Krown: Now or later?

[irv]

Originally Posted by Phishin
Originally Posted by doitmyself
My Krowned vehicle has never dripped as much as KrisZ's picture shows. I've been getting it done for five years, the first two in Windsor and now at Monroe, MI. Both places seem to not cut corners and even with asking the guy to spend a few more minutes (material) on it this fifth year, it did not drip like KrisZ's.

The material is pretty thin and you can only apply it until run off occurs. Its not like you can layer it on several thicknesses. I'm just not sure how you could apply it heavier/thicker. Having said that, it does seem to build somewhat more of a layer on the unwashed areas after a few years of application.

The disadvantage of oil sprays is the dirt accumulation mess. If you are obsessive about a pristine engine bay, etc., an oil spray will not agree with you.

Regarding timing, Krown's theory is that rust occurs worst during warm weather, so it is better to get it done in the spring to get the most protection. This is opposite of most people thinking you should get it done in the fall just before the onslaught of salty roads. They also imply that even though it might look washed off underneath, there is still a microscopic layer of protection, also different to most thinking that thicker is better. Stated elsewhere, I get mine sprayed in late spring and I use an aerosol can of the product to touch up exposed underneath areas in late fall to make me feel better.



doitmyself.....did you find great service and knowledge at the Monroe, MI shop? I'm glad to hear that yours doesn't drip like KrisZ's either.

Your logic was the same as what I was thinking: The underside can only "hold" onto so much Krown....over spraying so much only allows more run-off. I'm really confident that I received really good covered on my truck, regardless of the lack of an oily mess shown above.



If done properly, imo, one should see some dripping in some places and have no/zero dry spots anywhere on the undercarriage. Also, one should see some oil on their bottom door sills and all the seams around the trunk and hood. 68 degrees is hot enough for it to drip.

 

[JTK]

Just got back from my Krown visit. $163.07 all-in thanks to tax. Due to the size and of the shop, I couldn't see my truck, but they had it over an hour. I think they drilled one hole per door, but those little cap/plugs may have been there. I see no holes drilled elsewhere. What I see looks like they sprayed it with WD40 the stuff is so light.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted by StevieC
As called out here, it's a self healing barrier. It goes on wet and then leaves a coating...

Here is their FAQ - http://www.krownstoneycreek.com/faqs/


Every oil, grease, heck even diesel fuel leaves one. But I know what I saw on my Mazda 3 rear wheel wells. No coating, dry, factory coating with no Krown product left.

Also, for those feeling no dripping is fine, good. But just an FYI, Krown used to drench every car with the product and didn't wash the vehicle afterwards. Now they will treat your car this way only if you know the shop owner.

Now as their franchise has grown, they spend money on gimmicky videos with gimmicky claims and reduce the amount of product used. Sure it's still better than nothing, but I would not be spending $150 annually for something that is better than nothing.

 

[KrisZ]

Thanks for the pics, I can see the dry spots. Very dissapointing. Did you go to Ontario to get it sprayed? Can you go back to them to get it resprayed? I would make them do it and never come back afterwards. May as well use WD-40 from the can and achieve better results.

 

[Tdbo]

Just had my pickup Krowned last week. ($150.50 OTD) from my usual provider in NW Ohio.
Generally do it end of August/beginning of September.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted by Tdbo
Just had my pickup Krowned last week. ($150.50 OTD) from my usual provider in NW Ohio.
Generally do it end of August/beginning of September.


PM sent.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
Thanks for the pics, I can see the dry spots. Very dissapointing. Did you go to Ontario to get it sprayed? Can you go back to them to get it resprayed? I would make them do it and never come back afterwards. May as well use WD-40 from the can and achieve better results.


Had it done by Superior Auto Sales in Hamburg NY. Same family has run this business for like 60yrs. They took on a Krown franchise at their location a few years ago. My pics are not great. The reddish spots you see are (I think) from the sun reflecting off my bright orange shirt. There are few dry spots underneath, but I'm more concerned with what I can't see.

 

[dustyroads]

Got my F150 done (Krown) two weeks ago in Stanley,NY (Finger Lakes region) for $152 with tax. Very happy with them and had warm, sunny day to help it creep into crevices. After a couple hours driving home, it still dripped for a few days.

Had it done for first time last December (same place) but it snowed all the way to Stanley and then going back home. It was discouraging, but other than the wheel wells, it seemed to stick to the rest of the truck and no complaints. Glad I was able to get it done much earlier this year.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted by JTK
Had it done by Superior Auto Sales in Hamburg NY. Same family has run this business for like 60yrs. They took on a Krown franchise at their location a few years ago. My pics are not great. The reddish spots you see are (I think) from the sun reflecting off my bright orange shirt. There are few dry spots underneath, but I'm more concerned with what I can't see.


Was this your first time having a car rustproofed? Your pics look good to me. If you're not happy with them going forward a guy on here has his car done at Carwell in Hamburg. His 09 Accord looks very good after all these years. Plus it's daily driven. Below is a thread with pics:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...09-honda-accord-lx-sedan-5mt#Post4822784

 

[StevieC]

They usually drill as little holes as possible. Any holes they drill they do with a special bit as to not allow the paint to flake in that area and they cover the holes with white lithium grease under the caps they put in the holes to plug them. They offer white and black caps. My car is white so it got white caps. They do a really great job. They also have a library on their computer with pictures that tells them where to drill the holes when necessary for easiest effective spraying.

They also wash your car at the end to remove the over-spray from the windshield and car body and at mine they give you a fast-wax as a part of their wash product. Oh and they usually vacuum my car which is a nice touch.

 

[JTK]

StevieC, that's what I found on mine. The single drill hole on each door had some white lithium looking grease around the plug caps. There's no drill holes in the rocker panels or tailgate and no access in them that I can see.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted by JTK
Just got back from my Krown visit. $163.07 all-in thanks to tax. Due to the size and of the shop, I couldn't see my truck, but they had it over an hour. I think they drilled one hole per door, but those little cap/plugs may have been there. I see no holes drilled elsewhere. What I see looks like they sprayed it with WD40 the stuff is so light.

It's hard to tell from the pics but the left and right side of your diff as well as your spare tire/wheel looks dry to me?

The rest doesn't look bad from what I can see but like I mentioned earlier, you should see some dripping on you lower door seams as well as the hood seams. How does under the hood look? Did they get the fenders good and all the other body seams under there?

As an aside, this year was the cleanest my cars have ever looked exiting the place. I am not sure what soap product/techniques they are now using, but the exterior was spotless. It made me think/question how good of a job they did but seeing my vehicles continue to drip a bit more than a week later, I don't question that at all now.

Like mentioned, I believe a wax was added as was a tire dressing. All 3 vehicles looked great after they were done. I am now seeing Krown run out of places like my rear tail lights, around the bottom of my doors, hood, etc. My wife's Impala is running out of her trunk and hood as well as all along the bottoms of her doors. All vehicles look completely wet underneath them as well.
(I can take some pics if you want as I haven't washed either vehicle yet, only my son's car which he did himself before school started)

 

[JTK]

They did wash my truck afterwards. It was dripping wet from being washed when I got in it to leave. Kind of made it impossible to inspect the Krown job that they did. No tire dressing or anything fancy. No instructions, paperwork or any recommendations given, other than a pamphlet on Krown that I grabbed from the waiting room.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted by JTK
They did wash my truck afterwards. It was dripping wet from being washed when I got in it to leave. Kind of made it impossible to inspect the Krown job that they did. No tire dressing or anything fancy. No instructions, paperwork or any recommendations given, other than a pamphlet on Krown that I grabbed from the waiting room.


I am never given any literature either, other than my receipt of course. Other than them spraying it, there really isn't any need, imo, for instructions nor recommendations.
Personally, like I usually do, I wait at least a week before I decide to rewash my vehicles. Not that I am afraid of washing the product away. It just makes no sense to me to clean them again when the product is still bleeding from those areas I mentioned.

I'll take some pics tomorrow of my Ram. It is white so it will be easy for you to see all the places it is bleeding/dripping from.

 

[doitmyself]

I appreciate StevieC's passion to promote Krown, but the experience is not as euphoric as his testimony might indicate, at least not for me. The shops (Windsor and Monroe for me) are not anything special and the guys doing the work seem competent, but not awe inspiring. Could you imagine doing this job maybe several dozen times per week? I find it hard to imagine that they get much annual re-training or that they consult their computers to make sure they hit every nook and cranny. Let's be real here. Do you guys get the warm fuzzies when you take your car in to Discount Tire to get some awesome tires put on by young tire jockeys? Rust proofing is no different.

The material is so water thin that is does raise some doubts. Eight months after my very first spray, I did rub my fingers on the underside that looked somewhat bare and there WAS a film that rubbed off. Natural instinct for most people is to want to see a grease like layer on there.

I DO get a fair amount of dripping, just not as much as KrisZ showed. But, I let the car sit at the garage for an hour before I pick it up and then only drive it a few miles away and sit in the public library for another hour to let it drip and set up a bit before my hour+ drive home. There is a "fair" amount of drippage in those first few hours and it drips for several days out of the doors, tailgate, hood, etc.. I imagine some drips off during the drive home also.

What really matters is that the product gets into the interior, unseen areas - seams, pinch welds, etc.. The worst rust in mid-Michigan is the stuff that starts on the inside and bubbles out through the paint. I will wait to pass judgement on Krown in another five years or so.

phishin, I found both Windsor and Monroe to be competent and professional, but again, not magical. I attempt to be a good customer, establish a good working relationship, and ask them to do a good job (like they don't here that daily?). This past spring, it took two weeks to get in and I had the feeling that their business was doing "too good" (very busy, hard to keep up). There is some buyers remorse after the first time because the experience just doesn't match all the hype. But, I HATE letting anyone work on my car. Even something simple like new tires - first thing I do at home is loosen and retorque the wheels. I had my last vehicle Rust-Checked in Fort Wayne to attempt to slow down rust already started - that was a let down. I read LOTS of complaints about the Corrosion-Free applications done at Canadian Tire. What a shame for a touted superior product to partner with Canadian Tire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkTpGrTrftw

 

[StevieC]

I usually wait a week to wash my vehicles after an application. They say it isn't necessary but I don't feel right about it. Also when I wash the vehicles I never do the underneath. Only in the spring once to get rid of the salt residue and then I take it in sometime there after for my annual re-spray. I rarely wash in the winter time unless the salt on the windows is really bad and never had rust issues. Their coating works for sure even though it looks dry.

 

[doitmyself]

I do about the same routine, StevieC. I also plan my application for a dry spell and tell them I will cancel if it looks like several days of rain around the application date (they say it doesn't matter). I do read about some complaints of door seals swelling from Krown. It must be a hit or miss thing. Like most things, I imagine a person could do a better job diy IF you put a good amount of effort into it (correct material and tooling).

 

[StevieC]

I never had an issue with any of the vehicles I had Krown'ed with door seals swelling. I would imagine they wouldn't do whatever that is causing it because it would be bad for their brand and they pride themselves on their reputation. But then again you could have one off franchise owners that try to do their own thing and that's how it happens. Not much you can do but take the franchise away from them but it doesn't serve the brand well in the meantime because customers are left telling others not to use them because x,y,z happened. It's always a battle.

I book my appointments and if it rains so be it. Never had any issues. Oil displaces water and if they are spraying your vehicle with oil then it stands to reason if areas sprayed get wet they would just respell the water anyway. As I understand it, it's not the oil actually doing the protecting. It's just the carrier for the high amount of Zinc in the product that sacrifices itself where corrosion and oxidation would normally happen by giving up its electrons more freely thus protecting the metal it's on. The oil is just there to aid in it creeping into areas and helping adhere the zinc to the metal its protecting until it eventually dries to a thin high zinc waxy type coating.

I know the bottom of my Highlander that was done in July when I bought it looks dry but if I rub my finger on a metal area I'm left with what feels like some sort of really light oil and the black dust / residue from the road that is stuck to it from driving, on my finger. Not waxy like fluid film but as though it was just a waxy type dust. Hard to explain.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted by JTK
They did wash my truck afterwards. It was dripping wet from being washed when I got in it to leave. Kind of made it impossible to inspect the Krown job that they did. No tire dressing or anything fancy. No instructions, paperwork or any recommendations given, other than a pamphlet on Krown that I grabbed from the waiting room.


Here's a few crappy phone pics of my Ram and my wife's car, as well as the drive and road that shows where the Krown is seeping/dripping out. You should see similar/same on your truck after a day or 2. If not, I would be returning, but that's me.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by doitmyself
I do about the same routine, StevieC. I also plan my application for a dry spell and tell them I will cancel if it looks like several days of rain around the application date (they say it doesn't matter). I do read about some complaints of door seals swelling from Krown. It must be a hit or miss thing. Like most things, I imagine a person could do a better job diy IF you put a good amount of effort into it (correct material and tooling).

Weatherstrip swelling is new to me, and I have had plenty of experience with vehicles that have been oil sprayed. If you cancel on them for such nonsense, you are just going to [censored] them off. Don't be that stupid picky customer who thinks they know better than the people you hired to do the job.

This thread is so funny, oil spraying is a chore/afterthought in Canada. Posters on this board who live in corrosion free/low corrosion zones have some pretty amusing opinions towards rust.