Electronic rust prevention on cars

[WelderMick]

Not quite a metalworking topic, but I'm sure there's some opinions here.
I'm buying a new a 4WD and given the state of my trade in, it wasn't a surprise that the salesperson 'offered' (tried to shaft me with a) a dealer fitted electronic rust prevention system. I've always been skeptical and to be honest, I'm surprised that these 'systems' can still be sold legally in Australia. Where's the ACCC? Maybe I'm wrong? maybe they actually work? Opinions? Evidence?
- Mick

[Master Splinter]

It might have a chance at working, if you kept your car immersed in water at all times...but if you kept your car in water, you could just use sacrificial anodes anyway!

[WelderMick]

That's what puzzles me - where's the return circuit?

[Master Splinter]

Shhhhhhh....questions eat into profits.

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/case...ration-dba-rec

[Pearo]

That's what puzzles me - where's the return circuit?

The high tech coupling pads allow electrons to flow into the car... Damn, I am not very good at this...


I did a couple of subjects on corrosion science at uni, and even though I am fairly well versed in the subject I still find some people cannot be convinced that its all a load of rubbish.

[q9]

What make of car is it? Wouldn't happen to be already made of galvanised steel...?

[BobL]

Here's what RACQ says

RACQ has not seen the results of any properly conducted, scientifically valid tests that support the effectiveness of such devices and therefore can provide no further information.

Here's what the corrosion doctors website says about it.
http://corrosion-doctors.org/Car/car...ronic-rust.htm

[Bob38S]

You really have to wonder about these sort of products, (another one which can be added to your car to improve fuel consumption comes to mind), if they work and do such wonderful things for you - wouldn't the manufacturers of the vehicles have put them on in the first place.

Car manufacturing is a highly competitive business in which any edge/improvement translates into sales which equals profits - if it works, how come it isn't standard equipment?

[BobL]

You really have to wonder about these sort of products, (another one which can be added to your car to improve fuel consumption comes to mind), if they work and do such wonderful things for you - wouldn't the manufacturers of the vehicles have put them on in the first place.

Yep I agree. The standard conspiratorial answer to the fuel saving gadgets is the car manufacturers are in cahoots with oil companies.
But if they really did work these so called fuel saving products would not be sold by two bit businesses but have been bought out years ago by oil companies or car manufacturers.
The same goes for other products.

[Master Splinter]

As these products push extra electrons around the car, the biggest point of failure they have is that the car owner simply forgets to empty out the catch can full of used electrons (usually located in the boot) every year or so.

When the catch can is too full, the electrons have nowhere to go, so they simply back up and stop the device working.

Owners should remember that this is a recurring maintenance need, and maybe make it a habit to empty out the catch can every time they top-up the headlight fluid or buy new brake dust.

I've heard that the used electrons are really good for lemon trees!

[Bob38S]

As these products push extra electrons around the car, the biggest point of failure they have is that the car owner simply forgets to empty out the catch can full of used electrons (usually located in the boot) every year or so.

When the catch can is too full, the electrons have nowhere to go, so they simply back up and stop the device working.

Owners should remember that this is a recurring maintenance need, and maybe make it a habit to empty out the catch can every time they top-up the headlight fluid or buy new brake dust.

I've heard that the used electrons are really good for lemon trees!

Aha, now it becomes so clear, perhaps the electron emptying should become part of the scheduled servicing procedure.

Perhaps you could also explain the negative ions which have had me baffled for years.

[Master Splinter]

Negative ions are more complex, but they have some interesting side effects; for example, it's negative ions that are responsible for causing creases in many fabrics - cotton is an example; as the negative ions build up in the fabric, the material starts to clump together, at first at a microscopic scale, then, as they build up the clumping starts to become visible as creases in the fabric.

The application of heat causes the negative ions to disperse back through the fabric, but to do it fairly quickly and at reasonably low temperatures there also needs to be a conductive metal surface bridging the creased regions.

This application of a heated metal surface became (incorrectly, I might add) known to be a process of putting ions back into the fabric, the assumption being that 'negative ions' meant that the fabric was lacking in ions, and running the heated metal pad over the fabric was simply forcing loose surface ions back into the fabric. This became known as 'ironing', after a common mispronunciation of ion-ing.

[Pearo]

Negative ions are more complex, but they have some interesting side effects; for example, it's negative ions that are responsible for causing creases in many fabrics - cotton is an example; as the negative ions build up in the fabric, the material starts to clump together, at first at a microscopic scale, then, as they build up the clumping starts to become visible as creases in the fabric.

The application of heat causes the negative ions to disperse back through the fabric, but to do it fairly quickly and at reasonably low temperatures there also needs to be a conductive metal surface bridging the creased regions.

This application of a heated metal surface became (incorrectly, I might add) known to be a process of putting ions back into the fabric, the assumption being that 'negative ions' meant that the fabric was lacking in ions, and running the heated metal pad over the fabric was simply forcing loose surface ions back into the fabric. This became known as 'ironing', after a common mispronunciation of ion-ing.

I really need to buy an iron off you now.

[rockettgpw]

Not really an answer to your query but some years ago I was admiring a fellas new 80 series landcruiser which he had proudly fitted the electronic rust protection device to ($1200 extra) and a chemical rust treatment, I had to ask do you plan to do a lot of beach work and are you keeping the car forever? he answered no i dont go on the beach and i change my cars every two years. Still cant figure out why he spent the extra cash! I suppose though at by the end of the two years his car wasn't rusty

[rockettgpw]

As these products push extra electrons around the car, the biggest point of failure they have is that the car owner simply forgets to empty out the catch can full of used electrons (usually located in the boot) every year or so.

When the catch can is too full, the electrons have nowhere to go, so they simply back up and stop the device working.

Owners should remember that this is a recurring maintenance need, and maybe make it a habit to empty out the catch can every time they top-up the headlight fluid or buy new brake dust.

I've heard that the used electrons are really good for lemon trees!

Ive also heard weewee is good for lemon trees... is there a connection?