12 March 2020 Concept Car
You can buy the most expensive car. You can stick religiously to the maintenance schedule and take the best possible care of it. If you feel strongly about it, you can even pay for expensive protection measures. And yet, one simple truth remains…all cars rust eventually, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
That may come as a surprise. After all, we often associate corroded metal with a distant past when rust would eat away huge chunks of steel and it wasn’t uncommon for a brownish hue to infect vehicles after only a few years.
It may arrive later in the lifecycle and it may no longer be as aggressive as it used to be. But if you’re under the impression that you can just lean back, you’re mistaken.
Today we’ll explain why modern materials are better at fending it off, what kinds of rust there are, what causes them, and how to spot and fight rust.
Rust isn’t a pretty sight. Having to watch it eat through the beautiful paint layer of your cherished car is painful. What starts out as small reddish spots can quickly affect larger areas.
Far more importantly, rust is actually dangerous. Just think about it…corroded metal can become porous, soft and weak. As a result, the structural integrity of your vehicle can suffer and parts can break off. If those parts happen to be important, you’ve got a serious problem.
If these parts then become weak, break or generally do not perform how they should, it can be costly to replace these parts, causing a big hole in your wallet.
If you’ve ever driven or seen a car from the 60s or 70s, you’ll know how much progress has been made in terms of rust protection. Back in those days, cars would rust a whole lot sooner and there was a lot less you could do about it.
Once the rot had set in, the fate of your car seemed determined. In fact, ensuring adequate rust protection was one of the most important points for a manufacturer to differentiate itself from competitors.
During that decade, manufacturers began speeding up their launch cycles. They no longer produced cars that would last a lifetime, but merely until the next generation arrived at dealerships. This is because they used thinner body steel making rust far more visible.
The 80s saw mild improvements. But it wasn’t until the 90s brought advances in production technologies that rust became a far less dramatic issue.
That said, in China and India, many of these advances are still not applied today.
To understand how contemporary rust protection works, it is vital to understand what rust actually is.
If a car rusts, its steel reacts with the oxygen of the air in the presence of moisture. Without water, there can be no rust.
The more exposed the naked steel is to the air, therefore, the higher the chances that corrosion will occur. Before the arrival of modern rustproofing, the only thing that stood between a car’s body and the elements was the paint.
Once that layer had been damaged or worn down, it was often already too late.
This means applying a thick layer of ugly, but tough and protective paint to some of the hidden areas of a vehicle. It includes, for example, the entire underside of the body, where it doesn’t really matter if things don’t look pretty.
Of course, eventually that additional layer would also get damaged. So even undersealing could not stop rust from forming. And form it did – and usually quite quickly. Things looked pretty dire for a long time. Until someone came up with a smart idea.
Paint can protect the steel, but only for as long as it’s perfectly intact. Other than that, though, steel is still a great material for a wide variety of reasons. So wouldn’t it be a much better approach to simply improve it so it’s less likely to oxidise?
Essentially, that’s precisely what galvanisation does. It treats the steel using zinc so it becomes less reactive when exposed to the air.
During the production process, every car body is dipped into a pool of hot zinc before it gets painted. The zinc is so hot that it is molten and will stick to the body like a second skin, protecting it from rust.
But there are a few reasons why galvanisation offers a far better protection than paint ever could:
Galvanisation is no miracle cure, but it has had a powerful effect on the longevity of cars. According to Jay Samuel, a senior lecturer in the UW-Madison Department of Mechanical Engineering, “a lot of industries have improved, but the auto industry has done the best” in fighting corrosion.
Galvanisation has clearly been very effective. And yet, over the years, manufacturers came up with quite a few more ideas on how to make it even better. Some of these are related to how rust forms in the first place.
Essentially, the likelihood of rust increases wherever there is friction – friction between moving parts, friction between aggressive substances and the car body. This is why rust preferably occurs at parts with hinges or in pockets where those aggressive substances can freely accumulate, such as in the pockets of wheels.
Thanks to the combination of galvanisation, the use of alternative materials wherever feasible and smart design improvements, rust has been on the retreat for a while.
There are three kinds of rust, each with their characteristic profiles and problems.
Firstly, there is cosmetic rust. It manifests mainly as tiny bubbles on the paint surface. Although very unappealing to look at, cosmetic rust is usually not a major issue. Affected spots frequently remain localised and will only spread if you allow them to. As an expert states: “This type of corrosion does not usually cause concern as it can be easily repaired with proper body preparation and re-painting.”
Then, there’s rust which spreads beyond local spots. There is no clever technical term for this, but it’s a far more serious issue. You can still turn the tide, but you will need to act fast.
Finally, there’s frame rust. This is the worst kind by far. Frame rust threatens the integrity of the car, causing parts to snap or break. It goes without saying that if it occurs at vital places like breaks or gas lines, the consequences can be life-threatening.
If you spot frame rust while looking for a used car, you should head for the door straight away. Although frame rust can be repaired, it can be costly. And even then, there are no guarantees it won’t return.
If you know what causes rust, you will be able to take countermeasures early on and ideally prevent cosmetic rust from turning into frame rust.
Rust is caused by the direct exposure of the car’s steel to the oxygen in the air. So everything that increases that exposure is bound to have a negative effect.
Accidents are quite probably the most serious cause for rust to form. If something as inconspicuous as a small stone can chip away part of the protective paint layer, you can imagine what a far bigger impact, such as a collision with another car, will do.
Of course, the most important thing about accidents is that you are not physically hurt. But once you’re okay again, make sure to restore the “health” of your car as well. Make sure that no open surfaces remain and check if rustproofing is in order.
Wherever parts are rubbing together or where they are connected by hinges, rust can form a lot easier. The rubbing has an abrasive effect, which causes paint to flake and thus exposes it to the air.
Other areas you should be aware of are:
Dirt in general and bird droppings, in particular, were the most common sources of rust in the past. Bird droppings are highly acidic, which means they can burn through the paint over time if left unremoved. Ultimately, they’ll reach the steel underneath this way.
Today, the threat from dirt is a lot smaller than it used to be. The double protection from significantly improved paint layers and the zinc added during galvanisation means that even without a weekly cleaning, the danger of rust formation should be fairly limited.
That said, it would be careless to simply trust things will be okay. Every car deserves a regular visit to the car wash.
Climate remains one of the most important and underestimated factors for rust until the present day.
The weather plays a role in causing rust in three distinct cases:
There is little you can do about climatic influences. What you can do, however, is to deal with rust issues quickly if they do occur.
Regardless of whether you’re looking for a car to buy or want to keep your own in the best possible condition, you will need to know where and how to look for rust.
If you intend to purchase a used car and splurge on a vehicle inspection, a rust check will usually be included.
On the other hand, even if you don’t have the cash to pay a mechanic, there is no reason to despair.
To help you along the way, here’s an overview of the most important steps. By following these, you should be able to detect rust early on and take the appropriate measures.
If you think about it, it’s perfectly clear why the bottom of a car should start to rust first. The components you’ll find here are all moving. Many of them feature steel rubbing against steel. They’re exposed to dirt, salt and acidity far more directly than most other areas of a vehicle. And most of them do not have an additional layer of paint to protect them against corrosion.
So how do you check for rust underneath a car in practice?
Autotrader recommends:
“If you have concerns about rust, allow the seller to let you take the car to a mechanic, who can put it up on a lift. Once the car is on a lift, you can poke around underneath it to see if you can find any rust. Common rust spots include the frame rails, which run underneath a car’s doors on each side, the wheel wells, the exhaust, the suspension and virtually any other underside components made of steel or metal.”
Wheel wells, as we indicated above, are a natural breeding ground for rust. Just like the bottom of the car, they are exposed to the various rust-causing elements. They also create pockets where these can accumulate and create even more damage. Finally, they are hard to inspect, which means that you may not spot the rust issues in time.
A very easy solution is to inspect wheel wells each time you take your car to the car wash. Using a flashlight, you should be able to detect early signs of rust and to make sure it doesn’t spread.
Accidents can wreak havoc on a paint job. Mechanics can improve this by repairing the car and making sure it is properly protected against rust again.
In some cases, however, repairs are not performed properly. Using body filler can save you money on repairs. But it will also offer a lot less protection, as a botched paint job can cause serious damage.
Even bad repair jobs can be hard to spot sometimes. Make sure to take a close look at the car. Especially, if the MOT history or the car history check suggests that the vehicle has been involved in an accident. You can check for body filler by holding a magnet against spots where you’re in doubt. If the magnet won’t attach to the steel, you know something’s wrong.
The exceptions are obviously car bodies made from a different material. In the USA, for example, companies like RAM have started building their SUVs from aluminium, which has its very own advantages and problems.
Clear enough, rust can have a destructive effect on your car. It can reduce its longevity and seriously impact its resale value. Dealing with it efficiently is therefore not just about preserving the beauty of your vehicle. It is also a sensible financial decision.
When it comes to rust protection, there are a few questions that we need to address first:
First of all, there is a common misunderstanding that you need to rustproof your car every year. Writes hotcars:
“The important thing is to get a company and qualified personnel to perform this type of procedure on your vehicle. If the person does it correctly, the result can last a couple years, (or even a few). A high-quality rust-proofing job should last up to ten years.”
Other jobs, such as giving your car a regular wash-down, can and should be performed more regularly. While rustproofing should ideally be done by an experienced mechanic, you can deal with the latter yourself.
Will it be expensive? Not necessarily. Of course, some care products will set you back a few pounds. But costs should not be excessive. And in the long run, the money spent on rust protection is sure to be less than the costs caused by rust and its effects.
Yes, you heard right, washing your vehicle regularly is one of the easiest and best ways to keep rust in check.
Surprised? You’re not alone. A lot of drivers are under the assumption that water is a catalyst for rust, yet it is also an ally in your fight against rust.
Rust forms more easily if the paint layer of your car is damaged or brittle – often caused by a build-up of dirt. So by washing it off before it starts reacting with the paint, you are actively protecting your car.
Remember what we wrote about undersealing? By applying an additional layer of paint, you protect your car against the formation of rust.
Undersealing has a few downsides, with one of them being that it makes your car look bad. Fortunately, there’s a way of reaping the benefits of undersealing while making your car look even better.
Waxing your car is, in a way, over-sealing. You apply a layer of wax on top of the paint. For as long as it stays intact, this will ward off dirt and debris and thus prevent the steel from reacting with air and water.
How often should you wax? If you like the look of wax on your car, you can easily do this 4-5 times a year. If you mainly care for the rust protection it provides or if you simply feel it’s too much work, twice is enough.
Applying wax is a good idea. But it can only offer so much protection. If you’re really serious about dealing with rust, you should take your car to a professional garage as well.
Professional rustproofing is similar to waxing in that it also applies a protective layer on top of the paint. Only, it uses a different product, which will keep its protective effect for longer.
The trick with the product is that it needs to get to the places where moisture gets as well. But it should not seal these spots off entirely. By sealing an area, after all, you’re preventing moisture from coming in and out. So if condensation occurs, you’ve got a major problem with trapped water. This is why garages use specialised products which will offer as much protection as possible without entirely closing off the surface.
There are different levels of protection. With a softer product, you may need to drop by your garage every 1-2 years. With a tougher, rubberised layer, you can extend that cycle to once a decade.
Unfortunately, you can take care of your car and still get hit hard by corrosion. So what to do if you detect a few reddish spots?
First of all, don’t panic. If you discover rust in time, there are many things you can do. And if your vehicle has been galvanised, this will prevent the rust from spreading very quickly.
Here’s how to keep the rust in check:
As we reach the end of this article, it’s about time we asked a very obvious question: Why not buy a car which offers the best possible rust protection off the bat?
This question is not quite as naive as you might think. Even today, in an age where rustproofing has become the norm for pretty much every car in Europe and Northern America, there are still notable quality differences between different brands.
So your choice of make and model definitely plays a big role in trying to keep rust to a minimum.
When it comes to rust, you will need to unlearn everything you learned about reliability. Reliability and rust-free design are two entirely different things. As Afrinik comments, “German car manufacturers such as Audi, VW, Mercedes and BMW have proven to protect their products against rust. As well as the French manufacturer Renault. However, the Japanese, widely acclaimed because of their high reliability, have considerable rust problems.”
According to Hotcars, the following are some of the worst offenders when it comes to rust:
If you want to avoid a rusty lemon, you will need to do some research. Typically, rust does affect all model generations equally.
This is very apparent with a brand like Mercedes. For years, the German premium car maker’s products were indestructible and class leaders when it came to rust. Then, management decided to cut costs and quality dropped accordingly. This is why you will find rusty spots on quite a few 90s Benzs’. Things improved and today, Mercedes is back in top shape again.
Just like there are cars which seem to rust no matter how well you take care of them, there are also those who hardly ever – or never – rust.
This is a list of the cars with the best rust protection:
Of course, even these rustbusters will eventually rust. As we said at the beginning – on a long enough timeline, we’re all due.
12 March 2020 Concept Car
