Almost all the modern cars are made-up of an alloy of iron which are prone to rust. The state-of-the-art body paints used by the car manufacturers can delay the process of rust but the evil metal eating disease can always find a way to the car’s body and destroy it.
What is rust?
It is a process of oxidation or in other word, metal decaying. When iron is exposed to water and oxygen (air), it chemically reacts to become iron oxide, which is a useless red powdery substance. It weakens the metal and destroys it completely over time.
What is done to stop it?
The best way to stop the rust is to make sure that the iron surface does not come in contact with the air or water. All modern cars go through multiple steps to make sure that the iron body does not catch rust.
Manufacturers apply multiple coats of anti-rust coatings on the vehicle before applying the final paint to the body to prevent the car from rusting.
What are the most common places for rusting?
Any part which has a chip of paint or a scratch is vulnerable for rust. If the paint protection is removed, the metal becomes exposed to the elements and start to rust. The sideboard of the car, floor of the vehicle and door edges are most prone to rust as they tend to lose the paint easily.
Pollution deposits on your vehicle can eat through the paint and can expose the metal surface. It is always advised to clean the vehicle once in a week to remove any such deposits.
What to do when you see rust?
- If you see only a chipped surface and there is no rust, you should quickly cover it with a thin layer of oil, paint or nail paint to protect it from air and water.
- Rust affected surface should be immediately cleaned with sandpaper to remove the rust and should be treated with anti-iron oxide paint.
- If the car is fairly new, galvanizing the underside of the body with zinc can put an extra layer of protection.
- The interiors of the vehicle should be kept clean and any spilled liquid should be cleaned immediately.
Rust can be extremely dangerous and can turn your vehicle into a useless form of metal within a few months. Rusted cars also have lower value in the market. Cars affected with rust are often weak and cannot take impact from accidents too. Rust can be a safety hazard and it is extremely important to take care of the rust affected area and stop it from spreading. Cars can be in running condition for years if it is given proper care.
