Keep your car or truck's resale value by exercising good car maintenance to prevent oxidation. Unsightly rust is a red flag to prospective buyers of a used vehicle. The harsh environment we expose it to can create damage without preventative vehicle maintenance.
What is rust, you ask? Simply stated, iron oxide is a product of iron and oxygen when water is present. During the reaction process, the iron is consumed, resulting in rust and a small amount of hydrogen. Since your vehicle's body is made up of steel, an iron alloy, it's susceptible to rust. The best way to protect metal from oxidation is with paint. This seals the material off from oxygen and moisture, thereby stopping the oxidation process.
5 Rust Prevention Tips:
- Keep Your Vehicle Covered– If possible, storing your car or truck in a garage, or a car cover, is one of the best ways to protect it against rust. The change in temperature and exposure to sun and precipitation weakens a vehicle's paint. Over time, rust will eventually take hold, making small scratches become bigger problems.
- Wash your Car – Wash your car about every two weeks; once a week if it is wet from salt on the roads. Dirt collects in various nooks and crannies and moisture follows. The ensuing muddy mess eventually wears down the protective paint to bare metal. In addition, clean out the interior, cleaning up wet spills which can start rust from the inside out.
- Paint Touch Ups – Drive further behind other vehicles to prevent pebbles nicking the paint. Minimize the damage by repairing serious chips in the paint while they're still small. Purchase a vial of touch up paint to tackle chips before they get bigger.
- Good Wax Job – A couple of times a year take the time to apply a good protective wax. Protecting your paint is wise preventative car maintenance. This will help keep some of the harmful UV rays away from the paint, preventing it from cracking and eventually failing. A standard liquid or paste is typically the best choice, although there are a variety of quick spray-on waxes available.
- Quality Repairs – Following an accident (or just a fender-bender), get your vehicle repaired by a reputable technician. Getting the repair done right the first time keeps the worry away.
Taking care of the proper car maintenance will keep your vehicle rust-free, prevent serious damage and maintain its looks and value.
Need quality vehicle maintenance? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Gary's Quality Automotive. Call (308) 381-2295 or go on-line at https://www.garysautoinc.com/ for more information about car maintenance. Our auto shop proudly serves vehicle owners in Grand Island, NE, Wood River, NE and Doniphan, NE.
LOCAL NEWSLETTER-We is starting our own local newsletter! We promise no automotive stuff! We will have a "Weird & Wild" > section. This section need's crazy photos and stories from you! "Vera's Corner" is another section of our newsletter. We NEVER know what Vera is going to do! Plus, easy and fun contests for prizes! Please email your photo's or stories to vera@garysautoinc.com or cindy@garysautoinc.com. If you have a suggestion for a name for our newsletter, let us know! We look forward to having some fun with you!
Keep your car or truck's resale value by exercising good car maintenance to prevent oxidation. Unsightly rust is a red flag to prospective buyers of a used vehicle. The harsh environment we expose it to can create damage without preventative vehicle maintenance.
What is rust, you ask? Simply stated, iron oxide is a product of iron and oxygen when water is present. During the reaction process, the iron is consumed, resulting in rust and a small amount of hydrogen. Since your vehicle's body is made up of steel, an iron alloy, it's susceptible to rust. The best way to protect metal from oxidation is with paint. This seals the material off from oxygen and moisture, thereby stopping the oxidation process.
5 Rust Prevention Tips:
- Keep Your Vehicle Covered– If possible, storing your car or truck in a garage, or a car cover, is one of the best ways to protect it against rust. The change in temperature and exposure to sun and precipitation weakens a vehicle's paint. Over time, rust will eventually take hold, making small scratches become bigger problems.
- Wash your Car – Wash your car about every two weeks; once a week if it is wet from salt on the roads. Dirt collects in various nooks and crannies and moisture follows. The ensuing muddy mess eventually wears down the protective paint to bare metal. In addition, clean out the interior, cleaning up wet spills which can start rust from the inside out.
- Paint Touch Ups – Drive further behind other vehicles to prevent pebbles nicking the paint. Minimize the damage by repairing serious chips in the paint while they're still small. Purchase a vial of touch up paint to tackle chips before they get bigger.
- Good Wax Job – A couple of times a year take the time to apply a good protective wax. Protecting your paint is wise preventative car maintenance. This will help keep some of the harmful UV rays away from the paint, preventing it from cracking and eventually failing. A standard liquid or paste is typically the best choice, although there are a variety of quick spray-on waxes available.
- Quality Repairs – Following an accident (or just a fender-bender), get your vehicle repaired by a reputable technician. Getting the repair done right the first time keeps the worry away.
Taking care of the proper car maintenance will keep your vehicle rust-free, prevent serious damage and maintain its looks and value.
Need quality vehicle maintenance? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Gary's Quality Automotive. Call (308) 381-2295 or go on-line at https://www.garysautoinc.com/ for more information about car maintenance. Our auto shop proudly serves vehicle owners in Grand Island, NE, Wood River, NE and Doniphan, NE.
LOCAL NEWSLETTER-We is starting our own local newsletter! We promise no automotive stuff! We will have a "Weird & Wild" > section. This section need's crazy photos and stories from you! "Vera's Corner" is another section of our newsletter. We NEVER know what Vera is going to do! Plus, easy and fun contests for prizes! Please email your photo's or stories to vera@garysautoinc.com or cindy@garysautoinc.com. If you have a suggestion for a name for our newsletter, let us know! We look forward to having some fun with you!
