# 2020 Kia needs an undercoat—true or false? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** forte, kia\ **Created:** [February 25, 2020, 10:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522 "2020-02-25T10:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/21 "2020-02-27T21:39:41Z")
I’m sure the pre-wash with the baking soda helps, I just don’t know if it helps any more than a pre-wash with plain water. But there may be other stuff in the road spray that make the baking soda a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/22 "2020-02-28T03:25:55Z")
Road salt – unlike food grade table salt —probably contains a good deal of mineral impurities. Perhaps the bicarbonate helps remove those from the car’s undercarriage. I think there’s a trick to de-tarnish silver using a bicarbonate solution and aluminum foil. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/23 "2020-02-28T12:11:42Z")
We use this product in Canada.It was developed for a large rustproofing chain 'Krown" [https://www.salteliminator.com/](https://www.salteliminator.com/) ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/24 "2020-02-29T02:48:31Z")
Here’s some more road salt trivia: When I lived in Colorado IIRC they used ammonium nitrate as part of their road salt mix. An AN solution has a lower temperature freezing point than NaCl salt. AN is also used as a fertilizer in agriculture, so isn’t as toxic to the plants and critters living along side the road. The problem with AN is that it can be weaponized. I think that was the main component of the Oklahoma City terrorist explosion. My guess is they’ve stopped using AN for road salt in Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/25 "2020-02-29T03:03:53Z")
Around here, last I checked, road salt was largely calcium chloride, not NaCl. Some places use magnesium chloride. Others use a mix of all 3. Still others have been playing with de-icers made from things like corn or beet juice, which I wish would become more widely adopted because beets don’t usually rust cars. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/26 "2020-02-29T03:22:35Z")
When you say beet juice I presume you are talking about sugar beet’s I could think about better use’ for corn juice. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/27 "2020-03-01T00:03:56Z")
Yeah, but Blanton’s costs more per ounce than road brine. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/28 "2020-03-01T00:35:11Z")
Long ago someone recommended using linseed oil as a rust preventative/sealer on tools and it does seem to help even over pitted rust spots. What is in the professional product? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 1:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/29 "2020-03-01T01:48:25Z")
> [@Rod\_Knox](#): > > someone recommended using linseed oil as a rust preventative/sealer Dagosa said he sprayed oil under his vehicles when he bought them and repeated the process periodically. He also said he wasn’t the only Mainer that did it. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/30 "2020-03-01T02:20:54Z")
the first car I had in my hands for repairs was from my father who used oil to “protect” the underbody it was OK-ish on the look, but under that it was all rusted, as once water+salt was getting under the oil, it would not escape, so it is not only bad for environment, but is not panacea either ---
**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/31 "2021-02-03T00:23:37Z")
You can get it washed a lot of times for the price of the undercoating . The best thing you can do i to keep it washed and waxed if you live where they salt heavily . ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/32 "2021-02-03T01:41:05Z")
> [@Barkydog](#): > > I think in temps below 15 liquid calcium chloride was added to the salt for the plow trucks, Heading to South Dakota a year ago, it was icy and I pulled off on the ramp for a bit, and then came a huge MNDot semi tanker truck. He sprayed two lanes at a time. No idea what it was but it took care of the ice in a hurry. Never walked on it so don’t know if it would have eaten my shoes or not. Rolled along pretty fast too. I suppose the driver was Driver 3 or 4 class, not a run of the mill plow driver. ---
**Author:** ![kcac\_1\_157641](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@kcac\_1\_157641](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kcac_1_157641)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522/33 "2021-02-03T02:38:17Z")
What type of undercoat? If it is the oil spray type like the type mentioned in the article that George\_San\_Jose1 linked in post #4 above, that probably would be a good idea. That requires a yearly application. If it is rubberized undercoating, I would avoid it. I had that type applied to a new car once. At first, it was great. But I kept the car for a long time. The coating lost flexibility as it aged, developing cracks, which allowed moisture and salt to get between the undercoating the vehicle’s metal. It ate the car alive. A friend of mine who also lives where the roads are salted in the winter recommended that I come to grips with the reality that rust prevention is a lost cause, and do what he does, instead. He gets a new car every three or four years and lets the next owner(s) worry about rust. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2020-kia-needs-an-undercoat-true-or-false/159522.md?page=1)