Metal corrosion

Rust is your car's enemy...

This left rear disc brake protector has corroded and much of it is actually destroyed.




The brake cover on the right rear disk is intact, but very thin due to corrosion.

Note: The Mazda 626 in these two photos has been already been cleaned and partially sandblasted to show more detail.

Under your feet

Rust is eating the floor metal!

This is the floorboard, under the driver's feet. Several places will result in rust holes if left untreated.

Note: Observe the factory rust protection on the left side of this photo... where factory rust protection was applied properly, the metal remains rust free. Unfortunately, most factory rust treatment is far from complete (typically, only about 30%). Even the areas that are treated often have missing (untreated) patches. For example: on the assembly line, protectant is frequently sprayed over masking tape (the tape rots away and leaves unprotected metal), or protectant is simply misapplied (underspray, overspray, inadequate spray, etc.).

Rust costs you

A dangerous situation...

Costly: As the Rostskyddsspecialisten was cleaning this car (the Mazda 626), a gas leak was found. The gas tank had suffered extensive corrosion on it's pipes, and the metal was actually corroded completely through in places, with only flakes of rust to contain the fluid! Fortunately, he was able to repair this potentially dangerous problem for the owner (it required a new gas tank).

Note: This particular tank was discovered to be in bad shape when investigating the source of leaking gas.

Dangerous: A close look at the lower photo shows the progressive destruction of one of the gas pipes, and the "flowering" of the rust as it slowly peels away in the corrosion process.

Note: It is unfortunate that the factory did not treat and protect the piping for this gas tank. Normally, major parts like the gas tank are not removed for rust treatment, but it is an available option at Rostskyddsspecialisten. The tank can be inspected, treated, and re-installed (if it is in good shape!); if it is not in good shape, it should be replaced. In extreme cases (like this) replacement is obviously required as soon as possible.




Treatment: A gas tank can be very vulnerable to rust. The tank can be removed, inspected, cleaned, treated, and reinstalled. In this case, the gas tank was badly corroded and had to be replaced. The old tank can be seen on the left of the photo, and the rusted gas pipes can be seen just above the main gas fill connection (the big fat black rubber hose). The new tank is being treated, and will not rust. The two small silver gas pipes that were rusted on the old tank can be seen on the far right of the new tank.




Close up of newly treated gas pipes: After treatment, there is no place for rust to gain a foothold on the new tank. The two small gas pipes mentioned before can be seen in the center of the photo. They are temporarily plugged at the ends while undergoing rustproofing treatment.