Rust bleeding over the rear off-side mudflap!

Just bought a LR, a December 2006 Defender. It's in perfect condition having covered just 7000 miles.

What I have noticed is what looks like rust bleeding over the off-side rear mudflap. I assumed that perhaps the mounting plate of the mud-flap had been scraped and started to rust. I unbolted it yesterday and washed both it and the cross member it bolted to - there was no sign of any rust at all.

Has anyone else suffered from a similar problem? I really cant see what's causing it or exactly where it's coming from but it's quite substantial in that i will wash it off and the following morning its dripped over the mud-flap again.

My car is in for service next Friday, I'll ask them to take a look at it.

prob coming from inside your rear x member. i wouldnt worry, its going to rust away to nothing over time anyway

I did think of that, it could be running out through the fixing holes for the mudflaps??? Perhaps a splodge of silicon on the threads of the bolts before re-fixing will cure it. I realise it's just cosmetic but it's annoying me

the problem is, its got to come out somewhere or it will just sit in your x member and rot the thing quicker!

just get it muddy then you wont notice it

Thinking of it logically it's unlikley to be bleeding via these bolt holes - they are on an upward sloping part of the crossmember so water isn't going to stand there and exit through the holes.

I do have a step running from to side to side at the rear, perhaps this has been rubbing against the crossmember and bleeding rust from any exposed steel. Maybe I'll take it off and have a gander tomorrow!!

[oQUOTE=Griffdowg;446393]prob coming from inside your rear x member. i wouldnt worry, its going to rust away to nothing over time anyway [/QUOTE]

So give it a damn good clean out - let it dry and fill it with waxoyle quick!

notice you have the genuine side steps - and then you mentioned them. Just so happens that way back when my Td5 was brand new I also had bright tan coloured rust marks on my rear mudflaps - searched about for rust source but no sign.

One day I was up in aberdeenland and parked up for a break at the side of the road, on a steep hill. Lo and behold gallons of tan coloured rusty water pishing out of my tubular sidesteps.

At speed, design flaw emits water in the front of the steps where it sits inside getting all rusty. As you drive a little comes out and goes onto your rear mudflaps. If its wet you don't notice it - if it's dry you get lots of rusty staining.

Anyway they "fixed" the steps by filling the holes with black silicon and two years later they fell off having rusted out to a wafer thin piece of 300 pound tat.

A pound to a dollar thats yer problem

You dont happen to own a large dog do you !!!! try the sniff test.

muddythelandy said:

notice you have the genuine side steps - and then you mentioned them. Just so happens that way back when my Td5 was brand new I also had bright tan coloured rust marks on my rear mudflaps - searched about for rust source but no sign.

One day I was up in aberdeenland and parked up for a break at the side of the road, on a steep hill. Lo and behold gallons of tan coloured rusty water pishing out of my tubular sidesteps.

At speed, design flaw emits water in the front of the steps where it sits inside getting all rusty. As you drive a little comes out and goes onto your rear mudflaps. If its wet you don't notice it - if it's dry you get lots of rusty staining.

Anyway they "fixed" the steps by filling the holes with black silicon and two years later they fell off having rusted out to a wafer thin piece of 300 pound tat.

A pound to a dollar thats yer problem

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I do have the tubular side steps and similar rear step. The rust looks like it's running from the top of the right hand side of the rear tubular step where it bolts to the rear sub-frame.

I would guess your correct that it an issue caused by the step but probably the rear one - the staining is on the outside of the flap and not the inside. Taking it off to check looks like a bit of a pain, shame coz it looks good.

Actual picture of the 'bleed'. I have checked and there is nothing on the inside of the arch etc.

m33ufo said:

Actual picture of the 'bleed'. I have checked and there is nothing on the inside of the arch etc.

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Drill a couple of drain holes at the lowest point in the rear step. Even if it doesn't cure it at least you'll know it's not filling up with water.

and squirt some cavity wax in - the warranty on these expensive beauties is 1 year, plus the rear step is a towing point so safety critical.

I drilled and squirted my identical rear step and its going strong after 5 years as opposed to the land rover "repaired" side step!

I really need to spend some time removing it just to see what's causing the bleed and exactly where it's coming from.

You mention that the warranty on it is 12 months, so I'm guessing that my dealer will charge me to rectify the problem (remove the step and find the cause of the bleed) as the Defender is 13 months old? So the car is still very much within it's 3 year warranty but the step isn't!

don't go to the dealer as they'll just bodge it - the bleed is just water getting into the tubular bit and as you speed along or go round corners, air pressure or centerfugal force ejects some of the rusty water.

Back when I brought mine to the well known edinburgh dealers they farmed the repair out to a local bodyshop, who dented the rear body removing it, then badly repaired the rear body and didn't tell me about it - I noticed a paint run and they came clean. Years later the filler is all coming away from the bash they "fixed" with the wrong type of filler and the paint is bubbling off as they didn't etch prime the aluminium. So seriously, don't go to the dealer!!

As said, drill a couple of holes in the underside, start with say a 4mm HSS drill bit then enlarge to a 10mmHSS bit. Paint the new metal round your new holes with satin hammerite and then squirt in some wax from a can.

Problem solved.

They are wonderful beasts defenders - shame they are built so badly.

I'm going to have a go taking it off this afternoon if only clean up the area that the rust is pi$$ing out from and make sure that there isn't actually a rusty spot there.

Thanks for the advice guys

note...make sure you have all the tools required before starting!

Pretty much got all the nuts and bolts off then realised I didn't have a 14mm hex wrench for the two central hex bolts. Now back together again, shall pick up the required wrench tomorrow.

Some of the paint on the step has started to peel where the bolts make contact, is it paint or some type of plastic coating?

some are painted, some covered in nylon, some powdercoated!

Ok, tell me what you think my chances are of getting the step replaced under warranty? This is the scenario:

• Defender is 13 months old.
• Rear step was purchased from Land Rover dealer 11 months ago.
• The nylon finish of the step has started to peel in one corner.
• The step fills with watter which bleeds out at the offside corner.
• The step has probably had water in it for most of the 11 months which means its probably well rusted internally - the bleed is almost orange!

So, what do you think? If this was a BMW I wouldn't even be considering that the step wouldn't be replaced under warranty - but I have no experience of Land Rover. It's going in this Friday for it's first service so I'll mention it then.

Opinions welcome

If it's less than 12 moths old then kick, scream and stamp you feet untill they supply another. And don't take no for an answer, and don't settle for a repair as they might spray the outside but it wont cure the internal rust. When you get your new one make sure it has drain holes and waxoyle the inside of it.

redhand said:

If it's less than 12 moths old then kick, scream and stamp you feet untill they supply another. And don't take no for an answer, and don't settle for a repair as they might spray the outside but it wont cure the internal rust. When you get your new one make sure it has drain holes and waxoyle the inside of it.

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That's pretty much what I wanted to hear

I have the original invoice for the step which is dated 23rd Feb 2007. The only issue is that my local dealer (Stratstone Cardiff) who I shall be taking it to didn't supply the step, I don't imagine that will be an issue as it's LR who will be replacing it.

As soon as I get the new one (fingers crossed!), I'll be drilling and waxing before fitting! I hope it's going to be as simple as it sounds - fundamentally it's not fit for purpose.