Check the welds on your doors!

medcina · 12-29-2005, 10:59 PM

I was in the process of correcting a problem the tint installers caused on my doors when I noticed one of the welds on my driver's door was poorly done. As a result, there is a noticeable gap in the weld and the paint has cracked and is starting to show signs of rust. I'll be taking it into Honda soon to have them fix this before it gets out of hand but I thought other Civics might have the same factory defect and it's a good idea to fix it now before the rust starts to spread. My passenger side door was fine. I have an EX Coupe.

ncoday · 12-29-2005, 11:07 PM

Interesting, there will always be "goofs". I also have an EX coupe, so I will checking my doors tomorrow when it is sunlight outside. Thanks for the headsup.

Personally, I would request whole new doors as there is no telling what kind of damage lies beneath??

CivicWithNav · 12-30-2005, 10:02 AM

there is rust on bottom front door due to POOR welding job.

ncoday · 01-08-2006, 04:34 AM

Update on what the dealer said/did??

basmoq · 01-08-2006, 05:11 PM

my sedan had a problem with the door closing tightly, it would close halfway, latched but not airtight. It took twice the force to close properly as the other doors on the car. My dealer fixed it though, now I'll check the welds.

medcina · 01-08-2006, 06:03 PM

Can't give an update since I haven't had time to take it in yet. Not sure when I'll be able to take it in since I need the car for the next few weeks but will try to take it in ASAP.

C17chief · 01-09-2006, 12:46 PM

finally got around to looking at both of mine. Def not the prettiest welds, but neither are really bad. Both are gobbed up around the whole seam, like the right side of this picture of yours.

burbley · 01-09-2006, 07:32 PM

I looked at mine to see what it looked like. Feel the joint with your finger. I think you'll find that the cracks or yellowing that you see is actually the putty used to airseal that joint. That joint is two sheet metal pieces slipped together and then putty sealed.

medcina · 01-09-2006, 10:24 PM

Nope it's definitely rust. I know what you're talking about with the putty and I saw that too but the yellow in my picture above was definitely rust because it had spread and caused the paint to start chipping since I posted that picture. Since I can't be without the car for a few days while the dealership fixes it and since I don't trust the dealer to actually fix the problem correctly I did what any good owner would do and took matters into my own hands. I used a very small screw driver and carefully started chipping away the paint that was peeling off until I reached the end of the rust and there was nothing but bare metal. This turned out to be an area about 2 cm by 2 cm (not exactly a square). I then took some VERY fine sand paper and wrapped the small screw driver with it and sanded the very minor surface rust that was there until I had nothing but bare metal in the entire area. Then I used a toothpick to carefully dab some gray Rustoleum automobile primer to the entire area. It's drying now and should be good to go by tomorrow and the rust should be under control now. I have the touch up paint on order and will be covering the primer with it when I get it. As it is now you'll be hard pressed to notice the spot since the primer is close in color to the silver paint and of course it's in a not-too-visible area.

HardBoiler · 01-11-2006, 02:57 AM

checked mine on both sides..they seemed to be fine...maybe mine was the later production model...never had the padel problem either.

medcina · 01-11-2006, 09:01 AM

I'm sure it was probably just a fluke with my car. Mine was built in late November and delivered mid-December so it wasn't a very early run either. No biggie. It's fixed now so I'm not concerned. I got the touch up paint and painted over the primer and it looks as good as the rest of the area...which is to say that it looks like a big fat blob of weld painted over. :)

White06 · 01-14-2006, 10:28 PM

I have the same issue, I thought I was alone. Let me know what the dealer says, I was going to have them look at it when I take it in for oil/recal on the gas pedal.

medcina · 01-14-2006, 11:15 PM

I didn't take it into the dealer and fixed the problem myself. It's rather easy to fix as long as you don't wait too long and let the rust spread.

peliROJO · 01-19-2006, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burbley

I looked at mine to see what it looked like. Feel the joint with your finger. I think you'll find that the cracks or yellowing that you see is actually the putty used to airseal that joint. That joint is two sheet metal pieces slipped together and then putty sealed.

You are correct. I felt that joint and it felt soft. It's putty that has been painted over. Not a weld.

medcina · 01-19-2006, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peliROJO

You are correct. I felt that joint and it felt soft. It's putty that has been painted over. Not a weld.

Perhaps in your case. But putty doesn't spread and crack the surrounding paint and it doesn't come off when sanded down to reveal bare metal underneath. I definitely had rust forming and the blob on mine is definitely a weld since I sanded it down to bare metal and repainted it too.

12-29-2005, 10:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
medcina Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 109 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Check the welds on your doors! I was in the process of correcting a problem the tint installers caused on my doors when I noticed one of the welds on my driver's door was poorly done. As a result, there is a noticeable gap in the weld and the paint has cracked and is starting to show signs of rust. I'll be taking it into Honda soon to have them fix this before it gets out of hand but I thought other Civics might have the same factory defect and it's a good idea to fix it now before the rust starts to spread. My passenger side door was fine. I have an EX Coupe.

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12-29-2005, 11:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
ncoday Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Eugene, OR Age: 31 Posts: 157 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Interesting, there will always be "goofs". I also have an EX coupe, so I will checking my doors tomorrow when it is sunlight outside. Thanks for the headsup. Personally, I would request whole new doors as there is no telling what kind of damage lies beneath??

12-30-2005, 10:02 AM	#3 (permalink)
CivicWithNav Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Woodstock MD Posts: 2,566 iTrader: 13 / 100%	there is rust on bottom front door due to POOR welding job.

01-08-2006, 04:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
ncoday Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Eugene, OR Age: 31 Posts: 157 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Update on what the dealer said/did??

01-08-2006, 05:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
basmoq Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lakewood, OH Age: 25 Posts: 283 iTrader: 1 / 100%	my sedan had a problem with the door closing tightly, it would close halfway, latched but not airtight. It took twice the force to close properly as the other doors on the car. My dealer fixed it though, now I'll check the welds.

01-08-2006, 06:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
medcina Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 109 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Can't give an update since I haven't had time to take it in yet. Not sure when I'll be able to take it in since I need the car for the next few weeks but will try to take it in ASAP.

01-09-2006, 12:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
C17chief Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 143 iTrader: 0 / 0%	finally got around to looking at both of mine. Def not the prettiest welds, but neither are really bad. Both are gobbed up around the whole seam, like the right side of this picture of yours.

01-09-2006, 07:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
burbley Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Age: 36 Posts: 10 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I looked at mine to see what it looked like. Feel the joint with your finger. I think you'll find that the cracks or yellowing that you see is actually the putty used to airseal that joint. That joint is two sheet metal pieces slipped together and then putty sealed.

01-09-2006, 10:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
medcina Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 109 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Nope it's definitely rust. I know what you're talking about with the putty and I saw that too but the yellow in my picture above was definitely rust because it had spread and caused the paint to start chipping since I posted that picture. Since I can't be without the car for a few days while the dealership fixes it and since I don't trust the dealer to actually fix the problem correctly I did what any good owner would do and took matters into my own hands. I used a very small screw driver and carefully started chipping away the paint that was peeling off until I reached the end of the rust and there was nothing but bare metal. This turned out to be an area about 2 cm by 2 cm (not exactly a square). I then took some VERY fine sand paper and wrapped the small screw driver with it and sanded the very minor surface rust that was there until I had nothing but bare metal in the entire area. Then I used a toothpick to carefully dab some gray Rustoleum automobile primer to the entire area. It's drying now and should be good to go by tomorrow and the rust should be under control now. I have the touch up paint on order and will be covering the primer with it when I get it. As it is now you'll be hard pressed to notice the spot since the primer is close in color to the silver paint and of course it's in a not-too-visible area.

01-11-2006, 02:57 AM	#10 (permalink)
HardBoiler Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Delta, BC Age: 27 Posts: 249 iTrader: 0 / 0%	checked mine on both sides..they seemed to be fine...maybe mine was the later production model...never had the padel problem either.

01-11-2006, 09:01 AM	#11 (permalink)
medcina Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 109 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I'm sure it was probably just a fluke with my car. Mine was built in late November and delivered mid-December so it wasn't a very early run either. No biggie. It's fixed now so I'm not concerned. I got the touch up paint and painted over the primer and it looks as good as the rest of the area...which is to say that it looks like a big fat blob of weld painted over. :)

01-14-2006, 10:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
White06 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: IL Age: 23 Posts: 263 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I have the same issue, I thought I was alone. Let me know what the dealer says, I was going to have them look at it when I take it in for oil/recal on the gas pedal.

01-14-2006, 11:15 PM	#13 (permalink)
medcina Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 109 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I didn't take it into the dealer and fixed the problem myself. It's rather easy to fix as long as you don't wait too long and let the rust spread.