Hi,

I am about to buy a panda 4x4 and have seen a 2 year old car that seems to be ok. However I have noticed that the sump guard has a lot of surface corrosion. There are no sign of impacts on the sump guard that will explain the corrosion, the rust comes from underneath the paint. Is it a known problem?

My old Mk2 Punto had a similar issue, and a mechanic actually said to me that it is a common and known issue with the car. Maybe this applies across the whole Fiat range.

The paint finish is not very good on the sumpguard so 2 years of muck hitting it from the road is likely to have produced some surface corrosion.
However, the sumpguard is made of steel that is about as thick as a battleship's hull and would take decades to corrode through.
In other words, the corrosion you see is not a problem. If the car is otherwise OK, go ahead and buy. If the sumpguard offends, give it a sanding down and apply a good thick coat of Hammerite.

My 06 Grande punto is the same clean it up with a wire brush apply a rust killer if you want then smother it in heat proof paint

No disrespect to motsllih or Andy Monty, but are 'we' talking about different things here? The Puntos might have a metal tray of some sort, but the original question referred to the heavy gauge off-road protection panel under a Panda 4x4, which, as DoctorChris says, is several millimetres thick (and very heavy too, as I discovered when I changed the oil). It is likely to have stone chips etc, and if the car has been off road at all, more marks and wear. These could break the paint and let some rust form. On my three and a half year old 4x4 there's a little rusting there too, but nothing at all to worry about.

Pete

Ah ok sorry, I guess I'm just thinking of the sump itself! Didn't realise the 4x4 had an extra bit.

yeh sorry OP got my wires crossed...



right then since its a bit more substantial take it off

clean up with a flap disc in a grinder

clean with a solvent cleaner to remove any oil or grease

give a good coat of something like this

http://www.bilthamber.com/hydrate80.html

follow instructions and leave 24 hours to dry then paint with a suitable paint

something like this perhaps?

http://www.paints4u.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=1589&Mainselection=16


GRAVIGARD is a tough, hard, durable coating designed to reproduce OEM stone chip finishes.

GRAVIGARD protects against stone chip damage, salt, damp and rust. The high build formula of GRAVIGARD will cover surface defects such as weld seams and has anti–vibration and sound deadening properties.

Would it not be covered with fiats Anti corrosion warranty??

mitch33 said:

Would it not be covered with fiats Anti corrosion warranty??

Click to expand...

its actually an anti perforation warranty which is basically rust coming up from the backside of any panel.. where as damage caused by stone chips or surface rust isn't

Thanks all.

I actually did not purchase this car as I found another one cheaper .

The car I bought did not have the same amount of rust.