“It's a popular misconception that winter is the harshest season for vehicles due to snow and salted road conditions,” explained Freeman Young, president of Krown Rust Control. “While salt will accelerate the corrosion process, it's actually the humidity and moisture that will cause rust to appear on a vehicle. Increasingly warm temperatures have a major impact on corrosion as well, that's why spring and summer are in fact the harshest seasons.”
According to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), the best way to keep rust from eating away at your car is to protect it annually with an application of an oil–based rust inhibitor.
“We would recommend an application of an oil–based rust protector every year for maximum protection,” said Paul Datzkiw, Approved Auto repair, consumer and technical services with CAA South Central Ontario.
George Iny, Director of the Automobile Protection Association, added that rust inhibitors such as Krown's rust control offer “an excellent preventive measure to reduce maintenance costs over the years helping your car look better longer.”
The optimal months for the application are March through June. Here are some tips to consider as you guard against the onslaught of rust this spring.
• If you have never rust protected your vehicle, it's not too late to start, whether rust is present already or not;
• After washing your vehicle, keep the doors open to let any excess water drain out;
• Unlike the outer body of your vehicle, which is protected with paint and waxes, you want to ensure that the underside of your vehicle is protected as well – spraying rust inhibitors in all crevices and folds is critical as these are the areas that are most at risk for corrosion;
• Touch up any scratches, dings or rock chips that have damaged the paint on your vehicle as these areas are also prone to corrosion.
• Look for an environmentally safe rust inhibitor, preferably one that has a hydrocarbon (oil) base.
• Protecting your car annually with a rust inhibitor helps extend the life of your vehicle and represents significant savings on future maintenance and repair costs.
• It's important to note that a rust inhibitor also helps prevent the oxidation of wires and electric shorts that are caused by corrosion helping to keep your vehicle safe.
According to Young, more and more Canadians are seeing the safety, cost–savings and aesthetic benefits of rust protection as last year alone Krown treated over 250,000 vehicles across Canada. More information and facts on rust control is available at www.krown.com.
