Post rust issues from winter diving

I sprayed high heat primer and paint on the muffler and one pipe forward of the muffler which also showed some rusts. The rest of the pipes seems OK so I didn't bother. Though they do have some discoloring or rust like color so I guess the "stainless" is not a very high quality kind, at least not the shiny silvery stainless I am used to see. We will see if the paint survives one winter.

 

As some of you may have read about my Prius, I am OCD on trying to keep it clean, when I bought it, I cleaned EVERY inch of the car, shampooed the carpets, seats, armrests, used Mr.Clean car detailed on the door panels and dash, and hatch panel. The WHOLE shin-dig. Weeks ago, I pulled it onto a ramp to check out the bottom of her and I didn't see any rust surprisingly. So I took some special de-greaser and went to cleaning like always. I'll take some pictures for you guys.

 

I have a ton of rust on my undercarriage. My mechanic said I will need to replace the muffler by next winter.

 

I've had previous cars sprayed about annually with bilayer oil (rust check, oil trell, krown) and was wondering if I should get the Prius done. Anyone do this? My concerns are with the drilling they may want to do, the effect of the oil on the electrical insulation (maybe discolouring the colour that indicates the high voltage) and how they'll handle the under panels.

I have some concerns with the under panels anyway since they could be holding the salt deposits making it hard to remove the salt with one drive through the underspray carwash.

I live in a salt slurry and slush environment for several months of every year.

 

If you park outside at winter temps down to -40, the interior will be at whatever comfy temp you set, the door panels and other interior panels will have heavy condensation from exposure to outside ambient temps

If you have a tightly sealed garage with "damp" heat like electric heat, it will be like parking your car in a sauna. I have a Reznor natural gas heater in the garage, it's dry as a bone inside

Around here, the vehicles left outside rust out much quicker

I used Fluid Film on my Prius. Unfortunately, never thought of taking any photos before I sold it last year. Underneath, it looked pristine except for the exhaust system

I got my '07 FJ new, and immediately sprayed Fluid Film underneath, into all the weep holes, and inside the door panels. This is how it looked last fall











I resprayed around two weeks ago





Fluid Film works.

 

In my experience, with various vehicles, wheel wells tend to get rusty, right behind the lip. It's worth starting on that area when washing the car: stuff accumulates there. Also periodically take out those plastic spats at bottom of the rear wheel wells (put the fastening bolts back in temporarily, to seal) and hose the area. And any area where there's plastic liners or close tolerance seams: stuff can get trapped, and promotes rusting.

 

Yes, Fluid Film does work like most good rustproofing, when correctly applied for a dry and NEW car from the beginning of its life.

The most critical areas are not the surface of the components or the panels but the crevices or flat joints where the panels are held together as well as the fasteners, brake lines and the fittings. These are the place where water and electrolytic salts collect. The corrosion is made worst when dissimilar metals are in contact with each other.

Correctly applied, these areas, if protected, will immeasurably increase the life of the vehicle.

That which is pleasing to the untrained eye is less important than the real points where rust destroys cars.

By the time that most owners see rust on the outside of panels, the car is a goner.

Internal "rust worms" eat up car bodies from the inside out. They are like termites in wood.