rust spots on metallic silver C

[bigwise1]

i just noticed some rust spots on my car while i was drying it. i opened up a new package of clay magic i had and clayed it and the spots came right off. i'm concerned with the rust coming back. is anyone familiar with these decontamination kits?
http://www.fk1usa.com/products-professional.htm
http://www.autoint.com/autostore/pc/...&idproduct=174

[turbomangt]

What you saw on your car was not rust but rail dust. When your new car was shipped it went on a train, The friction from the steel tracks against the steel train wheels create hot metal fibers that float in the air and land on your new car. Using clay bar was the right procedure to remove it. Gary

[bigwise1]

Originally Posted by turbomangt

What you saw on your car was not rust but rail dust. When your new car was shipped it went on a train, The friction from the steel tracks against the steel train wheels create hot metal fibers that float in the air and land on your new car. Using clay bar was the right procedure to remove it. Gary

gary,
any opinions on the decontamination kits? they're supposed to keep the rail dust spots from coming back.

[Soju Lizard]

Gary is right. I had the same spots on my silver upon delivery. The dealer was kind enough to have a detailing shop buff them out at their expense. I then went over the entire car with a clay bar followed by some carnauba wax and Klasse sealant glaze just to be sure. Once removed, they shouldn't come back. I think the decontamination kits are more for protection in cold weather climes where the roads are salted rather than rail dust.

[turbomangt]

The kits contain chemicals that neutralize the rail dust, so if you didn't remove it all when claying that should help somewhat. If it gives you peace of mind, use it. However I have not had a car come back once I clayed it. Gary

[castrol]

I still get it on my Silver SRT every now and then. I have had it for almost 2 years now.
I usually claybar it twice a year, but we all know how time gets. Last time I did it I noticed
a few little tiny rust spots that had returned.

If you see them, just claybar them out, polish, and reapply your favorite wax. Part of the
fun of owning a light colored car. At least they don't look as dirty as black.

[C-Man]

I have read that some believe claying shears the rail dust, leaving some in the paint to bloom at a later date. Whereas the decontamination kit will remove it entirely. That said, I have only clayed my car.

[bigwise1]

help, i just looked at my car and there are some rust spots that are blooming under the paint! it looks like little raised dots. can these be buffed out? is it covered under warranty and can the dealer take care of it?

[dynodon]

keep a close eye on any areas that had that rail dust damage. Even if the clay removed the offending bit of metal, if there was rust that started, it could still spread under the paint.

When Ford had a mess with this problem (rail dust) they did a recall on thousands of cars shipped out of Chicago.

Their procedure did not involve clay, they acid washed the car (YIKES!) and then applied a proprietary sealant.

IF the cars had been clayed immediately upon arrival at the dealer, this might not have been necessary.

About C-man's concerns, I would be surprised if the clay could shear the metal bits, but I suppose there could be some left, especially if rust had started. Clay cannot get anywhere UNDER the plane or level of the surface, so any rust that started below the surface is still there. This is why a kit to neutralize the rust below the surface is imporatant.

Bigwise1: Yes, I would imagine that this problem should be covered by warranty. IF nothing else, get on the record at your dealer as finding and reporting the damage. If a treatment can make it look good, you might be happy with that.

I always prefer to fix the factory paint or live with minor problems rather than get a repaint, but if the problem is widespread, you might want to get new paint. Problem is that a repaint might look good at first, but it can age differently and I can almost always tell if a car has been repaired, it is almost impossible to perfectly match the factory finish.

But for sure report any suspected rail dust damage immediately to the dealer to get on record. This kind of damange can also happen just driving on the road which is also covered with metal bits, and other bad stuff that you blast through at wind speeds up to 120+ mph (two-lane undivided highways are worst).

[bigwise1]

i went by a respected body shop and they said it wasn't rust but dirt in the paint. i'll get a second opinion tomorrow.