What is this black coating in wheel well?

[esqu1re]

Is this black coating in my wheel well and parts of the under carriage normal? This is a photo of the passenger front wheel well. As you can see, it's on some other parts of the undercarriage / suspension bits and is flaking off. It's fairly brittle.

The bottom photo is of a small piece (1 inch) that came off with minimal force. It's brittle.

 

[BmanNSX]

Looks like undercoating. It's meant to protect your car from rust. Used frequently in states where their cars see lots of water, ice, and salt.

 

[esqu1re]

Looks like undercoating. It's meant to protect your car from rust. Used frequently in states where their cars see lots of water, ice, and salt.

Thanks. Do you know if it is
an after-market application or done at the factory?

 

[BmanNSX]

Thanks. Do you know if it is
an after-market application or done at the factory?

I was thinking aftermarket, but I just took at look at mine and it’s sprayed as well. So appears to be factory!

 

[MotorMouth93]

I believe it is factory. My car has a lot of this junk on it too and its crumbling and kind of gross at this point. Dry ice blasting removes it if you don't like it, but then expect to start seeing some rock chips and what not in your wheel wells.

 

[Old Guy]

It is definitely factory applied, although looking at the photo in the original posting, based upon the overspray it looks like there may have already been a touch up job by a previous owner.

My 2000 has suffered from flaking of the coating and I have done touch up using spray on rubberized rocker guard products like this one

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

It will spray on over the existing rocker guard as long as the original rocker guard is clean and still attached to the sheet metal. In the photo the edges of the remaining rocker guard are lifting so it will have to be removed back to a point where it is still bonded. Multiple light coats are the way to go, otherwise you will have sags. Also, mask to protect from over spray.

 

[esqu1re]

It is definitely factory applied, although looking at the photo in the original posting, based upon the overspray it looks like there may have already been a touch up job by a previous owner.

My 2000 has suffered from flaking of the coating and I have done touch up using spray on rubberized rocker guard products like this one

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

It will spray on over the existing rocker guard as long as the original rocker guard is clean and still attached to the sheet metal. In the photo the edges of the remaining rocker guard are lifting so it will have to be removed back to a point where it is still bonded. Multiple light coats are the way to go, otherwise you will have sags. Also, mask to protect from over spray.

Thanks for recommending product and technique.

 

[ralph cerbone]

under coating yes but also sound deadner , based on where you live you may not want to remove it

 

[esqu1re]

I definitely scraped the stuff that was flaking off and then hit it with a rubberized undercoating made for this application. It looks as good as new now!

 

[silver2002]

Mine has that overspray too [ and it was almost new when I got it].. I'm betting it's more for sound deadening.