Wipe body before installing mudguards, too much to ask?!?!
 

Finally, today, I had my appointment at the dealership to install the accessories for my FR-S that I negotiated to have added, of which mudguards was a part of it.

We've had snow and slush the past few days, so when I got the car to the dealership, of course it had some slush, debris and a light coating/dusting of the rock salt from the roads on the car body, particularly around the wheel area.

Please tell me if I was expecting too much that they would've wiped the area down on the car body where the mudguards would cover, BEFORE installing the mudguards?...Because when I was told the car was done and I went out to look at the work, it was APPARENT that whomever did the install, installed the mudguards directly over the crap that was still on the body. :barf:

I should've said something while I was there, but unfortunately I was already pissed-off about something else they failed to deliver on, so I just left. :mad0260:

Anyone know if I just need to loosen the screws on the mudguards and be able to properly wipe the body down in the covered areas?...I have no trust/confidence left for these people to go back again to have them do it.

The clips and screws come out easy enough.. You should be able to get to enough of them to maneuver the mud guard out enough.
There are fasteners on the underside also.

I think its common sense to wipe it down... I would never let dealerships do installs. Can't trust them for shit. Actually, letting them wipe it down will just give you swirls.. just do it yourself and save the headache..

You know, I've found lazy people exist everywhere... Even outside of dealers.

Yes, they should have cleaned it though. Sad that American customer service is turning into complete SHIT.

The instructions tell you to wash it.

Well now, Namuna, I agree that the area of the fender should have been cleaned off prior to adding the mud flaps ...... but, I don't believe the material underneath is life threatning to your fenders.

They are not "sealed" on and stuff is going to get under them anyway. If it makes you feel better, you could flush in and around them with water.

:)

the mud flaps kinda flex.. so having debris in between the paint and the flap
isnt real desirable, especially on the edges and high points. Someone on here posted some pics of damage he had under his mud guard from it rubbing..
I removed mine after having them installed for about 3 months... I didnt like the look of them anymore..

That's some poor quality service. How long would it have taken to give it a quick wash in the wheel well? I would be worried about any trapped salt and the possibility of it causing corrosion.

First world problems

A friend of mine and I just put mudguards last weekend on our FR-Ss and without even being told by instructions we washed to area where they were being mounted; was just common sense. We also took that opportunity to clean out the rocks and dirt that collected behind the fender liners.

This entire forum is about first world problems!

Heck I don't even care about the wheel wells, I EXPECT that area to get dirty...It's the part of the actual car body that is slightly covered by the flaps that I'm talking about.

But yeah, the trapped dirt/debris and especially road salt causing corrosion over time is what's got me worried...So I, MYSELF, must do the work to remedy the situation.

It just really burns me that the guy that oversaw the install didn't personally (or maybe HE was the one that did it himself) go over the installs and see that the mudguards should've been put on ONLY after making sure that the part of the car body was cleaned first...He previously screwed up and wasted my time and should've been WAY more attentive.

...Now I've got my doubts they did the TRD Cold-Air Intake properly!

I don't even care about how clean a car is anymore but putting a fixed piece like that over paint and leaving it dirty is asking for problems.

Dealing with near minimum wage workers doing these installs. Usually they dont care about quality let alone cars, but if you are paying them do it right, not half ass. Complain and get your money back.

Not just the instructions, STEP ONE of the instructions tell you to do this.