Underbody cleaning from corrosion and rust prevention

Many car enthusiasts are familiar with the problem of rust on cars. Drivers are especially alarmed by the appearance of corrosion on the galvanized surface of the bottom, since it is known that the zinc layer should prevent these destructive processes from developing. In reality, it is designed to slow down the appearance of rust on the surface of the car and is not able to resist its appearance, especially in salty winters.

Causes of corrosion

The occurrence of rust in the bottom leads to the formation of holes, which causes a decrease in the strength of the entire body structure. This can lead to an emergency situation. Therefore, it is important to know effective methods to help eliminate the corrosion that has appeared.

With each interaction of the bottom of the car with bumps on the road or gravel that flies out from under the wheels while driving, the integrity of the protective coating is violated. This leads to the appearance of cracks in the mastic layer. It is here that water and dirt will collect - they are indispensable companions of a rusty body. That is why it is important to carry out high-quality anti-corrosion protection of the bottom of the car.

Types of corrosion

There are several types of rust on the surface of the car, depending on which various methods of anti-corrosion treatment are used. According to the flow conditions, the following types of rust can be distinguished:

• gas - appears on mufflers or exhaust pipe;
• in electrolytes - located in places of moisture stagnation;
• contact rust - appears in areas where there is contact between metals of different potentials;
• in friction conditions - observed in places where there is a corrosive environment;
• crevice - in cracks or gaps where water accumulates in contact with oxygen;
• biocorrosion - associated with the impact of microorganisms and their metabolic products;
• mechanical - arises from the blows of rubble flying from under the wheels, tall grass, bumps on the road, which rip off the protective layer from the bottom of the car.

Frequency of anti-corrosion treatment

Checking for rust and the condition of the anti-corrosion coating should be done regardless of whether the vehicle is new or used. Since it happens that even a new car will need to be applied additional anti-corrosion protection. If repairs were made or the car was damaged in an accident, the anti-corrosion protection will need to be restored.

Experts believe that an inspection should be done once a year. After a complete anti-corrosion treatment, the car will be protected for 4-5 years.

Properties of anti-corrosion coating

Any anti-corrosion coating must have the following important qualities:

• abrasion resistance - the ability to protect car parts from regular exposure to abrasives;
• environmental friendliness - rust removers must be environmentally friendly;
• frost resistance - the product must retain all its properties even at low temperatures;
• high activity - the drug must be well impregnated to stop corrosion;
• plasticity - since constant vibrations and deformations are possible during movement;
• the material must be held on the surface of the car at high temperatures.

Rust Removal Methods

Cleaning the bottom of the car from corrosion is carried out in two ways:

• in anti-corrosion centers - where a complete anti-corrosion treatment of a car will be done quickly and efficiently;
• do the processing of the bottom with your own hands, which will help to significantly reduce costs, but it will take time and effort.

When choosing an anti-corrosion center, you should talk to the receiver and evaluate his competence and professionalism in order to be sure of the quality of the services provided.

Instrument preparation

If you remove rust from the bottom of the car with your own hands, then for the work you need to purchase special materials and prepare tools:

• sanding machine or sandpaper;
• putty knife;
• blowtorch;
• a means of removing mastic;
• metal brush or roller;
• degreaser;
• anti-corrosion primer;
• rust converter;
• putty;
• rubber gloves;
• paper tape.

Rust removal work

Anti-corrosion cleaning of the bottom of the car should be carried out only after washing, because this way you can see all the problem areas. After drying the body, you should begin to examine the surface to identify pockets of rust or swollen paint.

The next stage of work is to clean the affected area. Cleaning in time directly depends on the method that is used to remove the old layer of mastic. So, the longest and most tedious way is cleaning with a metal brush or sandpaper. With the help of a grinder, preparing the surface for further work can be much faster.

Important: you need to clean the area 3-4 cm around the rust spot until a smooth and even surface appears.

After the cleaning work is completed, you need to treat the problem area with a degreasing solution and apply a rust converter. Its main task is to turn the rust remaining on the bottom into soil. It is applied with a regular cloth. After waiting for the corrosion converter to dry, a new layer of anti-corrosion coating can be applied.

Car protection inside the cabin

Cleaning the bottom of the car from corrosion should take place not only outside, but also inside the cabin. Corrosion processes are accelerated by snow that sticks to the soles of the boots, or the radiator of the heating system.

Therefore, the bottom inside the cabin also needs to be smeared with a thin layer of mastic, after dismantling the chairs, carpets and other interior elements.

Most modern cars have a galvanized body. But this is only partial protection against rust, so an additional anti-corrosion coating should be applied.