kubel said:

The most likely place to rust through will be the front corners of the rear wheel wells. This is where I've noticed road salt and debris pile up on my LEAF. It's almost been intentionally designed to rust there. If I were keeping the car for the long term, I would apply some sort of additional protection there.

I would also apply some 3M film to the front of the car (to protect from stone throw damage), and to the top of the rear bumper (to protect from loading/unloading scratches).

Click to expand...

Also noticed the junk trap in the rear wheel wells. I can see salt/brine build-up being a big problem in that spot. 3M makes a spray-on rubberized undercoating that holds up in wheel wells. I used this on Chevy pickups where the road grit literally sand-blast the rear wheel wells. Intend to spray this area on my Leaf before winter.

Have also installed the "Clear Bra" type products to the hood on some cars. In most cases not difficult to apply, relatively inexpensive and works well.

BillR said:

I plan on doing the undercoating myself as we live on a gravel road plus the car has to survive months of sand and salt every winter.

I've searched this forum and the net, but couldn't find any reason why I can't protect the wheel wells and rocker panels on the LEAF. Has anyone else heard of this?

Thanks,
Bill

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Bought our 2015 Leaf in Cedar Rapids Iowa end of January 2015. Just noticed that rock chip damage behind both passenger doors - bottom of door frame. All the way to metal. Dealership is investigating. This seems bad design as I doubt the non-disclosure says "don't drive this car on gravel". What has anyone else done to fix this design flaw?