Electronic Rust Prevention

Last weekend I was looking through the paper and noticed an ad for a module you mount to your vehicle that is supposed to stop rust through some electronic means. I forget the name of the product I saw, but a quick search on the 'net came up with another product that does the same thing called the RustStop2000 (http://www.ruststopnorthamerica.com). It sounds like a good thing - if it isn't a rip-off. Has anyone heard of these things before?

I saw one installed on a full sized pickup on the show Trucks!, but that's kind of like an infomercial anyway, so I really don't have any knowledge of its effectiveness.

Keeping the salts and grime off your vehicle can probably do as much good as this. I bought my XJ almost 17 years ago and it has very little rust at all. I've touched up the spots when they start not for appearance sake, but to keep the vehicle solid and it's worked for me.

Sounds like Snake Oil to me.

if there actually was a device that could do as promised and prevent rust, I think that auto manufacturers would have jumped on it years ago.

Kinda like that magnet that you clip on your gas line that magically increases your gas mileage and horsepower......

.....or the metal thing that magically spins the air claiming the same thing........

.....or the resistor that magically increases your horsepower by 20%....sold on ebay for 9.99

......or the TB spacer with ridges that swirls the air creating gobs of horsepower

.....you get my drift....

Thanks for asking the question though...others might be thinking about the same thing.

John

look for this book:

"Rust: How to keep it from destroying your car" by Stephen B. Joseph

It's a great resource for fighting rust. Includes information on electronic methods.

Chemically it makes sense. Less dialectric constant, less oxidation. Automaes probably haven't jumped on it because its probably a lot cheaper to galvinize the panels with 2cents of zinc or magnesium or whatnot than to install an electonic device.

hmmmmm, on the contrary, I think the auto manufacturers want the vehicle to last as the warranty is stated, they WANT you to buy another vehicle, that is their livelyhood, they will certainly not want the vehicle's life to be extended! It is up to us as consumers to take care of our cars, or in our case: JEEPS! :laugh3:

They want us to mistreat our vehicles, so we buy more of their products, that keeps the cycle going. Same with the oil change shops... every 3k miles, we spend anywhere from $10 - $60 for oil changes, that is their bread and butter! So it is up to us to make informed decisions and try to help each other... it is the manufacters trying to make a quick buck off of us little guys.

John-Boy said:

Sounds like Snake Oil to me.

if there actually was a devicd th p could do as promised and prevent rust, I think that auto manufacturers would have jumped on it years ago...

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Electronic (cathodic) protection is not a new thing. They have been using sacrificial anodes on steel bridges, structures, and underground storage tanks for years. You will also find them in many marine applications. Your outdrive on your ski boat probably has some little things that look like corroding aluminum on them. These are the anodes. The idea is that THEY oxidize and not the thing they are protecting.

Oxidation involves a transfer of electrons. The anode oxidizes easier than the steel your rig is made of. Connect them electrically (ground it to your rig) and the anode will oxidize first. Once it corrodes away, your rig will begin to rust. Thus, the anode is sacrificed to save your rig from rust. Ta daa!

I don't know how well these things work on a vehicle. They are amazing on boats, storage tanks, and structures. Zero rust, ever. It's worth looking into. I would head down to a marine shop and talk to one of the techs there. You could probably get the parts to do it yourself for ALOT less, and you'd kind of understand how it works. Keep us posted.

Jared

My aunt and uncle used to own an old steel hull Chris-Craft cruiser that was equipped with electronic rust prevention. The boat lived 95+% of it's life in the (fresh) water of the Mississippi River. The electronic rust prevention system seemed to work very well in that application. It's since been re-located to a fresh water lake, but it is still in great shape.

DeadEyeJ has it right on and if I am not mistaken this was discussed several months ago and included some interesting home brew ideas. Definitely not snake oil however I am not sure if the application is right. Just from what we put our vehicles through, how/where you would attach a scrificial annode eludes me. Maybe inside frame rail?

I second that, DeadEyeJ is absolutely correct. The anode always corrodes first. They sell anode kits for evaporitive coolers, I don't see why one can't be mounted to your XJ.

DeadEyeJ is correct about cathodic protection. But you are all jumping on the bandwagon thinking this will prevent rust. WRONG.

My experience is with boats, 20 to 125 feet, sail or power. I have a RYA 200 tonne licence. Every single boat I have captained has had some form of cathodic protection, usually in the form of sacrificial anodes. Most large boats have multiple anodes.

But these DO NOT prevent rust. The golden Gate bridge in SF has multiple sacrificial anodes, do you really think it cuts down on the rust?

Hate to disappoint you, but any boat in water is going to experience rust, no matter how many anodes you hang off it. The purpose of the sacrificial anodes is to prevent your propeller, or prop shaft, or rudder, or anchor, or any other valuable/expensive metal item from BECOMING a sacrificial anode.

Worst case would be an aluminum yacht in sea water. The variety of metals aboard a yacht, even a f/glass construction, and the stray electrical current aboard (from grounding to the motor or rigging), and the sea water MAY (almost always) result in the vessel having an electrical charge to it. (somewhat similar to the potato clock)usually no problem with most land vehicles it would seek ground and would not be a problem. A yacht cannot seek ground (unless grounded) because it is floating in water. The current discharging into water (especially sea water) causes a reaction and the result is that any metal under the waterline is subject to galvanic corrosion. So you add some zinc anodes, because zinc corrodes really easily and will save your expensive underwater attachments - like a prop. cheaper to spend a few $$ every year on new anodes than to replace a bronze prop.

The anodes must be connected in some form to the boat ground. You will also see anodes on prop shafts as these ground straight to the motor usually. If only these anodes stopped surface rust, most yacht crew would be out of a job. Sorry, it does not work like that, steel, AL and F/glass yachts will still show rust on metal surfaces no matter how many anodes you hang off the boat. That corrosion stops when you haul the boat out of the water, no more water, no more corrosion. given the logic on this thread so far, that would also mean that no boats in the boat yard would ever experience rust, NOT SO.

I think people are getting two seperate processes confused, galvanic action is different from the rust process. Someone who is sharper with electrons would probably explain it better. As I understand it, one process is galvanic action, one process is oxidation. They are seperate and different and often act simulataneously.

You know the best protection against rust right? Let it rust. Eventually the surface will rust and scale sufficiently that the underlying material can not be exposed to oxygen - no more rust. Same with AL.

Well, I guess I've just had my ass handed to me... :anon:

Sorry if I put out bad info.

Grant said:

DeadEyeJ is correct about cathodic protection. But you are all jumping on the bandwagon thinking this will prevent rust. WRONG.

But these DO NOT prevent rust. The golden Gate bridge in SF has multiple sacrificial anodes, do you really think it cuts down on the rust?

Hate to disappoint you, but any boat in water is going to experience rust, no matter how many anodes you hang off it.

Sorry, it does not work like that, steel, AL and F/glass yachts will still show rust on metal surfaces no matter how many anodes you hang off the boat.

given the logic on this thread so far, that would also mean that no boats in the boat yard would ever experience rust, NOT SO.

I think people are getting two seperate processes confused, ga ... .

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So.....................what are you saying? :laugh3:

John-Boy said:

Well, I guess I've just had my ass handed to me... :anon:

Sorry if I put out bad info.

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Actually my first thought on reading the initial post was Snake Oil

Great minds must think alike.

Then I thought I better be able to back up my snake oil claim, so you ended up with my ramblings.

Yeah, they work real well. My rusted out '92 XJ had one on it when I bought it (used).