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rust and pitting on the back of the car

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by skijapan, Jul 29, 2006.

  1. skijapan

    skijapan Junior Member

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    I gave my one year old Prius a long over due bath today. Usually I only have time to power wash it at the car wash, but today it got a sponge bath too. Anyway, I noticed what looks like dirt specs all over the rear end and when I went to wash them away, I realized that they are actually tiny pits that are starting to rust.

    Does anyone else notice this on their car? There are absolutely no pits, (yet, knock on wood...) on the front of the car. I suppose it's the aero dynamics, heck, bugs don't even stick to my windshield. Could it be that the air is flying over the car and crashing into the back, embedding the dirt and creating pits?

    I've been trying to get around to waxing the car for weeks now, and I finally got about half way when it started to rain. Will that help the problem? Any other ideas?

    Thanks
     
    #1 skijapan, Jul 29, 2006
  2. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skijapan @ Jul 29 2006, 12:37 AM) [snapback]294231[/snapback]</div>
    Where on the rear end? The bumper is plastic and the hatch is aluminum. Neither one of these substances rust. Are you referring to the quarter panel?
     
    #2 IsrAmeriPrius, Jul 29, 2006
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    not sure but I apparently have rust on the rear black plastic skirt.. not sure how that works.
     
    #3 Tideland Prius, Jul 29, 2006
  4. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    I don't know what th' heck you're seeing but it isn't rust. Compare it to the bracket which supports the rear of the muffler: that's rust.
     
    #4 richard schumacher, Jul 29, 2006
  5. skijapan

    skijapan Junior Member

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    That would be nice if it's not rust. The pits are all over the back panel surrounding the license plate. It looks like dirt is stuck on there, but rather than bumps, they're divits. I'll go try and take a picture to post.
     
    #5 skijapan, Jul 29, 2006
  6. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    Almost sounds like rock chips.....but how would you get chips in the back.

    Could that "rust" be primer?
     
    #6 Godiva, Jul 29, 2006
  7. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Both my wife's car and Priapus have similar spots. Tiny tiny little specs which, when you rub them, do seem to go away but come back in time. They are brownish in color.
     
    #7 TonyPSchaefer, Jul 29, 2006
  8. brandon

    brandon Member

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    tree sap? road tar?
     
    #8 brandon, Jul 30, 2006
  9. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    GT88 and a soft cloth and some rubbing and their gone.
     
    #9 Frank Hudon, Jul 30, 2006
  10. skijapan

    skijapan Junior Member

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    Got it taken care of! My neighbor had some soft sticky puddy that you scrub the paint with while keeping the area wet. It pulls the rust right out of the paint. Apparently this is a common problem as dust and road salt get kicked up into the back of the car. I was also able to get my brown speckled license plate shiny and white again using this puddy.
     
    #10 skijapan, Jul 30, 2006
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    hmm, then what's this on my car?

    [​IMG]

    see the left side of the pic. Click to enlarge the picture then focus on the left side. There's one spot in the top left above the screw and another on the bottom left to the left of the screw.
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Jul 30, 2006
  12. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skijapan @ Jul 29 2006, 11:17 PM) [snapback]294517[/snapback]</div>
    This soft plastic material is the clay bar you may see referred to on the Zaino and other appearance threads. After you get the spots off, a coat of polymer sealant will help keep them off. I don't know what kinds of products you have in Japan, but a car polish that claims to last a long time is probably polymer.
     
    #12 Bill Merchant, Jul 30, 2006
  13. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skijapan @ Jul 29 2006, 11:17 PM) [snapback]294517[/snapback]</div>
    It sounds like you've got (or had) iron particles, such as brake or rail dust, embedded in your paint. Clay (what you are calling "puddy") is the most common way of removing embedded contaminants like brake dust. There are also acid washes that you can use to get rid of embedded contaminants.
     
    #13 priusenvy, Jul 30, 2006
  14. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jul 29 2006, 11:29 PM) [snapback]294518[/snapback]</div>
    Where is this on your car? It doesn't look like a finished surface. Is it on the bottom of the plastic side skirts on the back? If it is, all kinds of stuff from the road could have been thrown up with enough force to lodge in the plastic. They look like surface deposits in the picture. Try rubbing at them with some naptha lighter fluid on a white paper towel.
     
    #14 Bill Merchant, Jul 30, 2006
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It's the black plastic skirt at the back. This is the driver's side from almost a year ago lol.
     
    #15 Tideland Prius, Jul 30, 2006
  16. brandon

    brandon Member

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    I don't want to over-simplify, but it looks like plain 'ol dirt to me!
     
    #16 brandon, Jul 30, 2006
  17. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skijapan @ Jul 30 2006, 01:17 AM) [snapback]294517[/snapback]</div>
    He just clayed your car.

    You spray detailer on, then take a special clay bar made for cars and rub it. Then while still wet, dry off the car. It pulls contaminents out of the clear coat that covers the paint.

    You can get clay bar kits at an auto parts store. I don't know what you have available in Japan. I recommend Meguiar's over Mother's.

    Here are some links on how to take care of your car:
    Day at Meguiar's
     
    #17 Godiva, Jul 30, 2006
  18. Ghostrider

    Ghostrider New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 30 2006, 02:27 PM) [snapback]294703[/snapback]</div>
    I had something similiar on my Miata a few years ago. The clay bar didn't do anything. I finally figured out it was probably insect droppings from being on a delaer lot. It took some mineral spirits and fingrrnails to finally get rid of it.
     
    #18 Ghostrider, Aug 13, 2006
  19. Lola&#39;05

    Lola&#39;05 New Member

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    RUST.
    This morning was beautiful weather,so I dicided to give both cars a loving, soft terry cloth, hand wash. To my horror, I found a rust spot on my baby's driver side front door. And ,No, it didn't rub off. It is rust on a one year old car. I am so upset.
     
    #19 Lola&#39;05, Aug 13, 2006
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