Trex08

I can't remember if my previous hhr had undercoat on the front wheel wells, but my current panel (which came up from florida) has none. I looked at a few others around here when they were in parking lots, and noticed what looked like factory undercoat.

I read thru some of the threads and seems that gm recommended that they not be undercoated. Does this mean that none of them got it in production, or some of them, specific years or region, or they're all aftermarket or dealer option. Just wondering, I'm up in the northeast, would have felt better if mine were done in production, and I'm not too keen on doing it after the fact because I know it could cause problems in the long run. Thoughts?

I'm mainly talking about front wheel wells.

Oldblue

Mine were undercoated.

donbrew

Not from the factory, the ripoff finance department after sales. The only place they shoot is the wheel wells, where it can be seen. It doesn't do anything good, except maybe sound deadening.

GM says the type of paint they use is good enough for them to warranty rust through for (I think) 5 years. Some say undercoating hastens corrosion by locking moisture in and then concealing.

I think that the underbody is dipped in a wax concoction. Undercoating will not stick to it, causing bubbles for water to collect.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...-dealer-manual

And this from this forum the warranty booklet, make note the part about Alterations:
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/gene...-warranty-913/

firemangeorge

Mine has factory (not dealer installed) black undercoating in all the wheelwells.
It's sprayed on the sheet metal before the plastic wheelwell liners were installed at the factory.
The plastic liners cover up most of it, so it's hard to notice, but it is there.

aradmahogany

Stupid question but what does the undercoat look like and how can you tell if you have it?

firemangeorge

Sprayed on undercarriage protective coating. Rubberized, generally rough finish, normally black color.
Here's a shot of the front tire wheel well. You can see the plastic wheel well liner (right side), undercoating to the left of it.

Oldblue

That's what mine looks like, in the wheel wells, maybe the Generals feeble attempt at stone and road debris protection.

donbrew

Neither of mine had that. There was some stuff under the paint in the front wheel wells, or really thick runny paint.

whopper

If anyone is considering doing their own undercoating, I highly recommend using genuine GM undercoating with their big spray cans. I've used various brands of undercoating on various vehicles over the years, and found that the GM stuff went on the easiest with minimal drips and overspray. Some brands really liked to drip on the driveway as it dried, and the overspray often left ones hands splattered, along with the can. and once you get it on your hands it is a blitch to remove.

I first tried the GM stuff a few years ago on the recommendation of a fellow at an independant parts store - he raved about it, I gave it a try, then went back and bought a few more cans.

Give it a try - you might like it as much as I do. And no, I am not affiliated with GM or GM dealers in any way.

PS: if you consider doing your own undercoating, be very careful with it, as there are numerous areas and items under the vehicle that should never be undercoated. I'll leave that to you to determine exactly what those areas are.

Oldblue

Nitrile gloves aren't just for prostrate tests anymore! They are great for keeping your hands clean!