erikb324

hi—

I’ve been looking at a 2 year old Honda Fit to buy. It drove pretty well, but when I opened the engine compartment, I saw rust on the visible bolt on the top of the alternator, on the engine mount bracket, and a couple of other places on the top of the engine. This was just the visible stuff on top, I didn’t see anything when I looked under the car on the walk-around.

the dealership rep told me that they certify it has never had flood damage. The history report has the car in Maine for 2 years, so I wonder if that is road salt (maybe) damage. I’m a little spooked by rust, so I’m curious if perhaps I’m over playing my concerns?

i can replace the alternator and eventually replace any rusty parts around the engine (if they can’t be cleaned), but I don’t want to end up with a car that disintegrates!

what are your thoughts?

E

sh1ntaox

i personally won't touch a car that spent any time in the northeast. road salt gets in everything and yes it does make hondas disappear.

Chance EG

Pics would help. As with what Sh1n said, I avoid any cars from the rust belt or even anywhere in the north US because the road salt inevitably eats the panels, undercarriage, and anything else it can get kicked up and hit. Bolts end up seizing inside threads and may snap when you try to back them out, exhausts develop holes and leaks sooner, etc.

That being said, pics would still help. Road salt is a fact of life for 50% of 'murricans.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Hehe. Ya'll just deal with people that don't clean their engine bays.

Here are my "rust belt" engine bays. I've been the original owner of each since their beginning year. The K-series is 11.5 years, the B-series is 17 years. One just needs to wash their engine bay twice a year. Once when spring hits, and the other is right after the fall.

As a resident of the "Rust Belt" All I ask is that you Don't generalize. Look at each car individually.

drrusshorn

These are clean looking compartments. What products do you use to clean up the bays?

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

As I said in another thread it is all about care. I have plenty of cars in the Northeast and the way that they've been treated, you would think that they were down in Texas or Louisiana somewhere. Different environments are gonna have different problems for vehicles because they are metal. Plain and simple.

You should see some of the rust issues that you have in Florida or in the Virgin Islands. Sand also can have a horrible effect on paint jobs as well as engine bays in terms of rust because of the wins. You can avoid it. It's about taking care of the vehicle regardless of its location

For the for owner, yes, rust can occur when sawdust gets into the engine bay by any orifice that allows air to come in.

Best remedy for any of this type of rust is to always clean your engine bay twice a year. Once in the spring, and once in the fall. I sold my 2006 TSX to one owner in Michigan, and there is not one speck of rust on it whatsoever. It is only because of the fact that I took proper care of the engine bay twice a year. Post a picture shortly