Fluid Film questions

I’m thinking about putting Fluid Film under the Tacoma for winter, and this will be my 1st time ever doing this. I have a 2021 Tacoma and I rather be safe than sorry. My dad has a 2018 Tacoma and I don’t see any rust on his frame, just normal surface rust.
I have a few questions about it:

1. Do dealers say anything when taking it in for service with this stuff on?
2. Do I need to clean it off in the spring.

 

Mine has been to two different dealerships for Toyota car services. Both of them said nothing at all about it.

I didn't wash mine off but some of it tends to come off places around the wheel wells and lower parts of the frame from driving in rain and washing the truck over time. Mine still has a coating up on the cab body and some inside the frame rails that I applied in late September.

 

It will wash off in the normal rain & winter weather.

 

Only thing the dealer told me upon my first service visit, is he asked me what the product was and where it was done. Told him it was cosmoline, and i took it on myself to do the job spraying it on. I was commended on a fine job, and they wished more like myself would do the same to their vehicles undercarriage.
As far as fluid film, i won't use that stuff anymore...i'm 68 and too old to be doing it every year, then having to clean the undercarriage, and reapply it for the following winter only to see it washed off by spring. With cosmoline rp-342 its once and done. I suspect some minor touchup's over the years, but no major applications like you'd have using fluid film.

 

I get my yearly rustproofing done at the end of summer before the mad rush in the Fall. (Krown Rustproofing). I bring my Taco to the dealership every January for it's free oil changes. Never been questioned about it. I would never consider removing it, as it's there to do the job.

I will NEVER, ever buy the 1 time application of rustproofing...

 

Yup cosmoline is the way.

 

one of the reasons why I am doing it this way. My 2006 had the 1 time rust proofing (it had it when I bought the truck used) and the frame rusted under the coating and the frame was still replaced. The 1 time rust proofing just hid the rusting so I couldn’t see it as easily.

thanks all!

 

Question, how many cans did you use? I want to redo my taco. It’s been Krowned before…I like the idea of cosmoline. I’m living in SC for the next 2 years.

 

I never wash the Fluid Film off, I just to reapply it. Washing it off is just crazy talk.

I only have to touch it up every fall.

However, after seeing what RP-342 does (when I coated the inside of my Hiline Bumper with it) I am tempted to wash off all of the Fluid Film and switch to RP-342. I highly doubt I'll get all of the Fluid Film off though. I used almost 10 sprays cans of it initially and then touch up with 5 cans or so each year.

I have no rust anywhere, barely any surface rust.

 

Better tell that to bmw, and mercedes that their cars, and suv's are using the wrong rust preventive. Even our military vehicles must having premature rust issues by using cosmoline.

 

I can tell you when using cosmoline from seeing what a buddy did by applying cosmoline over his fluid filmed truck. He ended up with a reaction...a dripping mess on his shops floor with the cosmoline not drying as its suppose to.
Your best to thoroughly wash, and dry any other rust inhibitor off the chassis first before applying cosmoline.

 

I agree. I would wager that once you've decided on a chemical/compound for rust prevention, you stick with it.

Hence, my re-evaluated decision to continue Fluid Filming. Really should of started with RP-342 but Fluid Film was more readily available at the initial time of application.

 

I doubt with all the car washes, snow, rain…any of the Krown is on frame. I do still see it in doors and tailgate.

 

You have clean new truck to work on -- another vote for Cosmoline .

 

I’ve spot treated a few places under my truck with fluid film. I think most of it is already gone, but if there’s one thing I do like about rubberized coatings is they tend to stick on pretty well. Other than that they rot the frame away inside out. Need to figure out what I’m doing this upcoming winter.

 

I’ve had it since March, it’s not clean anymore.

 

Before I sprayed fluid film I asked the service department how they felt about it (so that they wouldn't give me a hard time if I needed warranty work). They said they don't care for the mess it makes, but they don't say anything to the customer.

I've never cleaned it off a vehicle. Just spray with more each year.

 

Yep, at that point its a no brainer....best time to do it. I only wished i did it on my 2001 tundra when the frame was pristine. Once it developed surface rust fluid film was a better choice imo.

 

Clean as in not rusty from 5 years of winter driving.

 

It's inside the frame in all the nooks. That's where the frame starts rusting.