rust on an 03???

[loyd]

i just finished my winter wax/detailing, and noticed about 100 tiny red/orange spots on my paint (all over). it looks like surface rust, but it was even on the plastic bumper/moulding areas. i dont know what it is, and if anyone can explain this to me id appreciate it. i have silver paint, so its very noticeable. im not sure if its from the road salt, or is it actually rust? it does come off after you scrub at it for a while, and the only other way to describe it would be like little tar spots. can anyone tell me what it is?? thanks.

 

[HuntRunner]

Does it look like it could be from red/orange paint? A frind of mine had little white dots all over his black truck from his neighbor spray painting on a windy day.

 

[hellothere]

I believe that this is rail dust - small particles of iron from railroad transportation of your truck. The iron apparently sticks right into the paint and then rusts. Whether this is true or not, the upshot is that you can remove it with a clay bar.

I recommend going to Zaino's website (http://www.zainostore.com) and ordering their starter kit for about $100. Ordering the kit saves the hassle of trying to figure out all their products, and gives you everything that you need to make the thing shine and stay protected. I was amazed at how well it worked. Just follow their directions EXACTLY (including the obsession with US-made white towels) and you will be impressed.

Good luck.

 

[loyd]

thanks

huntrunner its definately not paint...like i said it looks like rust, and does come off but i have to work at it. the iron theory hellothere brought up makes alot of sense. thanks alot for the info, i was thinkin i may have to bring it to the dealer and have them look at it under warranty, which is obviously not the case. thanks

 

[Guest]

If it's any consolation, I remember a long discussion on rail dust with my Nissan.
It seems many trucks were affected, sometimes permanent where the dealer had to repaint new trucks.

I've heard about it enough that I think it might be true, after all they only cover the top surfaces with that plastic stuff.

 

[o9stealth5]

hmm....yeah.......try the detailing clay that "hellothere" mentioned.

 

[loyd]

.

so nobody else has noticed this? maybe its bcuz i have the light paint, that it shows - i wonder if theres and permanent damage if its left on there....but mine had it everywhere, and prior to winter i detailed it and it wasnt there, so its only happened in the last couple months...

 

[ScottAW]

I had similar spots on my A4 when I first got that. After a little research, I learned that this also can be traced back to break dust "splattering" on the side of the car. Only occured when I first got the car.

You can use a clay bar to easily remove any kind of surface impurities, such as rust specs, tree sap, bug crap, etc. Pep Boys or your local auto store should have a clay bar kit. (it usually comes with a clay bar and some detailing spray to use as a lubricant.) FWIW, I usually will clay bar my vehicles once a year. It refreshes the paint and it looks better than new. I follow the clay bar process with 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze and some One Grand Blitz Wax. Results are beautiful.

 

[jharris2]

And when I clayed the 4Runner before its first coat of Zaino's, it only took an hour (by hand, not the PorterCable). Same for the Camry, which was in terrible shape.

One suggestion -- wash the truck with liquid dishwasher detergent (such as Dawn). That strips all wax off the vehicle. You may find that the spots are on the wax, not in the wax. For example, before I clayed the Camry last time, it had lots of rough spots that disappeared when the wax was removed, meaning that the contaminants were on top of the wax. Maybe you'll be lucky to have the same with your truck.

Even if the spots go away with the wash, go ahead and clay it -- it's a great investment of time, just as the others have posted.

By the way, after you clay and wax the truck, do not use the liquid dishwasher detergent again until you want to strip the wax to clay it again.

 

[EDGE]

It's moisture under the paint, my silver 4Runner had some orange and white spots on it they did look like rust but they felt as smooth as the paint itself, so I parked it in the sun during the summer and they vanished, if you take it to the dealer all the do is use a heat gun with some rubbing alcohol, I did not have the time and knew how to get rid of it

 

[tkr128]

I really think it's raildust, or some kind of metal that's becoming embedded in your paint. Definately go with the clay. I remember a situation like this about a year ago on Autopia.org. It took a while, but he was able to get the rust off with clay. Hope this helps you out a bit.

 

[Diablo3305]

I have the same thing on my silver 4 Runner, or something like it...do they look like chips in the paint, where rust formed? This is actually quite common on cars today because of the types of paint they use, which are more enviornmentally friendly but not as strong. Its just very hard to notice. If you walk around examining your car, you will probably see some you never knew where there. My dads H2 and my moms G35 coupe also have these. There really isn't much you can do about them, however if they are big chips you can try to touch them up.

 

[loyd]

thanks for all the advice...i did a little more research and found that iron particles are found in road salt, and therefor if left too long on the paint surface, those particles will rust and attach themselves to your car. they do come off if you scrub at it, but im not sure what the long term affects would be. i know from now on ill be power washing it a couple times a week atleast till the spring is here.

 

[yabedude]

Loyd

I had the same thing occur. I figure that the salt used this year had something extra in it as I've not seen that before. Are you also on the West Coast -- Lower Mainland? Very suspicious if you are, no?