brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

[andremw]

Hi. I posted in the welcome section, then asked a question about the rail dust, but have had some more thoughts about it.

I just got my car on monday. It is a white, 2006 chevy cobalt. I checked the paint over, etc, and it looked great. It rained on Wednesday. I came out of my apartment to find tiny, rust colored specks all over the lower sides of the car, and covering the back. They could not come out with a car wash, or a bug and tree sap remover. The only way I could get it to come out was to use a slight abrasive, Scratchx.

I really think that this was some sort of pre existing condition. This car was a trade in at a jeep dealer. They had to have known something about it. Either this is rail dust, and the previous owner didn't car for it, so this current dealer has just been washing off the specks to cover it up (they mentioned they clean it 4 times in 2 weeks!!), or this is a result of poor brakes.

I'm not sure what to do. It was suggested to me to try to clay bar it. However, upon more reading, the clay could possibly just remove the top part of the metal flake, and cause a repeat, and perhaps an acid wash would be better?

Do I really need to deal with this on a lightly used car? My parents bought it for me as a college graduation present, and I've been getting a huge amount of guilt from them, as I confided in them that I am regretting getting this car. They have even threatened to take the car themselves and just give me my old rusty geo.

Please advise!

[Markus Kleis]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Slow down there partner!

No need to freak out, this is easily remedied.

For one, if Scratch-X removes it then you know as a last resort you can do that to the entire car. The worst that could happen is you will end up with a BETTER finish with fewer flaws...(They call it Scratch-x for a reason!!).

Secondly, clay is a perfect candidate for rail dust and fallout. That is in fact its main use!

Clay is also NOT a band-aid that will "only remove the top," clay is THE approach taken to most gently and effectively remove ABOVE surface bonded contaminants. Like Scratch-X, properly used clay on a well cleaned and lubed surface is also very safe and will only aid your car in its quest for a beautiful finish.

Another key point about clay that I thought I should mention is that it is a method used on cars ranging from BRAND NEW off the lot to OLD and haggard. I thought I would mention this since you mention it being a "lightly used" car and not feeling as if something like clay should be used. Heck, a good portion of light colored new cars are clayed when sold!

Now, all that said... let's see if you can get some pics for us to take a closer look and properly diagnose the situation for you.

[andremw]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Does the clay remove the entire metal fleck?

I'll go out first thing tomorrow and take a few close up pictures, how does one post pictures on this forum?

I really love the car, other than this rust problem.

My parents have never cared about how the bodies of their cars look, resulting in a bunch of heavily rusted cars. So, they take the fact that I want to get rid of these specks as overkill.

[BlueZero]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

how does one post pictures on this forum?

How to upload and insert an image into your posts

[Markus Kleis]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Does the clay remove the entire metal fleck?

My parents have never cared about how the bodies of their cars look, resulting in a bunch of heavily rusted cars. So, they take the fact that I want to get rid of these specks as overkill.

It's impossible to say for EVERY "flake," but most of the time with enough effort, yes, it will.


Claying is mostly a cosmetic step, but it also helps to properly prep the paint for the adhesion of wax or sealants, which in turn protect the finish/value/looks of the vehicle. Tell them you want to show your appreciation for the car by taking care of it.

[andremw]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

I would hope that claybaring would work, unfortunately, I've been reading many online stories about the spots rapidly coming back.

[Murr1525]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Unfortunately, we here enjoy fixing these kind of problems.... but for the regular person it kind of *****...

[jlgrrt]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

The Cobalt is a great car I've had one myself, so take some time and do some reading here on the forum these guys will help you out then you will get to do some bonding time with your new car and appreciate the finish you create even more.

[PorscheGuy997]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Yeah, your best bet would be to just go ahead and clay the car. Once that is done, go from there - whether that be a more aggressive clay or another paint clainer.


When you used ScratchX, you are actually removing the staining, but not removing the bonded contaminants (the metal imbedded).

It's great to read up on these forums, but in the end, it's best just to try the product. You'll never know until you try!

[Markus Kleis]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

If something comes back not long after you clay that has NOTHING to do with the clay not working, it means you are putting your car in an area where it is picking up new surface contamination.

It is not uncommon that people who work in industrial areas have to clay once every 3 months, or sometimes more. It has nothing to do with the clay "not fully working," and everything to do with NEW contaminants landing on the paint.

That said, keeping a regular and properly applied coat of sealant or wax might be a good way to minimize these contaminants when coupled with regular washes (ie get the stuff off before it bonds to the paint).
Hope that helps.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

For what it is worth. I just detailed a 07 BMW. The owner bought it used this January. It was covered in rail dust. Specks everywhere. The claying did the job. I would venture to say 99% of the rail dust is gone. Try the clay. It will do the work for you.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

My parents have never cared about how the bodies of their cars look, resulting in a bunch of heavily rusted cars. So, they take the fact that I want to get rid of these specks as overkill.

Most people are not what you would call... "Car People", that is they look at their car as merely transportation.

Try claying these areas, then apply some wax and see if the problem returns. There's also a chemical wash treatment available, not sure what it costs so try claying first.

Maybe try to be sensitive to your parents thoughts on cars by keeping your passion toned down around them? Just a thought... hate to see you lose a new car...

[andremw]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Called the dealer I got it from today.

He acted like he didn't know what I was talking about, or at least playing stupid. He did seems to be eager to please, and asked for photos, etc. They wanted me to bring it in tomorrow. He said something about washing it, which I DO NOT want them to do. They won't fix the actual problem..

I'm trying to upload some pics I took...Seems like the rust spots are surrounding a tiny pit, most likely where the metal is. Thousands of these on my car, it's REALLY bad.

....I keep trying to upload pics to my gallery, but it's not working.

[Murr1525]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

Pics would be great... are you getting an error message?

I think it works better me if I click the upload link in the upper right corner of your gallery, not the ones in the blue squares.

[andremw]

Re: brake or rail dust? Advice PLEASE!

I will go through the upload process, and it will say it is working, then the window will suddenly close. I will open a new window, go back to gallery, and it will claim I have not uploaded any photos.