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Rust Spots on Door

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by New2Priusv, Apr 21, 2015.

  1. New2Priusv

    New2Priusv Junior Member

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    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I have a 2012 v, and the other day I noticed some rust spots on the passenger door. Initially, I thought that this may have something to do with someone hitting the door with their car door on a windy day in a parking lot (this happened while I was in the car, just a few weeks ago). Upon further research, I realized that this must be brake/rail dust. I haven't really noticed this on any other car I've owned, but then again, this is the first white one I've owned (blizzard pearl), so it's especially noticeable. I have a feeling this may have happened because I have done more than my usual number of highway runs over the last several weeks, which means the brakes would have been used to slow down from higher speeds, etc., and the dust would have settled on the door.

    It got me thinking - are hybrids more susceptible to this due to the fact that the friction brakes are used less, and thus tend to rust more? Anyone else experience this on theirs (white/blizzard pearl or otherwise)? What's the recommended way to remove it? I may end up getting the car detailed this spring anyway, but just looking for any tips/techniques/products that can be used to take care of it.
     
    #1 New2Priusv, Apr 21, 2015
  2. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    What happens after you wash the door? Is the paint rough?

    The white (I have one) picks up and shows all kinds of dirt on the flanks, rear hatch, etc.
     
    #2 mikefocke, Apr 21, 2015
  3. New2Priusv

    New2Priusv Junior Member

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    Five
    Yeah I agree with the rear hatch in particular, having never owned any kind of hatchback before, I never realized how much dirt collects back there.

    The spots do not go away after just a regular wash. I took a wet towel to one of them and while the spot started fading, it did not completely go away. When you feel the door, your fingers do catch on it (i.e. it is rough).

    This is the video that I found after researching online, pretty much exactly the same thing:

     
    #3 New2Priusv, Apr 21, 2015
  4. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Modern cars are bathed in anti-rust, shot through with electricity to bond the metal and the anti-rust, then painted multiple times and then clear coated. Doesn't make sense to me that it is rust in this video because rust would go through the clearcoat and the paint into the metal (or really out of the metal and through all the layers of paint and clearcoat). It isn't something that just polishes out. And he says it stays away and rust is something that comes back.

    I've use polishing compound on clearcoat scratches and 5 years later there was no sign of where the kids bike handle had scratched my 4 hours old car.

    I wonder if it isn't sap or bird droppings or something that sits on top of the paint. I wonder if GoofOff would help remove the spots. I've seen similar on my wife's car's hood when she parked under a tree at a certain time of year and repeated applications of GoofOff did the trick and it wasn't through the clearcoat and it wasn't rust. GoofOff softens and I think I used a fingernail and then a cloth. Once clean, a good polish.
     
    #4 mikefocke, Apr 21, 2015
  5. Frank M

    Frank M Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
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    Two
    I have noticed this the last few years here in NH.
    My take is, the state will pre-treat the roads prior to a snow storms arrival.
    It is some sort of chemical that is sprayed. It has a tendency to put little brown spots in a vehicle.
    If it is not cleaned off in the spring, it will wear off over the summer.
     
    #5 Frank M, Apr 21, 2015
  6. schmuly

    schmuly Member

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    Location:
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    Found this and copy and pasted.
    This is the most common liquid deicer that the DOT's use:
    Based on a 100 gallons:

    75% Sodium Chloride (1.179 sp. gr. or 88.3 on a salinometer, 23.3% solution)
    20% desugared Molasses (beet or cane, can be purchased at most animal feed stores for @ $1.50 gallon.)
    5% Calcium Chloride (if you are in sub-zero conditions.)
    You can skip the Calcium Chloride if you don't get well below zero.
    This mixture is good to @-10 F. without the Calcium Chloride. It works about two weeks, depending on precipitation. Spray with straight stream nozzles only, at a rate of @20 gallons per lane mile for anti-icing and 40 gallons for deicing.
    Liquids are not good at removing ice. Instead, they break the bond that snow and ice has on pavement so it can be easily removed. It's best function is for anti-icing.
    Good Luck!
     
    #6 schmuly, Apr 21, 2015
  7. beha

    beha Junior Member

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    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I also have a blizzard pearl prius and get rust spots. All of the research I've done points to brake debris that sticks to the car surface. Check out a product called iron x. It works great but smells horrible. Otherwise some pretty good elbow grease will also take car of them.
     
    #7 beha, Mar 19, 2017
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