Every season change, 4S shops offer free inspection services to help you check your vehicle’s basic condition. Almost 100% of manufacturers include a chassis inspection in these checks. Don’t underestimate this—your chassis system’s condition directly affects whether your car can run properly. In the used car market, evaluating a vehicle’s wear and tear often relies on one of the most straightforward indicators: the chassis. So today, let’s talk about chassis maintenance tips.
First, let’s discuss why a car chassis might get damaged.
One,Bottoming out and foreign object impacts on the chassis
Honestly, the speed of road construction in China really surprises me. Roads that were just fixed are dug up again the next day. And when roads are under repair, there are usually lots of large rocks or potholes. When driving over such surfaces, if you’re not careful, large rocks or other raised parts of the road can come into close contact with your car’s chassis—that’s what we call bottoming out.
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Because bottoming out happens unpredictably, it can easily damage parts located on the chassis, such as cracks in the catalytic converter shell, cracks in the engine oil pan, cracks in the transmission casing, or deformation of the suspension system. These issues can cause very serious damage to your car.
Two,Corrosion
The environment is getting worse and worse these days—even the rain is acid rain. In such conditions, your car faces a higher risk of damage. Since the chassis often comes into contact with sewage, grease, and other substances, the chemical components in these materials can gradually corrode the chassis and its parts. That’s why we need to pay extra attention to chassis anti-corrosion.
Aside from rainwater and oily mud, which pose corrosion risks to the chassis, de-icing salts used in winter and seawater can also corrode your chassis. Especially seawater—if you drive to the seaside, never drive your car into the sea (even though it might look cool). Seawater is extremely corrosive to the chassis. If your chassis accidentally comes into contact with seawater, rinse it thoroughly with plenty of fresh water or a neutral cleaner as soon as possible.
Three,How to avoid it
Generally, to prevent the two common causes of chassis damage mentioned above, 4S shops recommend installing an engine guard or applying what’s commonly known as “chassis armor” for chassis protection. I strongly recommend installing an engine guard because some economy cars, in order to cut costs, don’t install protective devices under the engine and transmission. This leaves the engine and transmission directly exposed to the road. With an engine guard installed, you can artificially protect the engine, transmission, and other important parts at the front of the chassis. Even if bottoming out occurs, the guard will take the hit first, preventing damage to critical components.
“Chassis armor” (also called “chassis sealing”) is a relatively recent chassis protection technology. It involves spraying a 2–4 mm thick layer of elastic sealant material underneath the car. Chassis armor effectively protects the chassis from impacts by road debris, prevents minor scraping from bottoming out, guards against corrosion by acids, alkalis, and salts, prevents loosening of chassis bolts, reduces the transmission of road noise for a quieter ride, and blocks heat conduction from the metal chassis, keeping the cabin warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
I’ve used both of these chassis protection measures on my own car. The engine guard is particularly useful, especially for vehicles with soft suspension springs. At high speeds, when driving over potholes, overly soft springs may compress to their limit, causing important components like the engine to make contact with the ground and get damaged. As for the chassis armor, I also recommend using it. While you might not see immediate results, it’s always better to be prepared.