3 Reasons Why Rust Forms on Your Car and How to Properly Remove It

Rust can be very dangerous for your car. It causes your car to lose its shine as well as a lot of other things, like your car's paint job. Rust formation on cars happens when the internal metal of your car gets wet and it corrodes.  Let’s take a look at why rust forms on your car.

1. Neglecting to Dry

Rust on cars can be caused by neglecting to dry it after it has been exposed to water. For example, some people don’t have time to thoroughly wash their cars and resort to a quick hose down. There is nothing wrong with hosing down your car if you don’t have the time to deep clean it – however, you must find time to dry it right after. Leaving the car to sun dry can cause rust, which will require more time and effort to remove. 

If your car is parked in an open area and is rained on, you must also find the time to dry it after the rains have finished. Some owners don’t dry the cars in fear that it may just rain again shortly after, but drying it consistently can prevent a build-up of rust. You can also invest in a car cover to avoid the car from being exposed to wet weather. 

2. Weather 

If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, your car will be at risk of getting rust. Cars aren’t meant to constantly be submerged in water for prolonged periods. Long after the flood, the car remains drenched even after an effort to dry it. 

Those whose cars get engulfed by snow also run a risk of getting rust on the car. Many use salt to remove snow from the windshields and mirrors of the car. Using salt, however, encourages the salt to seep into the metallic material of your car and causes rust. If the salt stays on the body of the car over time, it rusts. One can avoid this by hosing down and wiping the car thoroughly after having sprinkled salt to remove snow. 

Although you can’t control the weather and its direct effect on your car, you can find efficient ways to remove rust from your car and have it looking new. 

3. Geographic Area

You can be exposed to rust depending on your geographic area. If you live by a coast, for example, your car is exposed to seawater. Metallic objects exposed to seawater are more rust-prone than those that aren’t. Whether you drive near the coast or not, the air is saturated with salt, meaning your car can get rusty even when parked in the driest region.

How to Properly Remove It 

There are different ways to remove rust and we will take a look at how. Painting your car will help remove the rust that may have formed on the body of your car. You will have to review the different paints that work on certain cars, the types of paints that are recommended for small patches rather than whole body paint, the amount of rust you intend to cover, and the colour of your car. Such important information is found at 4wdlife.com.

Once you have your paint, you need to carefully follow the process of removal for the best possible outcome. To begin with, you need to ensure that your car is clean and free of dirt, spots, and debris. 

Before applying paint or any product to the rust, you need to sand your car down. You can do this by using sandpaper to cut a deep depression into the surface of the car. Make sure that you apply a thin layer of the rust removal product to this depression. The thinner the layer of the product, the better, because it will not only make the depression more attractive but it will also prevent the formation of rust.

After you sand your car, you can now use a primer and then apply paint or a rust removal product. You should start off applying the product in a downward fashion. When you see that the rust removal product is working, you can now apply another layer.

You might find that some rusted areas are hard to reach. In this case, you can use a putty knife to apply a layer of the rust remover on these hard-to-reach areas. Once you see that the product is penetrating deep into the rust, you can then use an acetone remover and scrape it away from the affected area.

Conclusion

Drying your car after washing it, hosing it down and after it rains, is important to avoid rust collecting on your car. Other factors that cause rust such as geographic location, climate, and weather may be out of your control. However, you can remove rust from your car by painting it over. Finding ways to shelter your car if it is parked in the open is important. You can install a car tent or use a car cover. Although this might not completely prevent rust, it may help minimize areas affected. 

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