How to avoid rust in DC area?

[Doublehaul]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
It would be interesting to see photo documentation of areas prone to rust through a couple of years on a given individual vehicle without any protection process other than maybe keeping it clean and then see one of these rust prevention schemes at work.

My 84 Honda has never seen snow and seldom temperatures below freezing here in Southern California and has no structural rust at all, just a couple of less than dime size surface spots.


Rust prevention chems and treatments etc are snake oil...rust prevention is engineered in to the vehicle from the inside out. You will always have the old timers though that swear by zbart as they think back to the 70s...just like guys using oil additives or putting pepper in their radiator. Most folks don't realized it but "rust proofing" voids your vehicles 5 year rust perforation warranty.

Not that it matters but as my source...my brother is a body engineer at a major domestic oem so we talk about this all the time. He's played a major role in some of the most popular and most common vehicles on the road today. Im very proud of him. I love geeking out and talking shop and the problems and fixes they find an make. Very cool stuff...engineers know their business inside and out.

 

[JHZR2]

Theres Krown outside of Harrisburg, PA.

Oherwise,you can buy and spray any number of products. Simplest may be fluid film in aerosol cans, and any number of options from there.

 

[MarcS]

I have a cheap lawn sprinkler i use to rinse the salt off my undercarriage in winter. Just wait for an above freezing day, lay it out in the driveway and drive over it a few times. My car is newer and has a factory coating on the undercarriage. The only places I really see any rust is some surface corrosion on the exhaust around where the catalytic converter section attaches to the Y-pipe, which I can't do much about anyway since any oil-based rust inhibitor would just burn off.

 

[VNTS]

Fluid film all the rockers, boxed sections, lower doors, hatches etc Paint the underside of the car with Eastwoods Paints.

Eastwoods makes some excellent products, inner frame coating if you have an older car with rust inside the boxes.

Or you can do nothing and let the iron worms ruin your car, where I live I notice a lot of 5 yr old car with rotted rockers, cab corners, wheel arches etc Simple application of fluid film in those cavaties would easily prevent that.

 

[2010Civic]

Get a winter beater. The absolutely best way to keep your car rust free.

 

[Rand]

Salt is actually worse when its warmer.
so locations that use tons of salt and are closer to freezing are the worst.
and avoid heated garage.

The salt will be less destructive at 20-30f than at 60f.

 

[maverickfhs]

I always park outside, on the driveway so garage is out of question.

Honestly, so far I don't see any rust or anything, that's why was asking to use it as a preventative maintenance.

 

[KrisZ]

Oil rustproofing! It`s proven, affordable and easily applied. Washing and waxing, ha that a good one lol!

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
I always park outside, on the driveway so garage is out of question.

Honestly, so far I don't see any rust or anything, that's why was asking to use it as a preventative maintenance.



I think you'll be fine if you just get the car washed a few times in the winter and do an undercarriage wash at the end of the season. Car washes are a lot cheaper than undercoating and most people don't tend to keep their cars that long so that it will really matter.

 

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted By: Doublehaul
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
It would be interesting to see photo documentation of areas prone to rust through a couple of years on a given individual vehicle without any protection process other than maybe keeping it clean and then see one of these rust prevention schemes at work.

My 84 Honda has never seen snow and seldom temperatures below freezing here in Southern California and has no structural rust at all, just a couple of less than dime size surface spots.


Rust prevention chems and treatments etc are snake oil...rust prevention is engineered in to the vehicle from the inside out. You will always have the old timers though that swear by zbart as they think back to the 70s...just like guys using oil additives or putting pepper in their radiator. Most folks don't realized it but "rust proofing" voids your vehicles 5 year rust perforation warranty.

Not that it matters but as my source...my brother is a body engineer at a major domestic oem so we talk about this all the time. He's played a major role in some of the most popular and most common vehicles on the road today. Im very proud of him. I love geeking out and talking shop and the problems and fixes they find an make. Very cool stuff...engineers know their business inside and out.


It sounds like you've never looked at the underbody of a 10-15 year old Ontario car that has been undercoated vs one that hasn't. I've seen tons and tons of examples. Calling undercoating snake oil is like saying oil changes aren't really worth doing IMO.

That being said, I don't think the climate in DC would be a big deal. Probably regular washing would be good enough. It's nothing like that salt bathing that our cars get.

 

[JHZR2]

The other thing Ii do, that I forgot to mention, is put a product called salt away into a garden sprayer, and pre treat with that. Even if a full wash isnt done, that helps with the salt (but not grime).

 

[grampi]

The only way I know of to avoid the rust caused by salted roads is to not drive the vehicle during the winter...

 

[caprice_2nv]

Even with undercoating the vehicle will likely rust eventually, but it will probably take over 30 years to develop some rust. Most of the rust you do get is in areas that weren't actually sprayed because they were hard to get at. The undercoating is only as good as the person doing it, that's why I do mine myself.

 

[JHZR2]

Condensation inside of doors, etc is also a consideration snd reason to add protection over time. Inside a doir, a waxy coating may be smart, but OEs seem to do this anyway. A little oil mist maintenance is smart imo.

 

[claluja]

Wash car when you can. For undercarriage, spray Corrosion X (heavy duty version, green cans) to stop rusting.

 

[Silverado12]

We're going to get some rain and warmer temps in the next couple days so nothing to worry about. Mother nature will wash away the salt. FWIW my cars don't get any rust at all down here in VA. Northern WV is a different story.