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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Cars / November 200905 caravan rusty hood
Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer says SOL- my rust-through warranty (5 yrs/100k) expired 8 days ago. Anybody have any luck getting Chrysler to kick in part of repair cost after warranty, since the damage clearly started in warranty? Stupid design for hood- the way the inside layers come together, there is no way for it to NOT trap crap in there. Am I looking at buying a new hood come spring? I know from experience that there is no point in trying to repair rust in multiple metal layers- it'll just pop out again in six months. -- aem sends... >Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >that there is no point in trying to repair rust in multiple metal >layers- it'll just pop out again in six months. My '04 2500 is rusting all over. Same basic thing, crappy paint (way too thin) and a total lack of any consideration towards the buyers. The big question is "How much will this hurt them in the future when we (who are totally dissatisfied with their vehicles) don't buy from them, and tell others our sad stories." As to repairing it, you need to put it on a lift, and look at the entire chassies. I'd guess your hood is just the beginning of the story, that there will be substantial rust underneath, too. >>Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >>noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >entire chassies. I'd guess your hood is just the beginning of the >story, that there will be substantial rust underneath, too. The Neons and "cloud cars" all rusted the leading edge of the hood long before anything else got bad - most of the vans too. Often even before the fuel lines and brake lines. I owned two vehicles that the paint started to peel one was a Dodge and one was a Chevy. The Chevy was fixed under warranty and I had the dodge repainted by a local body shop after the warranty expired. It seems that both manufactures had an issue with the paint. Speaking with the local body shop, he mention the problem was not the paint itself but the primer. The primer and paint were reacting causing the paint to peel. The problems started when the manufactures switch to a a low VOC (volitale Organic compound) type primer and paint. MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) was used in a lot of paint thinnng and to prepare surfaces for painting prior to the problem. The US government started a campaign to reduce MEK use in the US due to it being listed a VOC and it potential health effects. I hace seen the effects of the US government wanting to ban the use of MEK. I worked in a chemical plant that had a unit that produced MEK that was shutdown due to lack of sales after the US goverment started bannng its use. Despite the goverments attempt to totally ban the use of MEK, they still allow its use in manufacturing of products such as resins, plastic and some others. One of its biggest use prior to the attempt to ban it was in paint thinners. > I owned two vehicles that the paint started to peel one was a Dodge and one > was a Chevy. The Chevy was fixed under warranty and I had the dodge > repainted by a local body shop after the warranty expired. It seems that > both manufactures had an issue with the paint. Speaking with the local body (snip) Uh, it ain't a paint issue. It looks fine, other than typical sloppy edges. It is a rust issue, coming from inside the seam at leading edge of hood. A bad design there traps road crud. Nothing short of potting that whole joint with epoxy would keep the crud from starting rot in there. -- aem sends... >> I owned two vehicles that the paint started to peel one was a Dodge and one >> was a Chevy. The Chevy was fixed under warranty and I had the dodge [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >of hood. A bad design there traps road crud. Nothing short of potting >that whole joint with epoxy would keep the crud from starting rot in there. Actually, if the material in the joint was properly treated, it wouln't rust in there - and PART of that is a primer issue. They don't USE an actual primer any more - the metal is just 'electro-koted" - basically etched, (generally a dip process) and then the part is electrostatically painted. Nothing gets into the joint area to seal and protect it, so it rusts from the inside out. > Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and > noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > that there is no point in trying to repair rust in multiple metal > layers- it'll just pop out again in six months. Well, if anyone cares- as expected, Chrysler basically told me 'too bad', after I wasted a couple of phone calls and another trip to dealer to have the rust 'evaluated'. Apparently, even if I had noticed the rust before the cutoff, the 'perforation' warranty only applies if you can see daylight through the hole. Bubbled paint on both sides of a 2 or 3 layer section, is not considered a perforation. At this point, since salt season starts in a couple weeks, I guess I'll let it ride till spring, at which time the front edge of hood will look like lace. I stopped by a real body shop, and found that I am looking at $600 or more to have a fresh hood painted and installed. So unless I can find a non-rusty same color hood in a yard somewhere for less money, I'm probably gonna be walking bowlegged at some point. Apparently even the used hoods are expensive, this being a crash part and all, and prone to rust up north here. Maybe I can find one on vacation down south, if I drive instead of fly next year. aem sends..... >> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >> noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > aem sends..... Just spray some gray primer on it and get on with life.  Signature"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me". "Bother!" said Pooh, as he garotted another passing Liberal. Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/ >>> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >>> noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Just spray some gray primer on it and get on with life. Primer doesn't fill holes, or stop rust in dead spaces. Bondo doesn't work either- BTDT on previous vehicles. Pops back out in a couple of months. Looked on ebay- I can actually order a pre-painted hood (aftermarket, but supposedly OEM quality) several hundred cheaper than body shop, if I can find somebody to help me put it on. Not heavy, but needs somebody on both ends when you line up the bolt holes. Yeah, I know, it's just a car, but this is the first one I ever paid more than 10k for(18 months ago), and it only has 50k miles. I was hoping to keep it presentable looking for another 2-3 years, at least. And the bad engineering that made the hood rust-prone pisses me off. Maybe I should have spent the extra 5 grand for a Honda van- my 99 Accord with 105k miles doesn't have a speck of rust. -- aem sends... >>>> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, >>>> and noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > Primer doesn't fill holes, or stop rust in dead spaces. Bondo doesn't > work either- OK then use primer *and* duct tape. Sheesh. Signature"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me". "Bother!" said Pooh, as he garotted another passing Liberal. Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/ >>>>> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, >>>>> and noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > >OK then use primer *and* duct tape. Sheesh. Or do like we did on my daughter's Neon. I picked up a "bra" from a heap at the wreckers, greased the good and slipped the bra on. Pulled it off and re-greased it a couple times over 2 years. Power bulge Neon hoods were not easy to find at the wreckers, and for the first while they were not available from the aftermarket - and the regular ones would not fit over the TwinCam engine. >>>> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >>>> noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >body shop, if I can find somebody to help me put it on. Not heavy, but >needs somebody on both ends when you line up the bolt holes. A 10 minute job, start to finish, with the help of a ten year old. Just put a couple layers of masking tape on the top edge of the fenders, and one later around the edge of the hood to protect both WHEN, not if, someone slips. >Yeah, I know, it's just a car, but this is the first one I ever paid >more than 10k for(18 months ago), and it only has 50k miles. I was >hoping to keep it presentable looking for another 2-3 years, at least. >And the bad engineering that made the hood rust-prone pisses me off. >Maybe I should have spent the extra 5 grand for a Honda van- my 99 >Accord with 105k miles doesn't have a speck of rust. When you put the new (or used) one on, get a spray can of "rusty jones" or"krown" rustproofing - the thin sticky, creapy, oily type, not the thick tar - and spray the crtter real good with it standing on the front edge, then turn it to each side for a few minutes to distribute it well, before installing. It will drip out for a while, so might want to leave it sit with an old blanket or something covering the grille for a day or so after installing it so you don't have to deal with wiping it all up afterwards. >>>>> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >>>>> noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > covering the grille for a day or so after installing it so you don't > have to deal with wiping it all up afterwards. Good tip- I'll have to remember that one. A fairly handy neighbor borrowed my 24' ladder the other day to blow off the top of his shed, so I guess he owes me a trivial favor at this point. I'll wait for a day when I see him out working in the yard, and then pull the new hood out and look puzzled. I could probably horse it on there myself if I had to, with enough prop sticks and padding, but 4 hands sure would make it go quicker. Only remaining question- what to do with the old one? Leave it leaning on mailbox, and hope it gets stolen? -- aem sends... >Good tip- I'll have to remember that one. A fairly handy neighbor >borrowed my 24' ladder the other day to blow off the top of his shed, so [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >quicker. Only remaining question- what to do with the old one? Leave it >leaning on mailbox, and hope it gets stolen? Yea, a helper is useful! Just buy him a beer when the job is done. Around here, the town recycling center accepts metal for free. Never a problem to dump old auto parts (they sell it for scrap and make money on it.) >>Good tip- I'll have to remember that one. A fairly handy neighbor >>borrowed my 24' ladder the other day to blow off the top of his shed, so [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > problem to dump old auto parts (they sell it for scrap and make money > on it.) Around here, we put it at the curb with a large "$50" sign on it. Usually gone by morning. FMB (North Mexico) >>>Good tip- I'll have to remember that one. A fairly handy neighbor >>>borrowed my 24' ladder the other day to blow off the top of his shed, [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Around here, we put it at the curb with a large "$50" sign on it. > Usually gone by morning. LOL! Good idea. > FMB > (North Mexico) I take it that means SoCal... ;) Signature"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me". "Bother!" said Pooh, as he garotted another passing Liberal. Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/ >>>>Good tip- I'll have to remember that one. A fairly handy neighbor >>>>borrowed my 24' ladder the other day to blow off the top of his shed, [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > I take it that means SoCal... ;) Although SoCal would and does fit the name, I'm closer to Sac. FMB (North Mexico) >>> Subject says it all, almost. Fixing the paint nicks before winter, and >>> noticed rust bubbles on front edge of hood, inside and outside. Dealer [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > >Just spray some gray primer on it and get on with life. I'd say head to the American Southwest and hit every wrecking yard in a 50 mile circle from wherever you bunk down - almost guaranteed to find a rustless one the right color - might have "rod rash" though. I got a dent in a nasty spot on the hood of my PT cruiser - I'll be checking wreckers in the spring to see what's available. I can buy new for the same price as used (chinese import or whatever) but if I can get one I don't have to paint it saves me a fair amount - and the factory paint is generally better than a repaint. |
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