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Rust is devouring my car!
TKid
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I drive a 2008 Nissan Versa. I love my car to death and I have busted my ass trying to keep it running perfectly and to keep it in good shape aesthetically. My enemy in the latter has recently proven to be Utica, NY. Here in Utica we get between 110 and 150 inches of snow annually. The city chooses to use salt to clear the streets and I noticed today that my car has dozens of extremely tiny, but visible rust spots over the front two wheel wells and along the front doors. I know these small spots aren't a problem NOW, but I know that they will be if I do not nip this in the bud.
We generally get our first snow by the tail end of September or early October, so I need to get this sorted before my car is bombarded by another 4 months of street salt and snow. What can I do to keep both the undercarriage of my car and the body of the car from being devoured by rust in salty, snowy conditions? And how can I fix these little rust spots before they become a huge problem.
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We generally get our first snow by the tail end of September or early October, so I need to get this sorted before my car is bombarded by another 4 months of street salt and snow. What can I do to keep both the undercarriage of my car and the body of the car from being devoured by rust in salty, snowy conditions? And how can I fix these little rust spots before they become a huge problem.
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About as simple as that for something so very small. In the end, it will, in fact, increase the life of the chassis.
Also, I'd suggest doing a wash/undercarriage every spring like clockwork: snow's gone get the salt off. This comes from a Massachusetts driver who lived around Albany for awhile, so I feel you.
Oh look at that! I'm not completely full of shit. This is the stuff my buddies swear by.
I've also always wondered about the efficacy of 'active anti-rust' systems that run a current through a car body to protect from rust.
Unfortunately, wondering these things doesn't do much for the OP
I'm not sure that that is safe for clear coats. Looks like it's mostly for the undercarriage/bare metal and stuff. I didn't see anything that specified differently on the site, though...
If you're getting rust spots, it's already through the clear coat. You'll need to clean the area around the rust spots and use a q-tip to apply the product to the spots.
They're bullshit.
This is the most elegant solution. Simply sand off the rust areas (use a metal sandpaper or automotive "clay") and reapply paint and clearcoat. As mentioned, online retailers will have the paint and clearcoat for much cheaper than your local dealer. I've done this with my car, and the whole process cost me about $40. Not too bad. A q-tip is fine for putting those tiny paint spots back on.
And remember, the rust you see is probably a little bit under the paint as well. So try sanding your whole slightly larger to remove all rust from those tiny spots. Any rust left behind will simply fester back. I know this, as well, when I tried cheating and simply painting over a spot.
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
I wasn't trying to be a goose, but there's a huge difference between stopping the spread of rust and actually removing the rust. I'm sure either method would work, but I'd be hesitant to use something that kept the rust there but prevented it from spreading. What if it eats through to the inside of the panel and starts spreading from there?
Part of that is my experience in the northeast and our endlessly salt-covered winter roads. If the OP (or myself) were out in the southwest, I'd be much more comfortable suggesting a rust-stopper. Anyone who drives up here in snow country should know that it isn't common for rust to kill the chassis (or exposed pipes in the exhaust system) before the engine gives out. I think I mentioned that I drove a old Camry once upon a time that made it to 17 years of age. By around year 15 there was so much patchwork on the body from rust repairs that it got ugly and nasty quick, while the rest of the car was running perfectly.
Sanding and re-painting something like this is not very difficult, at all, and there's a ton of resources out there to help you through it.
Agreed on all levels.
I'm a Michigan driver and we're always fighting rust. The only way I've seen people successful combat it is to remove the tiny spots before they get worse. After they get big enough, you're boned, and need to get the whole damn panel reworked professionally or replaced entirely.
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
In the future, yes it may seem counterintuitive but wash your car in the winter. Not just a spray down either. We have washes here that use a soap formulated to remove the salt residue, I would only imagine Utica probably has washes that do the same thing
PSN - MicroChrist
I'm too fuckin' poor to play
WordsWFriends - zeewoot
The rust converters don't just stop the rust, it's a chemical reaction that actually changes the composition of the rust. It works great.
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-rust-converter.html
I'm not sure if I'm reading this right, but this should be covered by my warranty, right? It claims it is a lifetime panel replacement warranty, not that I am against doing the work myself if I have to...But if I could get a professional to do it, then all the better for me, as they are less likely to screw it up.
I try to wash the car every couple of weeks in the winter. Sometimes road conditions don't allow for it though. I've always thought that hosing the car down with more water would just encourage more rust, is that wrong?
"Perforation" means a hole, so I don't think Nissan would have to pay a claim or fix the panel without there being a hole rusted through. Even if there was a hole, are you sure this is inside-out rust through not outside-in?
As for hosing off the car, any salt residue is going to cause a lot more damage then some water.
The key in that wording is INSIDE out. You're having OUTSIDE in rust.
There's no possible way Nissan has a warranty against rust for the lifetime of the car, as that paragraph implies. They'd spend every dollar they earn in body shop repairs because the entire Northern US would buy nothing but Nissan, I can assure you.
Your car is almost 4 years old by model standards and having rust in a prone area. You're unlikely to get help from Nissan, but, as said you can check into it. I highly doubt you'll find resolution though.
But if you do have luck with the warranty, let me know, because then Nissan just jumped to the top of my list.
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
Hosing the car down with more water isn't the way. The "salts" used on roads are corrosive and will not wash away with just water. High-pressure cleaning with a soap formulated to remove the "salts" is key
PSN - MicroChrist
I'm too fuckin' poor to play
WordsWFriends - zeewoot
On my cars that don't have rust on them already, they never develop rust underneath. The rust on the wheel wells where that icky brown snow sticks is a different story, but that's what weekly car washes are for.
(I love my cars)