Bubbly Paintwork - repair or replace?

[ahoythere]

Hi -

My '98 E Class estate (W210) has a few rust spots - on both front wheel arches (on the outer edges) and around the lock on the tailgate. In all the affected areas, the rust has bubbled through which suggests that it is more than just surface rust.

Two questions:

1) Generally speaking, can rust spots be effectively treated these days or is it better to replace parts like wings when rust takes hold?

2) My vehicle is less than 10 years old and has a full MB service history. Is there any chance I could get the repairs done under warranty?

Advice greatly appreciated,
Christian

 

[television]

It the rust has come through from the backside, then there is not metal as such left, the is easily seen when sanded, if the bright metal has black areas or spots, then that is no longer metal and must be cut out

 

[whitenemesis]

If its coming through from the inside then it should be covered under warranty. Chack as Malcolm says.

 

[citroennut]

If its coming through from the inside then it should be covered under warranty. Chack as Malcolm says.

unfortunately as it is a '98 car, then the warranty may have expired. my 210 was a jan. '98 and had to get the warranty paint done by jan last year - you may be lucky though!
simon

 

[ahoythere]

Many thanks for the swift replies - I will check with MB regarding the warranty.

Malcolm implies that you can perform surgery (and get a good result) by cutting out the affected areas, which is what I expected. It's just that when I took my car into a body shop over the week-end, the owner suggested that replacing both wings would be better. To me, this seemed like overkill because apart from a few small areas, most of the paintwork is in good nick.

I'm wondering whether cutting out and filling in is a dying art or whether it's because the rust is on the edges of the wheel arches that the bodyshop has recommended replacing the wings. Or maybe it's becasue replacement is the easier and more lucrative option?

 

[jberks]

These days the cost of a replacement panel, plus fitting given that its a bolt on wing, against the hourly labour cost of someone to craft in a piece and shape to fit are likely to be fairly similar. A new wing will ensure that the rust is gone whereas a 10 year old wing, however well repaired is likely to break out at aonther spot within the near future.
Hence, I'd be tempted with the new panels.

 

[alexspurs61]

These days the cost of a replacement panel, plus fitting given that its a bolt on wing, against the hourly labour cost of someone to craft in a piece and shape to fit are likely to be fairly similar. A new wing will ensure that the rust is gone whereas a 10 year old wing, however well repaired is likely to break out at aonther spot within the near future.
Hence, I'd be tempted with the new panels.

I'll second that. The extra cost of a whole panel is worth it, I'd say.

I spent a year umming and aahing and much careful costing of repair vs replacement. I now have two new MB front wings and a total of seven panels sorted - including round the bootlock and door tops, naturally!

Car looks a million dollars, even if it's actually only worth three pee.

 

[ahoythere]

Advice much appreciated - thanks.

Since my vehicle is just under 9 years old with a full MBSH and the rust is bubbling up from the inside (as opposed to being surface rust), I've made contact with MB UK to see if I can get my bootlock and wings attended to under warranty.

I'll let you know what happens...

 

[philharve]

Advice much appreciated - thanks.

Since my vehicle is just under 9 years old with a full MBSH and the rust is bubbling up from the inside (as opposed to being surface rust), I've made contact with MB UK to see if I can get my bootlock and wings attended to under warranty.

I'll let you know what happens...

Hello ahoythere

I will be collecting my C230K from the bodyshop later on this week after undergoing a respray of all 4 wheel arches, a repair to a door bottom and attention to all door seals and door channels. A couple of minor dings will be repaired too. All work except the dings and door bottom (bubbling) has been repaired under warranty.

I asked my indie and bodyshop about bubbling paintwork and it seems likely a dealership will almost certainly view this as untreated stone chip damage. It would be difficult, even impossible, to prove otherwise. If you can get an expert evaluation of the cause of the corrosion it will greatly help your claim. I avoided the dealership this time and went direct to the MB-approved bodyshop thereby bypassing the middle man.

The bodyshop owner examined each wheel arch and found an area on the lip where the paint surface was still unbroken (no bubbling) and with a penknife scrapped the paint away. The underlying metal was brown: oxidisation had begun. He took pictures of all affected areas. He pronounced that oxidation beneath paint is unquestionably a quality issue and therefore has an excellent chance of repair under warranty. He wasn't wrong.

Fortunately the onset of corrosion had been discovered early by my indie during a routine service and no serious damage had yet been done. However, if left untreated it would quickly deteriorate and bubbling would soon become visible along the edge of the wheel arches.

The MB-approved bodyshop do not like terms such as 'touching up' or 'filling in' because they imply an unprofessional repair which is likely to need further attention. A warranty repair is long lasting and any serious corrosion will necessitate replacement of the affected part. I won't argue because new metal is always going to be better than old, repaired metal.

I recently had the bonnet resprayed after back-to-bare-metal treatment and I expect this process to be repeated to the latest rusty areas. I have no doubt that the repair will be better than when the car left the factory. The paint will be thicker offering more protection but this will be recorded in the warranty records. The value of my car has not depreciated (IMO), rather the opposite, it will retain its value for longer. A rusty Merc' depreciates rapidly so having the warranty work carried out is actually an investment.

One thing I hadn't expected, MB wanted to know the mileage of my car before carrying out the warranty work. I expect they were trying to assess the market value of my car before committing to the expense.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[hinesh12]

Hi,

I have recently purchase a c200 sport auto. its a late 1998 s oct. It has some corrosion, will they do anything waranty or.?? any help on how to go aboout sorting it. I have a corolla on A k plate, thats 15yrs old and not one spot of rust. I have noticed a lot these mercs prone to rust and buble spots. t

thanks