# WoolWax undercoating



## BSM (Jul 4, 2020)

I've been surprised to notice that although Fluid Film is fairly well-known on the forums, there is only one thread with any mention of WoolWax.

















Of course, corrosion protection is not going to be a frequent topic of discussion on a VW forum the way that it might be on an American car forum - rotted-out F-150s, Silverados, and Rams are prevalent anywhere that salt is used during the winter. Even Toyota and Mazda have had some vehicles with terrible pattern failures. Conversely, if you've been underneath a VW, you may have noticed that these vehicles are thoroughly coated with sprayable seam sealer. You probably even have some cavity wax dripping at your rocker panel pinch welds. (That cavity wax, incidentally, is the reason that VWs smell like crayons when it gets hot outside.)

Despite the fact that a modern VW can probably live a long, rust-free life with very little special effort, I like to give my cars a bit of extra help. I guess I'm just a "belt and suspenders" kind of guy.

There's a good bit of misinformation about Fluid Film and WoolWax, and hopefully I can dispel some if it and provide reference information for anyone who really wants their car to last a long time.

*Myth #1) Lanolin-based coatings will wash off.
Myth #2) Lanolin-based coatings will trap dirt.
Myth #3) Lanolin-based coatings will clog drain holes.*

I think that all of these myths are actually addressed in this single picture. This is an image of the aftermarket trailer hitch on my 2019 Tiguan which was WoolWaxed a year ago. (The trailer hitch started off black, not the color of eggnog.) You can plainly see that my liberal coating of WoolWax is still intact after a year. Although there are many dirt specks embedded in the film, they might account for 1% of the surface area. The film really isn't particularly prone to trapping dirt, and this effect could be reduced even further by allowing the vehicle to sit after application so the film has a chance to "skin over". (I drive my vehicles right away after application because a little dirt doesn't concern me and I've got better things to do than essentially watching paint dry.) Lastly, you can see that the film really doesn't "window" around holes in panels that much, meaning that it doesn't cling to the edges of holes. I think that it would take quite a bit of effort to make this stuff clog a drain hole, especially since it is a bit runny when it's being applied.


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## BSM (Jul 4, 2020)

Here's the front of the 2019 Tiguan after 3 applications of undercoat: 1 with Fluid Film, and 2 after switching to WoolWax. You'll see that even the CV shafts have avoided corrosion.


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## BSM (Jul 4, 2020)

And here's the rear after that 3rd application. The rear shocks are the only part of the car that has any serious coating of dirt. I see now that I touched up the left fuel tank strap but I didn't get the right fuel tank strap this time, so we have a sort of experiment on our hands!


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## BSM (Jul 4, 2020)

Here's what VW has to say about undercoating (they're specifically talking about cavity wax):


> Conservation Wax
> The conservation wax/cavity sealants play a decisive role for corrosion protection. Depending on the area of application, different materials are available in customer service. The exceptional protective effects of these materials is based on the following characteristics:
> 
> Hydrophobic (water repellent)
> ...


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## lloydD (Jan 10, 2014)

I like using Fluid Film, although it is a bit messy to apply.


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## BSM (Jul 4, 2020)

It’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but I used to make a giant mess on the floor when I used Fluid Film from the aerosol cans. Now I get almost nothing on the floor with WoolWax through a spray gun.


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## bme30 (Jan 9, 2006)

I'm a new woolwax user as well. My dad recently bought a 22 year old eurovan in Chicago, which had woolwax applied it's entire life. As a result, the underside is remarkably preserved and rust free for a Chicago area vehicle. So I was sold.

I bought a few cans to spray our X5 and my S500 daily driver. Here's a short video of the application:


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## BSM (Jul 4, 2020)

bme30 said:


> I'm a new woolwax user as well. My dad recently bought a 22 year old eurovan in Chicago, which had woolwax applied it's entire life. As a result, the underside is remarkably preserved and rust free for a Chicago area vehicle. So I was sold.
> 
> I bought a few cans to spray our X5 and my S500 daily driver. Here's a short video of the application:


Awesome video! Got any pics of the van?


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